Politics and government Books

Book SynopsisFriedman discusses a government system that is no longer controlled by “we, the people”. Instead of Lincoln's government “of the people, by the people, and for the people”, we now have a government “of the people, by the bureaucrats, for the bureaucrats”, including the elected representatives who have become bureaucrats.

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Book SynopsisThis essay unscrambles the gross misconceptions that have made rational debates about tax policies virtually impossible for decades.

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Book SynopsisUpdated and revised edition.Trade ReviewReviews of the first edition (1855-1974): 'Bahru Zewde, one of present-day Ethiopia's leading historians, must be thanked for producing the first serious history of his country from the coronation of the reforming emperor Tewodros in 1855 to the Ethiopian Revolution of 1974. The work encompasses the lives of Ethiopia's four last, and most important, monarchs: Tewodros, Yohannes, Menilek and Hayla Sellase, whose reigns, as the author presents them, form an historical continuum. The text is valuable in that it provides an historical overview of virtually the entire area of present-day Ethiopia, with sections on the south of the country, largely ignored by previous historians, as well as on the better-documented Semitic north. ... The book, though less than 250 pages in length, is packed with information not readily available elsewhere, and contains valuable new historical insights. There are moreover interesting discussions of how events in one part of the region influenced the situation in others...there are also interesting sections on such topics as Hayla Sellase's ideas of government. ...The author does not ignore the more positive features of the occupation. ... Bahru's work is the first history of modern Ethiopia to be written by an Ethiopian, and thus provides a new perspective. Though later imprisoned for several years by Ethiopia's post-imperial regime he does not see the Hayla Sellase era, through which he lived as a student, with rosy spectacles. -- Richard Pankhurst * JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY *...gaping void now filled with distinction by Bahru Zewde...He achieves too, the difficult tasks of balancing the political history of warlords and emperors with social and economic developments, and relating internal developments to the progressive increase in external pressures. His judgements are succinct and illuminating. ...In short, it is a model of its kind. -- Christopher Clapham * AFRICAN AFFAIRS *... timely ... wealth of illustrative material ... Required reading for practitioners, graduate students and advanced undergraduates. - * CHOICE *Table of ContentsPreface to 2nd edition - The background - Unification & independence 1855-1896 - From Adwa to Maychaw 1896-1935 - The Italian occupation 1936-1941 - From liberation to revolution 1941-1974 - Revolution & its Sequel - Conclusion

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Book SynopsisA landmark history of one hundred years of war waged against the Palestinians from the foremost US historian of the Middle East, told through pivotal events and family historyIn 1899, Yusuf Diya al-Khalidi, mayor of Jerusalem, alarmed by the Zionist call to create a Jewish national home in Palestine, wrote a letter aimed at Theodore Herzl: the country had an indigenous people who would not easily accept their own displacement. He warned of the perils ahead, ending his note, in the name of God, let Palestine be left alone. Thus Rashid Khalidi, al-Khalidi's great-great-nephew, begins this sweeping history, the first general account of the conflict told from an explicitly Palestinian perspective.Drawing on a wealth of untapped archival materials and the reports of generations of family membersmayors, judges, scholars, diplomats, and journalistsThe Hundred Years'' War on Palestine upends accepted interpretations of the conflict, which tend, at best, to desc

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Book SynopsisBob Woodward and Robert Costa’s compelling account of the presidential transition from Donald Trump to Joe Biden.Trade Review'The thing that is so bracing and nerve-wracking and important about this new book is what it reveals about how much worse it was than we knew, how much closer we came to real disaster than we have known before now.' -- Rachel Maddow * MSNBC *'Excerpts of the Woodward/Costa book in the Washington Post and CNN make the Trump administration’s operations in January 2021 sound like a bewildering blend of King Lear, The Decline and Fall of The Roman Empire, Dr Strangelove and Veep.' -- Olivier Knox * Washington Post *'A cliffhanger... Like an instalment of a deathless Marvel franchise, for all its spectacle Peril ends with a dismaying sense of prologue.' -- John Williams * New York Times *'We know that the period between the election and the inauguration was a time of great domestic turmoil. And what Peril does is it shows that this was also a grave national security crisis.' -- Isaac Stanley-Becker * NPR *'Explosive new details about former President Donald Trump's actions around last year's election and the January insurrection.' * PBS *'Woodward and Costa got an exclusive transcript of the call. Pelosi has the same concerns that Milley does. The phone call is dramatic. It's blunt. And Pelosi wants Milley to reassure her that the nuclear weapons are safe.' -- Jamie Gangel * CNN *'The book details how Mr Trump's presidency essentially collapsed in his final months in office, particularly after his election loss and the start of his campaign to deny the results.' -- Michael S. Schmidt * New York Times *

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Book Synopsis'An insightful playbook for getting out of the permacrisis we seem mired in’ - Walter Isaacson‘A sensible plan for reform that can help us create a fairer and more equitable world’ - Sheryl SandbergDo you feel like we’re in a permacrisis? Chances are you feel some anxiety about the state of the world. Gordon Brown, Mohamed A. El-Erian and Michael Spence certainly did. Three of the most internationally respected and experienced thinkers of our time, these friends found their pandemic Zooms increasingly focused on a cascade of crises: sputtering growth, surging inflation, poor policy responses, an escalating climate emergency, worsening inequality, increasing nationalism and a decline in global co-operation. They shared their fears and frustrations. And the more they talked, the more they realised that while past mistakes had set the world on this bumpy course, a better path leading to aTrade Review'Three of the world’s greatest economic leaders have put their brilliant minds together to produce this insightful playbook for getting out of the permacrisis we seem mired in. It’s a timely guide to the type of co-operation, both at home and internationally, that is now vitally necessary’ -- Walter Isaacson‘Permacrisis recognises that a growth policy that also addresses issues like gender equity and climate change can create a sustainable economy that raises all boats. This hopeful book puts forward a sensible plan for reform that can help us create a fairer and more equitable world’ -- Sheryl Sandberg‘This excellent book presents a new growth model that is sustainable and inclusive, and where technology lifts jobs for all. Don’t miss reading it!’ -- Nouriel Roubini‘Brown, El-Erian and Spence show us in vivid detail what needs fixing in a world of perpetual economic crisis. More importantly, they provide solutions that even today’s chronically dysfunctional governments can credibly reach. Permacrisis offers hope and good sense in equal measure’ -- Ian Bremmer‘A bold and ambitious agenda for change to create a more sustainable and equitable world’ -- James Manyika

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Book SynopsisTells Rajesh Sundaram's story of how he led a small team of Indian broadcast professionals and South African interns to launch the television news channel ANN7 under the power-grabbing and money-hungry mogul Atul Gupta and his cronies.

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Book SynopsisAll you need to know about elections, politics, and government!Too often, textbooks turn the noteworthy details of government into tedious discourse that would put even the president to sleep. American Government 101 cuts out the boring explanations, and instead provides a hands-on lesson that keeps you engaged as you learn. From the backstory of the Constitution to the institution of the Electoral College, this primer is packed with hundreds of entertaining tidbits and concepts to help you learn about how the government of the United States actually works. So whether you want to learn about how policies and laws are created, or just want to become a better-informed voter, American Government 101 has all the answers--even the ones you didn''t know you were looking for.

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLERTHE OBSERVER BOOK OF THE YEAR THE INSIDE STORY ON PRESIDENT TRUMP, AS ONLY BOB WOODWARD CAN TELL IT. ‘Fear is a meticulously researched account of a White House and a president in financial, legal and personal disorder…essential reading…’ Daily Mail 'I think you’ve always been fair.' President Donald J. Trump, in a call to Bob Woodward, August 14, 2018 'The sheer weight of anecdotes depicts a man with no empathy and a pathological capacity for lying.' Financial Times 'Fear depicts a White House awash in dysfunction, where the Lord of the Flies is the closest thing to an owner's manual.' The Guardian 'Though his books are often sensational, he is the opposite of sensationalist . .Trade Review'In the worldwide capital of leaks and anonymous dishing that is Washington, secrets can be almost impossible to keep. But somehow over the past 19 months, the fact that America’s most famous investigative journalist was quietly chipping away at a book that delves into the dysfunctions of President Trump’s White House remained largely unknown.' * The Washington Post *'Senior officials, acting as lone wolves concerned with preserving their own reputations, spoke to Woodward on their own — with some granting him hours of their time out of a fear of being the last person in the room to offer his or her viewpoint. As one former administration official put it: "He hooked somebody, and that put the fear of God in everyone else." Another former official added: "It’s gonna be killer. Everyone talked with Woodward.”' * Politico *'Donald Trump is about to get the Bob Woodward treatment.' * CNN *'He has an extraordinary ability to get otherwise responsible adults to spill [their] guts to him . . . his ability to get people to talk about stuff they shouldn’t be talking about is just extraordinary and may be unique.' -- Robert Gates, former director of the CIA and Secretary of Defense, on Woodward'I think you’ve always been fair.' -- President Donald J. Trump, in a call to Bob Woodward, August 14, 2018'The sheer weight of anecdotes depicts a man with no empathy and a pathological capacity for lying.' * The Financial Times *'Fuelling his narrative is an astonishing cast of rogues, ideologues, self-made millionaires and men in uniform who have spent the past two years in and out of Trump's administration.' * The Sunday Times *'In Woodward’s meticulous account of office intrigues, the president’s men don’t seem to be trembling with fright. What they mostly feel is contempt for Trump or pity for his ignorance and the “teenage logic” of his obsessively vented grievances.' * The Observer *'Horribly fascinating. Strongly recommended. If you can bear it.' -- Richard Dawkins'To me the standout message from the book . . . is that the president is a bit clueless, a bit vain, a bit dangerous even; but his people are utterly at sea . . .’ -- Justin Webb * The Times *'He is the master and I'd trust him over politicians of either party any day of the week.' -- Peter Baker * New York Times *'His work has been factually unassailable . . . In an age of "alternative facts" and corrosive tweets about "fake news", Woodward is truth’s gold standard.' -- Jill Abramson * The Washington Post *'Fear depicts a White House awash in dysfunction, where the Lord of the Flies is the closest thing to an owner's manual.' * The Guardian *'I wonder how many journalists have arrived in Washington over the years dreaming of becoming the next Bob Woodward . . . Though his books are often sensational, he is the opposite of sensationalist. He’s diligent, rigorous, fastidious about the facts, and studiously ethical. There’s something almost monastic about his method . . . He’s Washington's chronicler in chief.' -- Nick Bryant * BBC *'I’ve been on the receiving end of a Bob Woodward book. There were quotes in it I didn’t like. But never once – never – did I think Woodward made it up. Anonymous sources have looser lips and may take liberties. But Woodward always plays it straight. Someone told it to him.' -- Ari Fleisher, White House Press Secretary for George W. Bush‘As special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into the murky 2016 election that brought Trump to power moves towards a likely-to-be-sensational finale, Fear will help you discuss the inevitable crisis intelligibly.’ -- Peter McKay * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisExplores the course and the nature of the conflict between the Druze and the Maronites arguably the two founding communities of modern Lebanon.

