Wherever you are in the world and whatever you’re interested in, our ‘Books of the Month’ features a broad sample of recent releases authored by University of Liverpool staff. From architecture to business, photography to tourism, there’s something for everyone.
The University of Liverpool Library has curated a reading list for Books of the Month which is available and searchable for University of Liverpool staff and students. The newest titles are added at the top of the list for visibility, and further information can be found in the notes area.
If you are a member of University staff and would like your new or recent (2024, 2025 & 2026) publication to be featured, please email the details to the Research Communications Team at rescomms@liverpool.ac.uk.
The Routledge Companion to Comparative International Planning
Authors: Ela Babalık, Andrea I. Frank, Olivier Sykes
Published: 2026
This companion provides an overview of a rich field of scholarship and practice, covering key debates around the purpose and value of comparison as a way of generating knowledge and theory. It features examples of comparative studies which explore contemporary issues in planning for sustainable urban and territorial development.
Across seven parts, the book explores questions of ‘why’ engage in international comparative planning research; ‘what’ planning aspects might be compared; and ‘how’ comparison might be approached. Through compelling cases of contemporary comparative research on diverse planning topics, including planning systems and governance, planning instruments and law, urban morphology, planning for risk, perspectives on informality, comparative pedagogy, and more, readers will gain a wide appreciation of comparative studies and the current state of the field. The book comprises 37 chapters by 61 contributors from around the world, offering their vital insights into the vibrant and evolving scholarship.
The companion will be of interest to educators, academics and researchers, planning practitioners, city and municipal governments, consultants, and advanced students in the fields of city, urban, and regional planning, urban design, human geography, and urban, environmental, and international development studies, interested in comparing and co-learning from global practices and places.
Olivier Sykes is Discipline Lead for Planning and Senior Lecturer in European Spatial Planning in School of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering.
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Creative Learning for Entrepreneurship
Authors: David Rae, Regina Frank, Malcolm Hoare
Published: 2026
This book was created as a learning resource which enables readers to develop their understanding and skills in creativity and entrepreneurship. It is written for anyone interested in creativity, entrepreneurship, education and learning, and in how these topics interconnect. It can be used by individual readers, students, educators, researchers, and people working in enterprise and small business support. In education, it is intended mainly for use at advanced and higher education levels.
Created as part of the European Erasmus project, ‘Beyond the Limits – Developing Entrepreneurship via Creativity’ which ran from 2020 to 2023, the 18 chapters were written by leaders, authorities and innovators in creativity, entrepreneurship and learning.
The book is organised in four themes, each of which comprises four or five chapters. All the chapters can be read and used freely and separately as educational and teaching resources.
- Creative entrepreneurship and human development
- Pedagogies for creative learning and education
- Pedagogies for entrepreneurial learning and education
- Social, community, and collective learning for creativity and enterprise.
Regina Frank is Associate Professor in Entrepreneurship, Strategy, IB and Entrepreneurship, in the School of Management, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Liverpool.
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Contradictions in Fan Culture and Club Ownership in Contemporary English Football: The Game’s Gone
Authors: Christopher McMahon, Peter Templeton
Published: 2024
Showcasing a robust conceptual model primed for use in future studies, this work offers a close analysis of the culture of the fast-moving football club ownership world, football fandom and consumption, and what it might mean for the future of the sport.
Christopher McMahon is Lecturer in Communication and Media, in the School of the Arts, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at University of Liverpool.