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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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
About me
Logan Cochrane
Associate Professor at HBKU in the College of Public Policy. He is an Associate Fellow of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences and an Adjunct Professor at Hawassa University (Institute for Policy and Development Research). Over the last fifteen years, he has worked in Afghanistan, Benin, Burundi, Canada, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Logan acts as a consultant for governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations, seeking to create bridges between research and practice.
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