In this section you can read reviews of academic books covering the USA, and its continental neighbours, Canada and Mexico. Each weekend we publish two reviews, aiming to cover a wide range of books on all aspects of public policy and politics.
GalleryBook Review: The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis by Amitav Ghosh
In The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis, Amitav Ghosh explores the spice nutmeg as a parable for our contemporary climate crisis, showing how human history has always been entangled with earthly materials. Offering a lucid call to action that seeks to inspire a collective response to the crisis, this book is urgent reading, writes Shaan Kashyap.
The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables […]
GalleryAgonies of Empire: American Power from Clinton to Biden by Michael Cox
Professor Michael Cox discusses his new book, Agonies of Empire: American Power from Clinton to Biden, which explores how five very different American Presidents have addressed US foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. In so doing, the book examines the deep sources of American power, the crisis many claim the US is now facing and how […]
GalleryBook Review: Advanced Introduction to Creative Industries by John Hartley
In Advanced Introduction to Creative Industries, John Hartley provides a new understanding of the creative industries and how they have evolved, drawing on real-life examples and case studies. In making the creative economy tangible and relatable, this book is a relevant and practical resource for those with an existing interest in the creative industries as well as those who are new […]
GalleryBook Review: Trillions: How a Band of Wall Street Renegades Invented the Index Fund and Changed Finance Forever by Robin Wigglesworth
In Trillions: How a Band of Wall Street Renegades Invented the Index Fund and Changed Finance Forever, Robin Wigglesworth explores the emergence of the index fund as an unrivalled invention in recent financial history. Taking the reader on a road trip through the history of financial markets, this readable book will be enjoyed by those who have studied economics and are […]
GalleryBook Review: Negotiating Survival: Civilian-Insurgent Relations in Afghanistan by Ashley Jackson
In Negotiating Survival: Civilian-Insurgent Relations in Afghanistan, Ashley Jackson provides fascinating insight into the relationship civilians have with both insurgencies and governments, focusing particularly on the experiences of civilians in Afghanistan. This engaging book makes a vital contribution to reimagining civilian-insurgent relations, writes Christopher Featherstone.
Negotiating Survival: Civilian-Insurgent Relations in Afghanistan. Ashley Jackson. Hurst. 2021.
In this timely book, Ashley […]
GalleryBook Review: Underdogs: Social Deviance and Queer Theory by Heather Love
In Underdogs: Social Deviance and Queer Theory, Heather Love explores how queer theory was shaped by the Cold War-era world of deviance research. Presenting a careful, close reading of deviance studies, this book invites queer theorists to reconsider their intellectual heritage; how the field of queer theory will make meaning of these connections remains to be seen, writes Dani Slabaugh.
Underdogs: Social Deviance […]
GalleryBook Review: Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy by Anitra Nelson
In Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy, Anitra Nelson makes the case for abolishing money to achieve a truly postcapitalist future and explores how societies without money might be organised in everyday life. Through its expansive coverage and imaginative connections, this inspiring book encourages us to ponder why it might be ‘easier to imagine the end of the world than the end […]
GalleryBook Review: Woke Capitalism: How Corporate Morality is Sabotaging Democracy by Carl Rhodes
In Woke Capitalism: How Corporate Morality is Sabotaging Democracy, Carl Rhodes explores how the corporate world’s calculated embrace of social justice poses a significant societal threat. This book not only unveils the hypocrisies and self-serving nature of ‘woke capitalism’, but also its pernicious effect on democracy, finds Andrew McCracken.
Woke Capitalism: How Corporate Morality is Sabotaging Democracy. Carl Rhodes. Bristol University Press. 2021.
In […]
GalleryBook Review: Nationalism, Secessionism, and Autonomy by André Lecours
In Nationalism, Secessionism, and Autonomy, André Lecours explores how autonomy is crucial to understanding why some nationalist movements become secessionist. By examining the institutional interactions behind secessionism, the book opens a new window of thought on the emergence of separatist movements, writes Onur Isci.
Nationalism, Secessionism, and Autonomy. André Lecours. Oxford University Press. 2021.
Nationalist and secessionist movements have maintained their influence in […]
GalleryBook Review: Anthropocene Islands: Entangled Worlds by Jonathan Pugh and David Chandler
In Anthropocene Islands: Entangled Worlds — available open access— Jonathan Pugh and David Chandler explore the importance of thinking with islands in the Anthropocene, showing how island thinking and practices can provide solutions to our planetary crises. This thought-provoking book delivers a loud and clear message that a research agenda for island studies is urgently needed in the Anthropocene era, writes Sibo Chen.
Anthropocene […]
