One of the courses I have taught across three continents is ethics. Most textbooks (nearly all) are exclusively eurocentric (other than brief nods to other peoples and traditions existing). An interesting conversation we have in class is engaging with how different ethical theories consider equality and equity. In “Equity and Fairness in Islam” (2005) by Mohammad Hashim Kamali provides […]
Semir Amin was prolific, and I have covered a number of his books on this blog, including:
In 2017 the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain launched a land, sea, and air blockade of the State of Qatar. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen (author of more than ten books on the region) documents the blockade in “Qatar and the Gulf Crisis” (2019). The author notes in the text that the writing of the book […]
One of the important efforts to shift the gaze in IPE studies beyond elites and regulation was a 2007 book edited by Hobson and Seabrooke called Everyday Politics of the World Economy. I was not seeking the book out per se, but reading other works by Hobson and stumbled on it. The book covers a […]
What do some non-democratic governments have stronger social protection systems than others? That is the main questions attempted in the book “Social Dictatorships: The Political Economy of the Welfare State in the Middle East and North Africa” (2020) by Ferdinand Eibl (published by Oxford University Press). This book is largely an elaboration of a 2016 […]
“Human rights talk constitutes one of the main elements in the ideological armoury of imperialism. Yet from the point of view of the African people, human rights struggles constitute the stuff of their daily lives. For these two interconnected reasons, human rights talk needs to be subjected to a closer historical and political scrutiny.” (p. […]
Looking for an introduction to the issues facing Africa today and into the future? Jakkie Cilliers’ Open Access book “The Future of Africa: Challenges and Opportunities” (2021) is a good option, and is available for download here. The author is a leader in strategic studies focusing on Africa, founding an independent institute (Institute for Security […]
Looking to explore different epistemic and ontological vantage points? One option is Osman Bakar’s “Classification of Knowledge in Islam – A Study in Islamic Philosophies of Science” published by the Islamic Texts Society in 1998 (first published by the Institute for Policy Research in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1992). The book examines classifications (different types; […]
“Globalists: The End of Empire and the Birth of Neoliberalism” (2018) by Slobodian (Harvard Press) is a detailed history of the people and ideas neoliberalism, and the institutions they created. The book is historical and delved into the deep end. One reflection, which is somewhat counter intuitive, is that neoliberals are not opposed to government […]
“The Ghost Map: The Story of London’s Most Terrifying Epidemic – And How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World” (2006) by Steven Johnson is the story of cholera in Victorian London and how germ theory emerged. The book is well written, conveyed through the key figures involved, and enjoyable. The author weaves in […]