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Book SynopsisThe Indian government, touted as the world's largest democracy, often repeats that Jammu and Kashmir—its only Muslim-majority state—is "an integral part of India." The region, which is disputed between India and Pakistan, and is considered the world's most militarized zone, has been occupied by India for over seventy-five years. In this book, Hafsa Kanjwal interrogates how Kashmir was made "integral" to India through a study of the decade long rule (1953-1963) of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, the second Prime Minister of the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Drawing upon a wide array of bureaucratic documents, propaganda materials, memoirs, literary sources, and oral interviews in English, Urdu, and Kashmiri, Kanjwal examines the intentions, tensions, and unintended consequences of Bakshi's state-building policies in the context of India's colonial occupation. She reveals how the Kashmir government tailored its policies to integrate Kashmir's Muslims while also showing how these policies were marked by inter-religious tension, corruption, and political repression. Challenging the binaries of colonial and postcolonial, Kanjwal historicizes India's occupation of Kashmir through processes of emotional integration, development, normalization, and empowerment to highlight the new hierarchies of power and domination that emerged in the aftermath of decolonization. In doing so, she urges us to question triumphalist narratives of India's state-formation, as well as the sovereignty claims of the modern nation-state.Trade Review"Colonizing Kashmir offers a brilliant rethinking of how sovereignty and secularism work to obscure the colonizing projects of postcolonial states. For India, Kanjwal argues, the colonial occupation of Kashmir is not an aberration nor a residual of the past, rather pivotal to the formation of the newly independent state. Scholars of religion, settler colonialism, secularism, and anyone interested in the varied and unexpected modalities through which territorial control functions will gain tremendously from the sharp conceptual interventions in this meticulously researched book."—Jasbir K Puar, Rutgers University"Hafsa Kanjwal brilliantly illuminates how India consolidated its occupational control over Kashmir through state-level practices across multiple institutional domains – development, tourism, film production, economic policies, culture, and law. Through archival and interpretative analysis of a rich variety of previously unexamined primary source historical materials, Kanjwal demonstrates how India cemented Kashmir's accession over time and, in effect, domesticated the international dispute. Her fine-grained analysis of processes of integration, normalization, and bureaucratization reveals how state-building operates as a mechanism for building, entrenching, and sustaining an architecture of colonial occupation in a 'space of political liminality' such as Kashmir."—Haley Duschinski, Ohio University"Colonizing Kashmir is essential reading for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the region. Its diligent analysis and exhaustive documentation deftly incorporates the perspectives of Kashmir's political consciousness and memory. In doing so, the book challenges and disrupts existing historiographical frameworks pertaining to Kashmir and its politics. The work holds considerable resonance with the present and future trajectory of Kashmir."—Haris Zargar, Middle East Eye"Historically invasive, theoretically cutting edge, and written in prose at once mellifluous and purposeful, this book is nothing short of a wonderfully mesmerizing intellectual earthquake in the fields of South Asian history and contemporary politics more broadly."—New Books Network"Colonizing Kashmir enables us to understand the repetitious discourse of development and normalcy through a historicization that allows for understanding the present forms of India's colonization of Kashmir as settler-colonial."—Goldie Osuri, The Contrapuntal"Kashmir's people have had a troubled history since 1947. Kanjwal presents a scholarly, impassioned historical analysis of the Indian-occupied Kashmir Valley during the crucial, decade-long regime of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad.... Recommended."—M. H. Fisher, CHOICETable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Genealogies of Colonial Occupation and State-Building: Becoming Khalid-i-Kashmir 2. Narrating Normalization: Media, Propaganda, and Foreign Policy amid Cold War Politics 3. Producing and Promoting Paradise: Tourism, Cinema, and the Desire for Kashmir 4. Developing Dependency: Economic Planning, Financial Integration, and Corruption 5. Shaping Subjectivities: Education, Secularism, and Its Discontents 6. Jashn-e-Kashmir: Patronage and the Institutionalization of Kashmiri Culture 7. The State of Emergency: State Repression, Political Dissent, and the Struggle for Self-Determination Conclusion

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Book SynopsisFrom a globally renowned expert on Russian military strategy and national security, The Russian Way of Deterrence investigates Russia's approach to coercion (both deterrence and compellence), comparing and contrasting it with the Western conceptualization of this strategy. Strategic deterrence, or what Dmitry (Dima) Adamsky calls deterrence à la Russe, is one of the main tools of Russian statecraft. Adamsky deftly describes the genealogy of the Russian approach to coercion and highlights the cultural, ideational, and historical factors that have shaped it in the nuclear, conventional, and informational domains. Drawing on extensive research on Russian strategic culture, Adamsky highlights several empirical and theoretical peculiarities of the Russian coercion strategy, including how this strategy relates to the war in Ukraine. Exploring the evolution of strategic deterrence, along with its sources and prospective avenues of development, Adamsky provides a comprehensive intellectual history that makes it possible to understand the deep mechanics of this Russian stratagem, the current and prospective patterns of the Kremlin's coercive conduct, and the implications for policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic.Trade Review"With a sophisticated understanding of strategic culture and an encyclopedic review of recent military thinking by Russian authors, Dmitry (Dima) Adamsky presents a creative and convincing new argument about Russian deterrence strategy. This is a must-read for anyone in academia or the policy world who wants to know how Russia thinks about war."—Kimberly Marten, Barnard College, Columbia University"It is one thing to say, 'they don't think the way we do.' It is quite another to explore in depth how and why that is so—which is why The Russian Way of Deterrence is so profoundly important. A landmark work, invaluable today, and of enduring importance as a study of strategic culture."—Eliot Cohen, Johns Hopkins SAIS"Only Dmitry (Dima) Adamsky could have written this book, which brings together his knowledge of strategic culture, the evolution of modern Russian military thinking, and a deep knowledge of Russian military organizations. It comes at a time when it is needed."—Stephen Peter Rosen, Harvard University"In this rich and provocative book, Dmitry (Dima) Adamsky explores the distinctive approach to deterrence and coercion that has emerged in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Drawing on extensive research and careful analysis, Adamsky assesses the relevance of that new approach for understanding Russia's war against Ukraine."—David Holloway, Stanford University"A magisterial study, revealing the evolution of the theory and practice of deterrence within the Russian strategic community. In this insightful account, Dmitry (Dima) Adamsky excels in synthesizing the Russian approach to deterrence, and coercion, through the lens of strategic culture literature."—Michael Kofman, Center for Naval Analyses (CNA)"[A] timely and enlightening book.... [Adamsky] presents a rich analysis of Russian strategic culture focused on Russia's unique approach to coercion, which differs significantly from that of the West. This, he argues, is a product of Russia's history, culture and ideational influences."—Angela Stent, SurvivalTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. Strategic Culture and Deterrence Scholarship 2. Genealogy of Deterrence à la Russe 3. Cultural Sources of Deterrence à la Russe 4. Critical Examination and Culmination Point 5. War in Ukraine and Avenues of Future Research Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisPoliticians invoke grand ideas: social justice, democracy, community, liberty, equality. But what do these ideas really mean? How can politicians across the political spectrum appeal to the same values? This fourth edition of Adam Swift's highly readable introduction to political philosophy answers these important questions, and includes new material on issues such as nationalism, immigration and multiculturalism, as well as updated guides to further reading. This lively and accessible book is ideal for students, but it also brings the insights of the world's leading political philosophers to a wide general audience. Using plenty of examples, it equips readers to think for themselves about the ideas that shape political life. Democracy works best when both politicians and voters move beyond rhetoric to think clearly and carefully about the values and principles that should govern their society. But clear thinking is difficult in an age when established orthodoxies have fallen by the wayside and political debate is becoming increasingly tribal and raucous. Bringing political philosophy out of the ivory tower and within the reach of all, this book provides us with tools to cut through the complexities and penetrate the smokescreens of modern politics. In so doing, it makes a valuable contribution to the democratic process and this new edition will continue to be essential reading for students of political philosophy and theory.Trade Review‘As a teacher and a writer, Adam Swift’s career has been about connecting the high ideals of political theory with the vital fabric of everyday life. His book is a welcoming invitation into the world of political philosophy and urgent injunction to think more deeply and read more widely. This highly readable and relevant introduction to political thought is important reading for politicians and students alike.’Ed MillibandTable of ContentsPreface Preface to Fourth Edition Introduction Part 1: Social Justice Part 2: Democracy Part 3: Liberalism and Community Part 4: Liberty Part 5: Equality Conclusion Index

