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The New Age of Empire

The New Age of Empire

Kehinde Andrews’ 2021 book “The New Age of Empire: How Racism and Colonialism Still Rule the World” was celebrated by many (Kimberle Crenshaw, Russel Brand, Ibram X Kendi, and a host of book reviewers) and critiqued by a few (book reviewers). The author is the first professor of Black Studies in the UK. I assume […]

Tags: #Colonialism #Kehinde Andrew #Racism #The New Age of Empire #White Supremacy

Thought Provokers
Debtfare States and the Poverty Industry

Debtfare States and the Poverty Industry

In 2014, Susanne Soederberg published “Debtfare States and the Poverty Industry: Money, Discipline and the Surplus Population” presenting a unique counter-narrative to many of the global development buzzwords (such as financial inclusion). The book focuses on examples in two countries, each with unique examples. In the US, the author examines credit cards, student loans and […]

Tags: #Debrtfare #Debt #Poverty Industry #Soederberg #Surplus Population

Thought Provokers
The Postcolonial African State in Transition

The Postcolonial African State in Transition

I have had Amy Niang’s 2018 “The Postcolonial African State in Transition: Stateness and Modes of Sovereignty” in my to-read pile for too long, and I am glad I finally got to it. This is a heavy book, but one that makes really interesting contributions and raises thought provoking questions. In the opening, the author […]

Tags: #Amy Niang #postcolonial #sovereignty #State #Stateness

Thought Provokers
Poisoner in Chief

Poisoner in Chief

The use of a wide range of mind destroying drugs in secret sites around the world and doing so on non-consenting people by the CIA is detailed in the book “Poisoner in Chief Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA Search for Mind Control” (2019) by Stephen Kinzer. It took a long time for what was done to […]

Tags: #CIA #Mind Control #MK-ULTRA #Psychochemical warfare #Torture

Thought Provokers
Only the Paranoid Survive

Only the Paranoid Survive

Tech gurus have cited “Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company” (1996) by Andrew Grove as one of the most influential books they have read. Grove was the CEO of Intel. The book was written in 1996, several tech generations ago. In reading this, I was less interested […]

Tags: #Andrew Grove #change management #Only the paranoid survive #strategic inflection points #Tech

Thought Provokers
Poverty and Charity in Medieval Islam

Poverty and Charity in Medieval Islam

Adam Sabra’s historical work “Poverty and Charity in Medieval Islam: Mamluk Egypt, 1250-1517” (2000) is a unique contribution of historical studies (shifting the gaze to everyday life). The book covers ideas regarding poverty (in contrast with forms of asceticism), an assessment of poverty of the era, forms of charitable giving (and the jurisprudence thereof), and […]

Tags: #Adam Sabra #Charity #Islam #Poverty #Waqf

Thought Provokers