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Imperialism, Sovereignty and the Making of International Law

Imperialism, Sovereignty and the Making of International Law

Antony Anghie opened a new direction in the study of international law with his book “Imperialism, Sovereignty and the Making of International Law” (2005), published by Cambridge. The book is a significant contribution (nearly 5,000 citations as of this writing, not including the citations to the papers that are included in the book). This highly […]

Tags: #Antony Anghie #Colonialism #Emperialism #International Law #sovereignty

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Edible Economics

Edible Economics

Ha-Joon Chang is an exceptional academic – unique contributions, excellent storyteller, interdisciplinary approaches, and in this book appetizing: “Edible Economics: The World in 17 Dishes” (2022). This book was not written for academics, but everyday readers who might get pulled into economics, history and politics via food. This book is an easy and enjoyable read […]

Tags: #Economics #Edible Economics #Food #Ha-Joon Chang #Policy

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Nonviolent Social Movements

Nonviolent Social Movements

Connected to a grant (and this book) I collected literature on forms of citizen and civil society action. Amongst the books that sat on the shelf for some years was “Nonviolent Social Movements: A Geographical Perspective”, edited by Zunes, Kurtz and Asher. Published in 1999, this edited collection of geographical overviews if largely historical at this […]

Tags: #Gender #Nonviolence #nonviolent #social action #Social movement

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Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh

A trip to Vietnam brought the occasion to remember that I had Walden Bello’s “Ho Chi Minh: Down With Colonialism” (2007) on the shelf. The book is a collection of speeches and writings of Ho Chi Minh, with an introduction by Walden Bello. The Vietnamese revolutionary leader died in 1969, having fought the French, Japanese […]

Tags: #Anti-colonial struggle #Colonialism #Equality #Ho Chi Minh #Imperialism #Revolution #Struggle #Vietnam

Thought Provokers
Brave New Words

Brave New Words

The founder of Khan Academy, Salman Khan, wrote “Brave New Words: How AI will Revolutionize Education (and Why That’s a Good Thing)” in 2024. The book is part history of Khan Academy, part introduction to AI and LLMs, large part of Khan Academy promotional work (other reviewers also felt this book felt like an infomercial), and […]

Tags: #AI #Books #Brave New Words #Khan Academy #Salman Khan

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Age of Revolutions

Age of Revolutions

Written by Fareed Zakaria (yes, the CNN one), “Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present” (2024) runs through a selection of European history (Netherlands, Great Britain, France) to make a case for liberalism, participatory governance, markets and innovation in the rise of powerful nations (or their downfall). The title of this book […]

Tags: #Age of Revolutions #Fareed Zakaria #History #Politics #Revolution

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