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Book Synopsis‘Deep adaptation’ refers to the personal and collective changes that might help us to prepare for – and live with – a climate-influenced breakdown or collapse of our societies. It is a framework for responding to the terrifying realization of increasing disruption by committing ourselves to reducing suffering while saving more of society and the natural world. This is the first book to show how professionals across different sectors are beginning to incorporate the acceptance of likely or unfolding societal breakdown into their work and lives. They do not assume that our current economic, social and political systems can be made resilient in the face of climate change but, instead, they demonstrate the caring and creative ways that people are responding to the most difficult realization with which humanity may ever have to come to terms. Edited by the originator of the concept of deep adaptation, Jem Bendell, and a leading climate activist and strategist, Rupert Read, this book is the essential introduction to the concept, practice and emerging global movement of Deep Adaptation to climate chaos.Trade Review“The authors of this book have courage to recognise the reality of our time and face the uncomfortable facts of climate calamity. The theme of this book is indeed scary. But it’s full of bright ideas for how to transmute both fear and difficulty into kind and wise ways of living and working. The thinkers, academics and activists who have contributed to this book embody the wisdom to adapt to this unprecedented catastrophe. They also show the practical ways and means to live and act with the imagination and resilience. Not everyone would agree to these radical ideas but everyone needs to know about them. So, I recommend this book to all.”Satish Kumar, Editor Emeritus Resurgence & Ecologist and Founder, Schumacher College“This book is the “red pill” of our times, offering neither certainty nor confirmation of any story you may be holding about where we are heading in the face of so many colliding crises. What it does offer is togetherness in our insecurity and frameworks in our unknowing for coming to terms with and making sense of these times. I look forward to both “deep adaptation” and “collapsology” entering mainstream discourse, so that we might then imagine creating together, as our current paradigm crumbles.”Gail Bradbrook, co-founder, Extinction Rebellion“The contributors are unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom on the climate crisis and go against the grain with a provocative assessment of what we are now able to achieve and where we should focus our efforts.”Ecologist“Collapse followed by transformation is a common way that complex systems evolve. Perhaps collapse of our high consumption, climate-destabilising society can lead to transformation towards a brighter human future. The Deep Adaptation framework outlined in this book is a helpful way to seek that transformation.”Professor Will Steffen, Australian National University Climate Change Institute“In this book I am joined by scholars from around the world who seek to be present to the suffering and difficulties of our time. Please turn toward these ideas, not away, to find your own path in a turbulent future.”Joanna Macy, author of A Wild Love for the World“Deep Adaptation is only the beginning – it is one in which we expand our thinking and open ourselves to the possibility of a completely new emergent paradigm, as yet unknown. That fills me with curious hope.”Maddy Harland, Permaculture Magazine“riveting”Times Literary Supplement“Lucid, productive, and necessary… Bendell succeeds in distilling a terrifying future into a series of questions that invite people into conversation. By doing so, he gives us a language to speak the unthinkable.”SalonTable of ContentsIntroduction: what now the limits are breached?Jem Bendell and Rupert ReadPart I: The Predicament1. The scientific case of global over-heating and the root of denial2. Deep Adaptation: a map for navigating climate tragedyJem Bendell3. The reasons for anticipating collapsePablo Servigne, Raphaël Stevens, Gauthier Chapelle, Daniel RodaryPart II: Shifts in Being4. Climate Psychology and its Relevance to Deep AdaptationAdrian Tait5. Deeper implications of societal collapse: co-liberation from the ideology of e-s-c-a-p-e.Jem Bendell6. Unconscious addictions: mapping common responses to climate change and potential climate collapseRene Suša, Sharon Stein, Vanessa Andreotti, Tereza ajkova, Dino Siwek, and the Gesturing Towards Decolonial Collective7. Facilitating Deep Adaptation - enabling more loving conversations about our predicamentKatie Carr and Jem Bendell8. The Great Turning: Reconnecting through CollapseSean Kelly and Joanna MacyPart III: Shifts in Doing9. Leadership and management in a context of deep adaptationJonathan Gosling10. What Matters Most? Deep Education Conversations in a Climate of Change and ComplexityCharlotte Von Bulow and Charlotte Simpson11. Riding two horses: The future of politics and activism, as we face potential eco-driven societal collapseRupert Read12. Relocalisation as Deep AdaptationMatthew Slater and Skeena RathorConcluding the Beginning of Deep AdaptationJem Bendell and Rupert Read

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Book SynopsisThe way that Americans understand their Constitution and wider legal tradition has been dominated in recent decades by two exhausted approaches: the originalism of conservatives and the “living constitutionalism” of progressives. Is it time to look for an alternative? Adrian Vermeule argues that the alternative has been there, buried in the American legal tradition, all along. He shows that US law was, from the founding, subsumed within the broad framework of the classical legal tradition, which conceives law as “a reasoned ordering to the common good.” In this view, law’s purpose is to promote the goods a flourishing political community requires: justice, peace, prosperity, and morality. He shows how this legacy has been lost, despite still being implicit within American public law, and convincingly argues for its recovery in the form of “common good constitutionalism.” This erudite and brilliantly original book is a vital intervention in America’s most significant contemporary legal debate while also being an enduring account of the true nature of law that will resonate for decades with scholars and students.Trade Review“Elegant, insightful, magisterial: Adrian Vermeule has written an instant classic of scholarship, exposing the poverty of today’s prevailing legal theories, left and right, and pointing us to a better alternative – one as vibrant and radical as the Western tradition.”Sohrab Ahmari, bestselling author of The Unbroken Thread and From Fire, by Water “This is the most important book of American constitutional theory in many decades. Common Good Constitutionalism is a bolt from the blue that challenges conservative and progressive constitutional law paradigms alike. It is destined to infuriate, and to reorient.”Jack Goldsmith, Learned Hand Professor of Law, Harvard University “You are holding that rarest of books, one that will change minds, change the terms of debate, and change the future. Adrian Vermeule has written the most important and original book on constitutional theory for this generation. Future scholars, lawyers, and citizens will look back at this book for having sounded the death knell of the seemingly unassailable camps of conservative ‘originalism’ and progressive ‘living constitutionalism,’ revealing them to be exhausted sides of the same devalued liberal coin. More importantly, this book charts a new and better path – a common good constitutionalism grounded in the classical tradition but repurposed for the revitalization of a declining but redeemable republic.”Patrick J. Deneen, University of Notre Dame, author of Why Liberalism Failed “This bold and provocative book challenges the views on constitutional interpretation of both US conservatives and liberals, and reframes the debate by focusing on a substantive concept: the common good. With his characteristic originality and ability to weave the insights of different disciplines, Vermeule puts forward a thought-provoking account of the common good and its legal implications, one which will be of relevance well beyond American debates. Even those who disagree with it will have much to learn from this erudite engagement with one of the main concepts in political thought.”Francisco J. Urbina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile “ambitious”John Lloyd, Times Literary SupplementTable of ContentsACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION: THE RETURN OF THE CLASSICAL LEGAL TRADITION I. THE COMMON GOOD DEFINED II. THE CLASSICAL LEGAL TRADITION IN AMERICA III. ORIGINALISM AS ILLUSION IV. PROGRESSIVE CONSTITUTIONALISM AND DEVELOPING CONSTITUTIONALISM V. APPLICATIONS CONCLUSION

