Blog

The Seed Is Mine – The Life of Kas Maine

The Seed Is Mine – The Life of Kas Maine

Written in 1997, following what sounds to be an extensive oral history data collection effort, Charles van Onselen wrote “The Seed is Mine”. The book brings to life the experiences of one, and one who might otherwise not have any other record in the written historical documents (exception on legal note). This book is an […]

Tags: #Apartheid #Ethnography #History #Oral History #South Africa

Uncategorized
The Politics of Ethnicity in Ethiopia

The Politics of Ethnicity in Ethiopia

Part of the Reading Ethiopia series This book was written by Lovise Aalen in 2011 and it is unfortunate that I had not read this book until now, given the geography and topics covered (apologies Dr Aalen if you are out there). The author says this book explores a unique experiment in institutionalizing the politics of […]

Tags: #Ethiopia #Ethnicity #Ethnofederalism #Governance #Politics

Uncategorized
The Gun, the Ship, and the Pen

The Gun, the Ship, and the Pen

In 1997 Diamond wrote the best-seller, “Guns, Germs and Steel”. Nearly three decades later, a similar sounding book (The Gun, the Ship, and the Pen) by Linda Colley shifts the gaze from environmental determinism to political technology (primarily constitutions). The author is a historian and the book is woven around key individuals, which makes the […]

Tags: #Constitution #History #Linda Colley #Political technology

Uncategorized
Redefining Success

Redefining Success

Having recently published an article on conceptualizing “success”, when I saw “Redefining Success” in Vietnam (published locally), I picked it up. The book presents brief stories about people who started NGOs, social enterprises and corporations that serve a public good. The book is written by Dinh Duc Hoang, Nguyen Huu Phung Nguyen, Nguyen Ngoc Long, […]

Tags: #public good #Redefining Success #Social enterprise #Success #Vietnam

Uncategorized
New Military Strategies in the Gulf

New Military Strategies in the Gulf

Published by I.B. Tauris, “New Military Strategies in the Gulf: The Mirage of Autonomy in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar” (2023) by Jean-Loup Samaan offers a unique analysis of the changing military directions of the Gulf (focusing on those three nations). There are many books that do a poor job covering the region, this […]

Tags: #Jean-Loup Samaan #Military #Qatar #Saudi Arabia #UAE

Uncategorized
The Power of Geography

The Power of Geography

Tim Marshall, a political-economy and geography journalist, has penned a number of best selling books related to geography (or using geography as an entry point to discuss nation-states). His 2021 book “The Power of Geography: Ten Maps That Reveal the Future of Our World” is the first I have read of his books. The book […]

Tags: #Future Studies #Geography #Geopolitics #Politics #Tim Marshall

Uncategorized