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Book SynopsisRewriting the “origin stories” of the Anthropocene No geology is neutral, writes Kathryn Yusoff. Tracing the color line of the Anthropocene, A Billion Black Anthropocenes or None examines how the grammar of geology is foundational to establishing the extractive economies of subjective life and the earth under colonialism and slavery. Yusoff initiates a transdisciplinary conversation between feminist black theory, geography, and the earth sciences, addressing the politics of the Anthropocene within the context of race, materiality, deep time, and the afterlives of geology. Forerunners is a thought-in-process series of breakthrough digital works. Written between fresh ideas and finished books, Forerunners draws on scholarly work initiated in notable blogs, social media, conference plenaries, journal articles, and the synergy of academic exchange. This is gray literature publishing: where intense thinking, change, and speculation take place in scholarship.Trade Review"A historically grounded and embodied understanding of geological transformation."—Antipode"A Billion Black Anthropocenes or None could be summed up as a new history of the relationship between geology and subjectivity. This is by no means a novel concern – pre-black conscious writers such as WEB du Bois, black conscious writers including Frantz Fanon and Steve Biko, and their contemporaries and successors, for example Sylvia Wynter, Achille Mbembe and Kathrine McKittrick, have all grappled with the complex human-citizenship-land question. What makes Kathryn Yusoff’s book different is that it addresses these questions via contemporary concerns about the Anthropocene, the name given to the new geological epoch. Unlike previous epochs, such as the Pleistocene, which was marked by climatological planetary impacts – in this case repeated glaciations, which is why it’s also called the Ice Age – the Anthropocene is marked by human interference."—New Frame"Black studies scholars and geographers interested in the environment and materiality alike are likely to find the text useful in asserting that a grammar of biopolitics cannot adequately account for the social history and present of Black people’s proximity to death, from the silver mines of sixteenth-century Potosí to the toxic environs of late-capitalist US urbanity."—ISLE"In steering away from specific dates, Yusoff engages with concepts of geologic time by connecting struggles for equity and justice with some of the foundational epistemologies that are normally used to connect historical and physical geology: uniformitarianism, the vastness of time, and the trade of time for location."—Nature Geoscience"Yusoff’s Billion Black Anthropocenes calls to mind this multitude of examples of colonialism and attendant resource exploitation, reminding us that the Anthropocene is simply the latest in a centuries-long string of world destructions enacted by western colonizers."—Inhabiting the Anthropocene "Yusoff’s A Billion Black Anthropocenes or None charts and unearths the grammar of geology as one that is foundational to and enabling of the extractive economies and histories of colonialism and slavery."—Eye on Design

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Book SynopsisA denunciation of the credentialed elite class that serves capitalism while insisting on its own progressive heroism Professional Managerial Class (PMC) elite workers labor in a world of performative identity and virtue signaling, publicizing an ability to do ordinary things in fundamentally superior ways. Author Catherine Liu shows how the PMC stands in the way of social justice and economic redistribution by promoting meritocracy, philanthropy, and other self-serving operations to abet an individualist path to a better world. Virtue Hoarders is an unapologetically polemical call to reject making a virtue out of taste and consumption habits.Forerunners: Ideas First is a thought-in-process series of breakthrough digital publications. Written between fresh ideas and finished books, Forerunners draws on scholarly work initiated in notable blogs, social media, conference plenaries, journal articles, and the synergy of academic exchange. This is gray literature publishing: where intense thinking, change, and speculation take place in scholarship.Trade Review"If a meaningful intellectual current does emerge from the wreckage of contemporary capitalism, it may well begin from the demystification of PMC liberal mores."—Conter"Virtue Hoarders argues that the professional-managerial class-working class alliance was doomed from the start for the simple reason that the two classes’ interests are fundamentally opposed."—The Washington Examiner"Virtue Hoarders amplifies a discussion that still needs to be had."—Spiked"Lui’s argument is thorough, well researched, and saturated with supporting evidence."—Rhizomes"A quick, fun read, polemicising against views which are currently dominant in the US academic left and mainstream media, and characterising these views as expressing the interests of the ‘professional managerial class’ - or ‘PMC’ - as opposed to those of the working class."—Weekly Worker "Delicious."—Current Affairs "Like all good polemics [Virtue Hoarders] is a romp: lively, fun to read."—Jeff Noonan "Thoroughly enjoyable."—Damage Magazine "Liu’s comments in Virtue Hoarders on politics seem spot-on."—The Independent Review "Liu, a professor at UC Irvine, draws from a well of experience, humor, and rage to show us how the PMC’s quest for class domination continues to unfold in our gilded age."—Los Angeles Review of Books

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Book SynopsisOn May 2, 1973, Black Panther Assata Shakur (aka JoAnne Chesimard) lay in a hospital, close to death, handcuffed to her bed, while local, state, and federal police attempted to question her about the shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike that had claimed the life of a white state trooper. Long a target of J. Edgar Hoover's campaign to defame, infiltrate, and criminalize Black nationalist organizations and their leaders, Shakur was incarcerated for four years prior to her conviction on flimsy evidence in 1977 as an accomplice to murder. This intensely personal and political autobiography belies the fearsome image of JoAnne Chesimard long projected by the media and the state. With wit and candor, Assata Shakur recounts the experiences that led her to a life of activism and portrays the strengths, weaknesses, and eventual demise of Black and White revolutionary groups at the hand of government officials. The result is a signal contribution to the literature about growing up Black in America that has already taken its place alongside The Autobiography of Malcolm X and the works of Maya Angelou. Two years after her conviction, Assata Shakur escaped from prison. She was given political asylum by Cuba, where she now resides. Trade Review"A deftly written book . . . A spellbinding tale." -- The New York Times Book Review"A sober, restrained, but forceful recollection. . . . A must book for those interested in the 'revolutionaries' of the 1960s" -- Chioce"A compelling tale of the impact of white racism on a sensitive and powerful young black woman." -- Library Journal

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Book SynopsisA breath-taking, acclaimed exploration of income equality by one of the most influential thinkers of our time.

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Book SynopsisIn the past decade Pakistan has become a country of immense importance to its region, the United States, and the world. With almost 200 million people, a 500,000-man army, nuclear weapons, and a large diaspora in Britain and North America, Pakistan is central to the hopes of jihadis and the fears of their enemies. Yet the greatest short-term threat to Pakistan is not Islamist insurgency as such, but the actions of the United States, and the greatest longterm threat is ecological change. Anatol Lieven's book is a magisterial investigation of this highly complex and often poorly understood country. Engagingly written, combining history and profound analysis with reportage from Lieven's extensive travels as a journalist and academic, Pakistan: A Hard Country is both utterly compelling and deeply revealing.Trade Review"his book may be described as the most informed Gazetteer on contemporary Pakistan. Instead of the too often repeated narrative of Pakistan's history and ills, he offers a broader sweep into the condition of the provinces, the climate, the political parties and their personalities--and, in his best chapter, an important discussion of how today's Taliban represent a continuation of similar uprisings a century ago. Dallas Morning News, May 9, 2011 "Since the death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan last week, it's become increasingly clear that anyone hoping to follow international affairs should perhaps have begun watching that country some time ago. Fortunately, Pakistan: A Hard Country serves as an outstanding primer -- even reading just the introduction is supremely useful... Lieven crafts a lucid and thoroughly fascinating whole from a wealth of information... Lieven's writing is excellent, especially crucial in a book tackling a topic with which many readers are entirely unfamiliar. Moreover, he clearly loves the place and its people. Pakistan: A Hard Country is the work of one of those rare writers able to see his subject in all its complexity, without either turning away or becoming a partisan of one perspective or the other." IBN Live, May 19, 2011 "Yet for drama, colour and complexity, [Pakistan] is hard to beat; and Anatol Lieven captures the richness of the place wonderfully. His book has the virtues of both journalism and scholarship..." Foreign Policy's The AfPak Channel blog, April 11, 2011 "The release of Anatol Lieven's latest book, Pakistan: A Hard Country, could not be timelier. This insightful, comprehensive portrait of Pakistan is the perfect antidote to stereotypical descriptions of the country as the most dangerous place in the world... Pakistan: A Hard Country has the power to dampen the paranoia about Pakistan's security complex, put terrorism in perspective, and humanize Pakistanis." Foreign Affairs, May/June 2011 "Challenging the notion that Pakistan is fragile, Lieven presents in exquisite detail how things actually work, for better or for worse, in that 'hard country.'" Evening Standard, April 21, 2011 Foreign Policy's AfPak Channel, October 13, 2011 "Despite Pakistan's heterogeneity, one aspect of the country that demonstrates some homogeneity is the universal nature of the "clan-based" system of allegiance that is ingrained in most Pakistanis. This system has been recognized for some time, and was articulated recently, and most clearly, by the scholar Anatol Lieven in his book, Pakistan: A Hard Country." Commonweal, September 23, 2011 "Lieven offers historical perspective and a coherent, nuanced picture of the strategic concerns, politics, and occasional paranoia underlying Pakistani actions... The book covers a vast amount of ground and is packed with information, much of it fascinating and laden with significance for Washington policymakers." Independent (UK) "A finely researched and forensic compendium... A penetrating, textured study." Survival "All in all, Lieven presents a subtle and nuanced picture of Pakistan that draws on deep scholarship and direct personal experience. Though by far the longest and most complex of the books reviewed here, if busy policymakers have time to read just one volume, this should be it." SA Global Affairs Irish Times, June 4, 2011 "An insightful book that is part anthropological study, part reportage. Threaded throughout are the voices of ordinary Pakistanis farmers, politicians, spooks, landowners, businessmen, soldiers, judges, clerics and jihadis whose contributions in the form of direct quotes enliven and illuminate this complex yet affectionate portrait of their country. Published just before bin Laden s death, the book does not read as if it has been overtaken by events. Indeed, its textured, penetrating survey of the dynamics shaping contemporary Pakistan could hardly be more timely, given the relative dearth of literature on the subject. Lieven makes a compelling case for why we should pay more attention to what is one of the most important but least understood countries in the world." Small Wars Journal, June 5, 2011 "Anatol Lieven has written an excellent book...It is perhaps the one book to read on Pakistan in 2011, and offers a level of nuance required for those wanting to become true specialists on the complexity of Pakistan's political history." New York Times Book Review, June 26, 2011 "Ambitious...a sweeping and insightful narrative." Washington Times, July 7, 2011 Wall Street Journal, June 27, 2011 "[Lieven] brings an infectious enthusiasm to his task of summarizing the workings of the world's sixth most populous country. In this quest, he ranges effortlessly from a police station in Peshawar to a politician's mansion in the Punjab to the mean streets of Karachi. He dishes up pithy observations while delving deep into the nation's history, politics, culture and institutions... Mr. Lieven's eye for detail, command of subcontinental history and old-fashioned shoe-leather reporting make this in many ways an excellent primer on Pakistan." The Nation, July 18, 2011 "Lieven has written a sensible and thorough exploration of Pakistan's political sphere... Pakistan is a large subject, and an unforgivingly complicated one at that, yet Lieven manages to tackle some of its most obscure problems without losing his cool... Lieven has written a very measured book, no easy task when writing about such a hard country." TotalPolitics.com, summer reading guide, June 28, 2011 "counter-intuitive... [Lieven] argues that the question should be not why Islamist political movements are so strong in Pakistan today, but why they are so weak. Provocative." Kirkus, February 15, 2011 "Lieven breaks down his study by specific region; considers the structures of justice, religion, the military and politics in turn; and, finally, in a skillful, insightful synthesis, addresses the history of and issues concerning the Taliban, both Pakistani and Afghani. A well-reasoned, welcome resource for Western "experts" and lay readers alike." Edward Luce "Everybody nowadays seems to take a view on Pakistan. Very few know what they're talking about. Anatol Lieven is that rare observer - a scholar who writes like the best kind of foreign correspondent about a country that he takes and measures on its own terms. Pakistan, a Hard Country offers an intimate and compellingly relevant portrait of an increasingly pivotal nation to the future of the world, for better or for worse. It fills a large gap in our understanding." Huffington Post, April 3, 2011 "Over the last decade, Lieven has been one of the smartest and most fair-minded commentators on the global situation, and in this important, very timely book, he explains the regions, classes, history, and prospects of Pakistan with equal value for both the neophyte and the expert. Based on Lieven's first-hand knowledge of the country for the past 20 years." Economist, April 7, 2011 "If I had to review the book 'Pakistan: A Hard Country' in one line I would say it is brilliant. The book is well researched, informative, insightful, but most of all for a country that finds itself often in headline news for the wrong reasons, empathetic." The Age, May 20, 2011 "In his fine new book Pakistan. A Hard Country, Lieven argues that while the state is weak, Pakistani society is immensely strong." New Statesman, May 12, 2011 "does much to counter lazy assumptions about the country that proliferate elsewhere" The Spectator, May 13, 2011 "His analysis of networks and systems is precise; his accounts of his travels illuminating as well as entertaining." The Guardian, May 1, 2011 "Lieven's Pakistan: A Hard Country is one such blow for clarity and sobriety... Lieven overturns many prejudices, and gives general readers plenty of fresh concepts with which to think about a routinely misrepresented country." The Independent, May 5, 2011 "Lieven's feat lies in his remarkable, flesh-and-blood portrait of the nation, ranging across demographic swathes and including a chorus of voices from farmers to intelligence officers. The picture is one of a semi-anarchic nation mired in police savagery, institutional corruption, population bulges, water shortages and the risk of catastrophic environmental disaster following last year's floods." The New York Times Book Review, June 26, 2011 "Ambitious...a sweeping and insightful narrative." Newsline Magazine, June, 2011 "Pakistan: A Hard Country manages to be clear-headed and realistic, a welcome respite from the scare-mongering that taints so many western accounts of Pakistan." The Organiser (India), June 26, 2011 "This book is about the best that has been published in recent times about Pakistan." MoneyLife (India), June 18, 2011 "Pakistan-A Hard Country is one of the most detailed accounts of a country which often seems like it is held together by chewing gum (or willpower, if you like)--but what still makes it tick? Anatol Lieven knows, and it shows in this work." "Thanks to Mr. Lieven's sound scholarship and perceptive insights in 'Pakistan: A Hard Country,' readers will come away with a clearer understanding of why it is such a complex, conflicted country and why it will continue to be of vital interest to the United States long after the last American soldier has come home from Afghanistan." Policy Review, August/September 2011 "His experience as a reporter gives Lieven both the tone of an insider and a vast affection for the country, which he credits for giving him "some of the best moments" of his life. In an attempt to explain the world's sixth-most populous nation in under 600 pages, Lieven ranges widely, touching upon everything from the rise and fall of landed families in the Punjab to the sloth of the national police to the garish decor in wealthy homes. To this ambitious task the author brings both thoroughness and an impressive familiarity with his subject." DAWN.com, August 2, 2011 "a thought-provoking and widely influential new book" DAWN.com September 2, 2011 "Lieven's is the one I would most strongly recommend to anyone wishing to learn about Pakistan... The book is shot through with sharp insights and flashes of mordant wit that make it a pleasure to read." "The gulf between...the multiple realities most Pakistanis know - and how outsiders perceive their country is wide and deep. Lieven's book is an ambitious and much-needed attempt to bridge it. The most striking thing about the book is its informed and consistently sensible tone. This tone is not heard much in discussions about Pakistan, and it is refreshing. Lieven writes in an affable, conversational voice, but not a casual one. His observations are precise and judicious." Financial Times, April 22, 2011 "Pakistan, as Anatol Lieven explains in this thorough analysis of the internal sources of this resilience, will not disintegrate easily...He deftly tackles the misperception in the west that Islamist groups might easily sweep through Pakistan." The Nation, April 13, 2011 "This book could hardly be timelier. Lucid and well informed, he deals carefully with Pakistan's well-known problems. He raises hope, avoiding the hysteria and partial judgment that disfigure much contemporary writing on the subject. Above all, he emanates a deep affection bordering on love for the unfortunate, beleaguered, magical Pakistan." The New Republic, May 5, 2011

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Book SynopsisExpanded and updated, Charles Eisenstein''s classic treatise on capitalism, currency, and the gift economy.This revised version traces the history of money, from ancient gift economies to modern capitalism, and includes new material on cryptocurrencies and emerging research that has come out since the book''s original publication. CharlesEisenstein shows how capitalism contributes to alienation, competition, and scarcity; destroys community; and necessitates endless growth at the cost of social and environmental devastation. Today, these trends have reached their extreme--and their collapse presents a golden opportunity to transition to a more connected, ecological, and sustainable way of being.Eisenstein describes the deeper narratives beneath our economic system, and how we can reimagine it to align with a new story. Applying a broadly integrated synthesis of theory, policy, and practice, he explores avant-garde concepts of the New Economics, including negative-interest currencies, local economies, gift economics, cryptocurrencies, and the restoration of the commons. Tapping into a rich lineage of conventional and unconventional economic thought, Eisenstein presents a vision that is original yet commonsense, radical yet gentle, and increasingly relevant as the crises of our civilization deepen.

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Book SynopsisA landmark history of one hundred years of war waged against the Palestinians from the foremost US historian of the Middle East, told through pivotal events and family historyIn 1899, Yusuf Diya al-Khalidi, mayor of Jerusalem, alarmed by the Zionist call to create a Jewish national home in Palestine, wrote a letter aimed at Theodore Herzl: the country had an indigenous people who would not easily accept their own displacement. He warned of the perils ahead, ending his note, ?in the name of God, let Palestine be left alone.? Thus Rashid Khalidi, al-Khalidi?s great-great-nephew, begins this sweeping history, the first general account of the conflict told from an explicitly Palestinian perspective.Drawing on a wealth of untapped archival materials and the reports of generations of family members?mayors, judges, scholars, diplomats, and journalists?The Hundred Years'' War on Palestine upends accepted interpretations of the conflict, which tend, at best, to describe a tragic clash between two peoples with claims to the same territory. Instead, Khalidi traces a hundred years of colonial war on the Palestinians, waged first by the Zionist movement and then Israel, but backed by Britain and the United States, the great powers of the age. He highlights the key episodes in this colonial campaign, from the 1917 Balfour Declaration to the destruction of Palestine in 1948, from Israel?s 1982 invasion of Lebanon to the endless and futile peace process. Original, authoritative, and important, The Hundred Years'' War on Palestine is not a chronicle of victimization, nor does it whitewash the mistakes of Palestinian leaders or deny the emergence of national movements on both sides. In reevaluating the forces arrayed against the Palestinians, it offers an illuminating new view of a conflict that continues to this day.

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Book SynopsisA powerful account, by Israeli peace activist Miko Peled, of his transformation from a young man who'd grown up in the heart of Israel's elite and served proudly in its military into a fearless advocate of nonviolent struggle and equal rights for all Palestinians and Israelis. His journey is mirrored in many ways the transformation his father, a much-decorated Israeli general, had undergone three decades earlier. Alice Walker contributed a foreword to the first edition in which she wrote, "There are few books on the Israel/Palestine issue that seem as hopeful to me as this one." In the new Epilogue he takes readers to South Africa, East Asia, several European countries, and the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel itself. Trade Review"A fascinating story that provides much food for thought."--Uri Avnery, Former Member of Knesset and veteran peace activist

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Book SynopsisOnce the darling of the Left, British journalist Melanie Phillips was “mugged by reality” to become a controversial champion of national and cultural identity. Guardian Angel is that rare memoir that grabs you by the shoulders with an urgency that screams, “PAY ATTENTION!” It leaps off the page with an immediacy and relevance that few books achieve. Beginning with her solitary childhood in London, it took years for Melanie Phillips to understand her parents’ emotional frailties and even longer to escape from them. But Phillips inherited her family’s strong Jewish values and a passionate commitment to freedom from oppression. It was this moral foundation that ultimately turned her against the warped and tyrannical attitudes of the Left, requiring her to break away not only from her parents—but also from the people she had seen as her wider political family. Through her poignant story of transformation and separation, we gain insight into the political uproar that has engulfed the West. Britain’s vote to leave the EU, the rise of far-Right political parties in Europe, and the stunning election of US president Donald Trump all involve a revolt against the elites by millions. It is these disdained masses who have been championed by Melanie Phillips in a career as prescient as it has been provocative. Guardian Angel is not only an affecting personal story, but it provides a vital explanation why the West is at a critical crossroads today. “Melanie Phillips has been one of the brave and necessary voices of our time, unafraid to speak the language of moral responsibility in an age of obfuscation and denial. This searing account of her personal journey is compelling testimony to her courage in speaking truth to power.”—Rabbi Lord Jonathan SacksTrade Review"There has also been no more courageous figure in British journalism over the past two decades and more." -- Robert Low, Standpoint magazine"A fascinating psychological portrait of a woman who seems to feel most alive when under fire...So read it and politely disagree. Phillips would hate that." -- Helen Lewis, New Statesman

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER'A delight!' Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2'Very entertaining.' Irish Times**From UKIP surge to Brexit shambles, horsemeat lasagne to Trump in the White House: bestselling comedian David Mitchell brilliantly tackles the dumbfounding times we live in.As facts are downgraded to opinions, as customers are preyed upon by algorithm-wielding websites, voters by targeted lies, cinema-goers by superheroes and children by measles, it is probably socially irresponsible even to try to cheer up.But if you're determined to give it a go, you might enjoy this eclectic collection (or eclection) of David Mitchell's attempts to make light of all that darkness. Scampi, politics, the Olympics, terrorism, condiments, proportional representation and rude street names are all touched upon by Mitchell's unremitting laser of chit-chat. Read this book and slightly change your life!

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Book SynopsisFrom the winners of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting 11.5 million documents sent through encrypted channels. The secret records of 214,000 offshore companies. The largest data leak in history. In early 2015, an anonymous whistle-blower led investigative journalists Bastian Obermayer and Frederik Obermaier into the shadow economy where the super-rich hide billions of dollars in complex financial networks. Thus began the ground-breaking investigation that saw an international team of 400 journalists work in secret for a year to uncover cases involving heads of state, politicians, businessmen, big banks, the mafia, diamond miners, art dealers and celebrities. A real-life thriller, The Panama Papers is the gripping account of how the story of the century was exposed to the world.Trade Review‘Their book should be read in journalism schools as well as by tax authorities.’ * New York Review of Books *'This is an extremely important book - this decade's most important rather than this year's.' * Times Literary Supplement *‘The authors expose a shockingly corrupt system...[an] important indictment of the shadow economy that flourishes even as the legitimate economy suffers.’ * Kirkus *‘A tale of fearless and careful reporting.’ * Financial Times *‘Bastian Obermayer and Frederik Obermaier, the authors of this powerful, lucid, book, show us how the very rich hide their money…They should make journalists proud – and may even help to make the world a better place.’ * Peter Oborne, New Statesman *‘This is the inside story of how governments, corporations and organised crime groups have used the secret world of offshore jurisdictions to engage in systematic cheating and thieving. It's an almost perfect tale for the 21st century - the failure of democracy, the triumph of commercial power and greed, greed, greed.’ -- Nick Davies, special correspondent, Guardian‘With precision and purpose, The Panama Papers is what “Follow the Money” means.’ -- Bob Woodward, The Washington Post‘The biggest leak in the history of data journalism’ -- Edward Snowden‘The fascinating struggle of David against Goliath... A brilliantly written book.’ * Frankfurter Rundschau *

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Book SynopsisA Book of the Year for The Economist and the Observer Our world seems to be collapsing. The daily news cycle reports the deterioration: divisive politics across the Western world, racism, poverty, war, inequality, hunger. While politicians, journalists and activists from all sides talk about the damage done, Johan Norberg offers an illuminating and heartening analysis of just how far we have come in tackling the greatest problems facing humanity. In the face of fear-mongering, darkness and division, the facts are unequivocal: the golden age is now.Trade Review‘Reminds us that headlines are misleading and that history and data show that life has been getting radically better in every way’. -- Steven Pinker * Observer, Books of the Year *‘A blast of good sense.’ * Economist *‘Norberg has a strong case and he makes it with energy and charm. A pertinent book for grumpy times.’ * Robbie Millen, The Times *'His unfailing optimism and well-argued points generate powerful good-news vibes’. * Esquire *‘An exhilarating book. With the combination of arresting stories and striking data, Progress will change your understanding about where we’ve come from and where we may be heading.’ -- Steven Pinker, author of The Better Angels of Our Nature‘Norberg entertainingly presents the case for something every expert knows but most newsreaders will find hard to believe: the world is getting richer, healthier, freer, and more peaceful’. * Observer *‘Johan Norberg chronicles the still largely unknown fact that humanity is now healthier, happier, cleaner, cleverer, freer and more peaceful than ever before. He also explains why in this superb book.’ -- Matt Ridley, author of The Evolution of Everything‘At a time of profound pessimism, Johan Norberg is refreshingly, but not glibly, optimistic. His excellent book documents the dramatic improvements in people’s lives and reminds us of the huge potential for further progress – provided we are open to it.’ -- Philippe Legrain, author of European Spring‘In this brightly written, upbeat book, the Swedish author blends facts, anecdotes, and official statistics to describe “humanity's triumph” in achieving the present unparalleled level of global living standards...While acknowledging the mayhem, hunger, and poverty still facing much of the world, the author remains optimistic that human ingenuity will prevail in shaping the future. A refreshingly rosy assessment of how far many of us have come from the days when life was uniformly nasty, brutish, and short.’ * Kirkus *‘Excellent…Norberg’s book comprehensively documents the myriad ways the state of humanity has vastly improved over the past couple of centuries.’ * Reason *

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Book SynopsisIn this fascinating and provocative book, David Willetts shows how the baby boomer generation has amassed unprecedented wealth and power at the expense of its children. Today's young people will pay heavier taxes, work longer hours for less money and live in a vastly degraded environment in order to pay for their parents' quality of life.Worried about the world they are passing on to their children, baby boomers are taking note. But are they willing to make the sacrifices necessary for a more equal distribution of wealth and assets? The Pinch is an insightful look at one of the most pressing issues facing Britain today; this fully revised and updated edition is essential reading for parents and policymakers alike.Trade ReviewThis is a wonderful, thought-provoking book, and is something of a tour de force...The implications of his argument are profound. * Financial Times *Mr Willetts's book lucidly explains how this unsuitable situation came about through the interaction of demographics, economics and electoral politics. * The Times *The Pinch is both a treasure trove of elegantly harvested statistics and a tremendous syhthesis of social analyses, culled from half a lifetime's study of economic and philosophical thought. -- Dominic Lawson * Sunday Times *Table of Contents0: Introduction to the First Edition 1: Who We Are 2: Breaking Up 3: The Baby Boom 4: Spending the Kids' Inheritance 5: The Social Contract 6: Ages and Stages 7: Why Bother About the Future? 8: What Governments Do 9: Time for Childhood 10: Education and Social Mobility 11: Houses and Jobs: Generation Crunch 12: 3G

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Book SynopsisAn Evening Standard's Book of the Year'A tour de force.' David GoodhartAll over the West, party systems have shattered and governments have been thrown into turmoil. The embattled establishment claims that these populist insurgencies seek to overthrow liberal democracy. The truth is no less alarming but is more complex: Western democracies are being torn apart by a new class war.In this controversial and groundbreaking analysis, Michael Lind, one of America's leading thinkers, debunks the idea that the insurgencies are primarily the result of bigotry and reveals the real battle lines. He traces how the breakdown of class compromises has left large populations in Western democracies politically adrift. We live in a globalized world that benefits elites in high income 'hubs' while suppressing the economic and social interests of those in more traditional lower-wage 'heartlands'.A bold framework for understanding the world, The New Class War argues that only a fresh class settlement can avert a never-ending cycle of clashes between oligarchs and populists - and save democracy.Trade ReviewSharply argued... Lind's book offers a bracing, and at times brilliant, polemic. * Edward Luce, FT *Lind's diagnosis is sharp and insightful... an invaluable contribution to understanding the political currents of our times and placing them in a historical context. Long after we have stopped talking about Trump and Brexit, the challenges Lind identifies will define our debate. * The Times *[Lind's] primary thesis is correct, and his tome contains a myriad of powerful insights and brilliant vignettes. * Allister Heath, Daily Telegraph *Lind's argument is compelling and clear. * Sunday Times *The best analysis of populism I have yet read, including a brilliant put-down of the absurd idea that the Russians are destabilising our politics. * Evening Standard *A tour de force. In a pithy, but subtle, analysis of western politics Lind argues that populism is a reaction against a technocratic neoliberalism that has stripped non-college-educated workers of economic bargaining power, political influence and cultural dignity. * David Goodhart – bestselling author of The Road to Somewhere *Hard-hitting, compelling and ultimately convincing. A lot has been written about the current era of political turbulence, but a lot of this work misses the mark. If you want to beat the populists, start here. * Matthew Goodwin – Professor of Politics at the University of Kent *Does it seem to you that Western society is coming apart, in ways that you don't understand? If so, then you must read this book. Lind's insights are so profound that I found myself highlighting almost every paragraph. * Jonathan Haidt, bestselling author of The Righteous Mind *Vital reading. Michael Lind is one of America's great iconoclasts. * Roger Eatwell – Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Bath *A brave and timely book. Michael Lind has written an indispensable guide to our present political backdrop. By linking geography and class through the concepts of 'hubs and heartlands', he develops a generous understanding of the appeal of sovereignty and democratic politics to working class people who have been excluded from not only power, but participation in their national politics. * Maurice Glasman, founder of Blue Labour *Excellent... If you want to understand the political defeat of liberalism and the coming realignment in capitalist democracies read this book. * Jonathan Rutherford, emeritus professor of cultural studies at Middlesex University. *Table of Contents0: Introduction 1: The New Class War 2: Hubs and Heartlands 3: World Wars and New Deals 4: The Neoliberal Revolution from Above 5: The Populist Counterrevolution from Below 6: Russian Puppets and Nazis 7: The Workerless Paradise 8: Countervailing Power 9: Making the World Safe for Democratic Pluralism 10: Epilogue

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Book SynopsisCapitalism has transformed the world and increased our productivity, but at the cost of enormous human suffering. Our shared values equality and fairness, democracy and freedom, community and solidarity can both provide the basis for a critique of capitalism, and help to guide us towards a socialist and democratic society. In this elegant book, Erik Olin Wright has distilled decades of work into a concise and tightly argued manifesto analyzing the varieties of anti-capitalism, assessing different strategic approaches, and laying the foundations for a society dedicated to human flourishing. How to Be an Anticapitalist is an urgent and powerful argument for socialism, and a unparalleled guide to help us get there. Another world is possible.Trade Review"Deserves to be widely read. In 150-odd pages, Wright makes the case for what's wrong with capitalism, what would be better, and how to achieve it. This is the rare book that can speak to both the faithful and the unconverted. You could buy it for your skeptical uncle or your militant cousin: there is something here for the reader who needs persuading that another world is possible, and the reader who wants ideas for bringing that world into being." --Ben Tarnoff, Guardian "His ideas captured the imagination of audiences, intellectuals and activists across the globe ... Wright reinvented the meaning of socialism." --New York Times "Erik Olin Wright was a visionary writer gifted with the imagination to foresee what life after capitalism might look like, but he was much more than that. He embodied an entire way to think about capitalism and the world: clear, precise, and free of bullshit. This book, his last, should be an indispensable reference point for those who want to change the world for the better." --Bhaskar Sunkara, founder and publisher of Jacobin magazine "Erik will be remembered as the most important theorist of class in the second half of the twentieth century, and the greatest Marxist sociologist of his time." --Vivek Chibber, author of Postcolonial Theory and the Specter of Capital "Possessed of an unlimited capacity to render his ideas precise and simple, without diluting them, Erik gave activists a vision of a collective project to which each could contribute. Given the resurgent interest in 'socialism' among a new generation of thinkers and activists, Erik had an ever-increasing following." --Michael Burawoy, from the afterword "[An] eloquent and accessible volume." --Tom Mayer, Colorado Daily

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Book SynopsisA Sunday Times bestsellerChristopher Hitchens was an unparalleled, prolific writer, who raised the polemical essay to a new art form, over a lifetime of thinking and debating the defining issues of our times. As an essayist he contributed to the New Statesman, Atlantic Monthly, London Review of Books, TLS and Vanity Fair. Any publication of a volume of Hitchens' essays was a major event on both sides of the Atlantic. Now comes a volume of Hitchens' previously uncollected essays, covering the themes that define Hitchens the thinker: literature, religion and politics. These essays remind us, once more, of the fierce, brilliant and trenchant voice of Christopher Hitchens.Trade ReviewThe range is remarkable... Literary criticism is often where he shines - the pieces on Orwell and Chesterton, in particular, are alert, nuanced and witty. * Financial Times *And yet... there are few journalists who can match the verve and panache of Hitchens's prose. He mixes the loquaciousness of the barfly with the fluency of the literary artist, and could not pen a dull sentence if he tried. * Guardian *What you will find in And Yet..., is a body of work that offers some of the most various, nutritious and amusing prose you are likely to encounter, and that stands as a testament to the consolations of a phrase he cherished: litera scripta manet - the written word remains. * Daily Telegraph *This final collection displays his startling ability to write so well about so much... The sense of loss at the subjects he will not write about is more than outweighed by the pleasure at those that he did. * New Statesman *Table of Contents1: Che Guevara: Goodbye to All That 2: Orwell's List 3: Orhan Pamuk: Mind the Gap 4: Bring on the Mud 5: Ohio's Odd Numbers 6: On Becoming American 7: Mikhail Lermontov: A Doomed Young Man 8: Salman Rushdie: Hobbes in the Himalayas 9: My Red-State Odyssey 10: The Turkey Has Landed 11: Bah, Humbug 12: A. N. Wilson: Downhill All the Way 13: Ian Fleming: Bottoms Up 14: Power Suits 15: Blood for No Oil! 16: How Uninviting 17: Look Who's Cutting and Running Now 18: Oriana Fallaci and the Art of the Interview 19: Imperial Follies 20: Clive James: The Omnivore 21: Gertrude Bell: The Woman Who Made Iraq 22: Physician, Heal Thyself 23: Edmund Wilson: Literary Companion On the Limits of Self-improvement, Part I: Of Vice and Men 24: On the Limits of Self-improvement, Part II: Vice and Versa 25: On the Limits of Self-improvement, Part III: Mission Accomplished 26: Ayaan Hirsi Ali: The Price of Freedom 27: Arthur Schlesinger: The Courtier 28: Paul Scott: Victoria's Secret 29: The Case against Hillary Clinton 30: The Tall Tale of Tuzla 31: V. S. Naipaul: Cruel and Unusual 32: No Regrets 33: Barack Obama: Cool Cat 34: The Lovely Stones 35: Edward M. Kennedy: Redemption Song 36: Engaging with Iran Is Like Having Sex with Someone Who Hates You 37: Colin Powell: Powell Valediction 38: Shut Up about Armenians or We'll Hurt Them Again 39: Hezbollah's Progress 40: The Politicians We Deserve 41: Rosa Luxemburg: Red Rosa 42: Joan Didion: Blue Nights 43: The True Spirit of Christmas 44: Charles Dickens's Inner Child 45: G. K. Chesterton: The Reactionary 46: The Importance of Being Orwell 47: What Is Patriotism?

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Book SynopsisBOOK OF THE YEAR, The Times, Guardian and Prospect'Fascinating and instructive... his decency and pragmatism shine through.' The Times'Candid, valuable and insightful.' ObserverSince the EU referendum of 2016, British politics has witnessed a barrage of crises, resignations and general elections. Theresa May's premiership was the most turbulent of all. In her darkest hour, following the disastrous 2017 election, she turned to Gavin Barwell to help restore her battered authority. He would become her chief of staff for the next two years - a period punctuated by Brexit negotiations, domestic tragedy, and intense political drama.In this gripping insider memoir, Barwell reveals what really went on in the corridors of power - and sheds a vital light on May, the most inscrutable of modern prime ministers. He was by her side when she met Donald Trump, heard about the poisoning of the Skripals in Salisbury, and responded to the Grenfell Tower fire. He was also at the centre of Brexit talks with foreign leaders and MPs from across the house, including Boris Johnson, Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer. Revealing how government operates during times of crisis, this is the definitive record of a momentous episode in Britain's recent political history.Trade ReviewA candid, valuable and insightful account of two hugely consequential years of history. Read it if you want to fully understand why we are where we are today. * Observer *Barwell writes with a humility and honesty that makes Chief of Staff a fascinating and instructive book... his decency and pragmatism shine through the pages of his book. * The Times *An important historical document and the ultimate insiders story of how a government was slowly and painfully overwhelmed. A meticulous account of a tortured period of our politics, revealing for the first time what really happened in Downing Street. * Laura Kuenssberg, Political Editor of BBC News *Chiefs of staff at No. 10 see more of what is happening than anyone, often more even than the prime ministers themselves. This fascinating account takes us deeper than anyone before into the opaque mysteries of the turbulent premiership of Theresa May. * Sir Anthony Seldon, author of May at 10 *Chief of Staff takes us beyond the Corridors of Power and provides a unique insight into the nerve centre of decision-making in No.10 Downing Street. * Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister *'Gavin Barwell was in the room where it happens. This is a riveting, first-hand account of Britain's white-knuckle ride through the years after Brexit. Read it if you want to understand the country we live in today.' * George Osborne, former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer *An important book. It explains how the prime minister's office works, which means it shows how we are governed. It is a window on one of the most important periods of modem political history: the Brexit negotiation years. Barwell is candid about the mistakes that were made, about how emotion and stupidity will often trump reason, and about the comedy of so much of government. Essential reading for anyone with even a passing interest in politics. * Robert Peston, Political Editor, ITV News *Excellent * Daniel Finkelstein, Times *Table of Contents1: Introduction 2: Appointment 3: Steadying the Ship 4: Building a Team 5: Working with Sir Humphrey 6: Crisis Management 7: Strategy 8: The Brexit Challenge 9: A Place with No Government 10: Dealing with the Cabinet 11: Shuffling the Pack 12: Media Relations 13: A Tale of Two Conference Speeches 14: Dealing with The Donald 15: National Security 16: Authorising the Use of Force 17: Negotiating with Brussels 18: Chequers and Doing the Deal 19: A Lucky Break 20: Parliamentary Shenanigans 21: Talking to the Opposition 22: Time's Up 23: What Can You Achieve in Two Months? 24: Leaving Narnia

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Book SynopsisPalaeolithic hunters who learnt how to kill two mammoths instead of one had made progress. Those who learnt how to kill 200 by driving a whole herd over a cliff had made too much. Many of the great ruins that grace the deserts and jungles of the earth are monuments to progress traps, the headstones of civilisations which fell victim to their own success. The twentieth-century´s runaway growth has placed a murderous burden on the planet. A Short History of Progress argues that this modern predicament is as old as civilisation. Only by understanding the patterns of progress and disaster that humanity has repeated since the Stone Age can we recognise the inherent dangers, and, with luck, and wisdom, shape its outcome.Trade ReviewThe author sifts the findings of archaeology and anthropology with thoughtful grace to build a potent argument. * * Guardian * *A compelling work of distilled wisdom. * * The Times * *Rarely have I read a book that is so gripping, so immediate and so important to our times. Jared Diamond will be jealous. -- Robyn WilliamsRonald Wright is both trained academic and an acclaimed novelist and he has used these skills to page-turning effect in this work of non-fiction. * * Morning Star * *

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Book SynopsisBangladesh, a Muslim majority nation with a population of some 154 million people, receives little notice in the West, other than when political upheaval or natural disasters bring it to our attention. In "Understanding Bangladesh", an account of the political and economic experiences of the Bangladeshi state and its people, S. Mahmud Ali seeks to redress that imbalance. His book identifies the key players among Bangladesh's tiny military, political and business elite, explores the attempts to establish their authority in a crowded field, and considers the relative merits of their attempts at nation-building. Ali concludes by outlining both the remarkable achievements recorded by this land of unusual narratives, and the elemental challenges its burgeoning populace faces in the years ahead, among which is a resurgent and highly politicized form of militant Islamism.Trade Review'A compelling account of Bangladesh's history, politics and culture. Understanding Bangladesh is a significant contribution to the growing scholarship on this South Asian state. It will be a great resource for students of South Asian history and politics.' * Contemporary South Asia *'This richly detailed book traces the evolution of Bangladesh as an independent state since 1971. Drawing on a wealth of primary and secondary sources in English and Bengali, as well as insights based on the author's personal experience of some of the events discussed, it covers in chronological order key developments vital to any understanding of the country's politics, economic policies and external relations. At the same time, the book also addresses historical factors that have shaped groups and ideas in Bangladesh which notwithstanding their place at the margins of power, have come to define the country's political landscape. Nor does it ignore emerging environmental and demographic pressures, which the author suggests will represent new challenges that could alter Bangladesh's landscape yet again. Together they help deliver a narrative that is meticulously researched, soberly argued and set to emerge as one of the most authoritative and complete accounts of a still poorly understood country.' * Dr Farzana Shaikh, Chatham House, and author of Making Sense of Pakistan *'This latest book will further enhance the author's reputation, drawing as it does on personal experience and considerable depth of research and dealing with a country of rising importance ... a scholarly and detailed chronological account of Bangladesh's origins and complex development as a new independent country. ... I warmly recommend it to anyone seeking insight into this rapidly changing country.' * Asian Affairs *

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Book Synopsis‘A combination of all that is best in memoir, biography and history.’ – Caroline Moorehead 'In this remarkable book... Jauncey has performed the great service of reminding us of a wonderful figure from Scotland’s recent history.' – Alexander McCall Smith It would be impossible to invent Don Roberto today – a fantastic combination of Don Quixote and Sir Gawain, Indiana Jones and the Lone Ranger. He was so multi-faceted, so complex, that every chapter in his story reveals some new and contradictory aspect of his personality. He is best known as the co-founder, with Keir Hardie, of the Scottish Labour Party, and later as the founding president of the Scottish National Party. But in a long and extraordinary life he was many other things besides.

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Book SynopsisFrom the aggressive US rhetoric against China, to the escalating trade war with tit for tat responses, and China's 2025 initiative that threatens the US global leadership in advanced technologies, tensions between the US and China (the two dominant forces of today's world) have never been higher. This book provides a timely analysis of the US-China relationship. Each model is deeply rooted in their respective histories and cultures, with both models highly successful in achieving their main goals and highly resilient over time. It explores the core misconceptions on governance, economic, social and military issues, and the root causes of these misconceptions. If China and US could close the gap by each understanding those differences and their implications, the author argues, they could work together to overcome global issues to the benefit of all. This updated paperback edition includes a new introduction covering recent events in US-China relations.

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Book Synopsis“Should be required reading for anyone interested in preserving our 246-year experiment in self-government.” —The New York Times Book Review * “Well researched and eloquently presented.” —The Atlantic * “Delivers Cormac McCarthy-worthy drama; while the nonfictional asides imbue that drama with the authority of documentary.” —The New York Times Book Review A celebrated journalist takes a fiercely divided America and imagines five chilling scenarios that lead to its collapse, based on in-depth interviews with experts of all kinds.The United States is coming to an end. The only question is how. On a small two-lane bridge in a rural county that loathes the federal government, the US Army uses lethal force to end a standoff with hard-right anti-government patriots. Inside an ordinary diner, a disaffected young man with a handgun takes aim at the American president stepping in for an impromptu photo-op, and a bullet splits the hyper-partisan country into violently opposed mourners and revelers. In New York City, a Category 2 hurricane plunges entire neighborhoods underwater and creates millions of refugees overnight—a blow that comes on the heels of a financial crash and years of catastrophic droughts—and tips America over the edge into ruin. These nightmarish scenarios are just three of the five possibilities most likely to spark devastating chaos in the United States that are brought to life in The Next Civil War, a chilling and deeply researched work of speculative nonfiction. Drawing upon sophisticated predictive models and nearly two hundred interviews with experts—civil war scholars, military leaders, law enforcement officials, secret service agents, agricultural specialists, environmentalists, war historians, and political scientists—journalist Stephen Marche predicts the terrifying future collapse that so many of us do not want to see unfolding in front of our eyes. Marche has spoken with soldiers and counterinsurgency experts about what it would take to control the population of the United States, and the battle plans for the next civil war have already been drawn up. Not by novelists, but by colonels. No matter your political leaning, most of us can sense that America is barreling toward catastrophe—of one kind or another. Relevant and revelatory, The Next Civil War plainly breaks down the looming threats to America and is a must-read for anyone concerned about the future of its people, its land, and its government.Trade Review“Well researched and eloquently presented.” —The Atlantic “Should be required reading for anyone invested in preserving our 246-year experiment in self-government . . . The book alternates between fictional dispatches from a coming social breakdown and digressions that support its predictions with evidence from the present. The effect is twofold: The narrative delivers Cormac McCarthy-worthy drama; while the nonfictional asides imbue that drama with the authority of documentary.” —Ian Bassin, The New York Times Book Review“Richly imagined . . . Marche is poignantly aware of the degree to which global liberty rides on what happens to America.” —Financial Times“Too many of his pronouncements ring true.” —New Yorker“It’s not a matter of if but when: A civil war is on the way. . . . In a time of torment, this is a book well worth reading.” —Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisThe ultimate, comprehensive guide to official country data and statistics, from the world’s most sophisticated intelligence-gathering organization. From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, The CIA World Factbook 2024-2025 offers complete and up-to-date information on the world's nations. This comprehensive guide is packed with data on countries' politics, populations, economics, and environment for 2024 and looks ahead to 2025. The CIA World Factbook 2024-2025 includes the following for each country: Updated geopolitical maps Population statistics, with details on languages, religions, literacy rates, age structure, health indicators, and much more Up-to-date data on military expenditures and capabilities Geography information, including climate and natural hazards Details on prominent political figures and parties Contact information for diplomatic missions Facts on

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Book SynopsisThe Political Martyrs memorial in Edinburgh looms large on the city's skyline but its history is relatively unknown. And that is not by accident. As Edinburgh's New Town was constructed, a narrative of kilts and loyalty was created for Scotland, with its radical history deliberately excluded. The French Revolution lit a spark in Scotland, inspiring radicals and working people alike, and uniting them in opposition to the King and his government. The oligarchy of landowners that ran Scotland was worried. Leading radicals like Thomas Muir and fellow political martyrs were later rounded up and transported to Botany Bay. But the radicals fought back and formed the United Scotsmen, seeking widespread political reform throughout the Union and prepared to use physical force in defence of their ideals and as social and economic hardship followed in Waterloo's wake, the flame of radicalism was further ignited. This is Scotland's Radical History.

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