http://www.goodreads.com/review/list_rss/1054652 en-US Sat, 09 Aug 2008 07:34:17 -0700 60 http://www.goodreads.com/ 200 41 http://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_logo.gif 29237640 Sat, 09 Aug 2008 07:34:17 -0700
By providing a sense of historical perspective and amassing a variety of empirical evidence he shows that the kind of policies currently championed today by dominant interests and institutions run contrary to those the NDCs used themselves in the past. The intention of the book is to broaden the current policy debate and provide scope for alternatives to current economic orthodoxy. Chang surely accomplishes this aim with aplomb. Essential reading for those interested in development economics.]]>
author: Ha-Joon Chang
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 08/09/08
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review:
Contrary to popular belief many of the now developed countries (NDCs) used activist industrial policies, including tariff protection, to spur their processes of economic development, so argues Ha Joon Chang in this much needed intervention into the debate on free trade as a panacea for the developing world.

By providing a sense of historical perspective and amassing a variety of empirical evidence he shows that the kind of policies currently championed today by dominant interests and institutions run contrary to those the NDCs used themselves in the past. The intention of the book is to broaden the current policy debate and provide scope for alternatives to current economic orthodoxy. Chang surely accomplishes this aim with aplomb. Essential reading for those interested in development economics.
]]> 27767466 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:08:10 -0700
author: Ann Pilling
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.00
book published: 1989
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 08/04/08
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review:
The promised intriguing plot fails to materialise, which is a shame because in parts this book is a well observed portrait of the life of a lonely teenage boy and the world he has constructed for himself. Ultimately, this book, which is at times rather pedestrian, produces the overall effect of being something of a drab affair.
]]> 27025604 Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:00:32 -0700
However, I found that the treatment of Marx's ideas expressed here to be rather shallow; there wasn't sufficient detail and depth for those wanting to get to grips with some of the finer detail of key Marxist concepts. A good place to begin to be sure, but those wishing to seek out a fuller and more detailed exegesis of Marx's writings should look elsewhere.

]]>
author: Jonathan Wolff
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.25
book published: 2003
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 08/04/08
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review:
If you're in need of a good introduction to Marxist theory, and some of the issues surrounding its contemporary relevance, this book constitutes a good place to start. To its credit, it is accessible, engaging and concise.

However, I found that the treatment of Marx's ideas expressed here to be rather shallow; there wasn't sufficient detail and depth for those wanting to get to grips with some of the finer detail of key Marxist concepts. A good place to begin to be sure, but those wishing to seek out a fuller and more detailed exegesis of Marx's writings should look elsewhere.


]]> 28487179 Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:59:00 -0700
author: Joseph Stiglitz
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 07/28/08
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]]> 23839644 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:24:38 -0700
The passages where he describes his euphoria at war, and his experience of Spanish anarchist society are interesting but ultimately not very insightful. One gets the impression that he is akin to a tourist who captures a partial insight rather than an active participant who could tell a fuller story. There are surely better first-hand accounts available.
]]>
author: George Orwell
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1938
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 07/11/08
shelves:
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Consistently over-rated, this book presents an interesting but incomplete and partial picture of the Spanish civil war. Orwell, who appears on the scene to behold the apparent wonder of anarchist Catalonia, chronicles various factors contributing to Franco's triumph. However, if you really want to get to grips with the reasons why the war was lost there are far better historical analyses which explain a lot more.

The passages where he describes his euphoria at war, and his experience of Spanish anarchist society are interesting but ultimately not very insightful. One gets the impression that he is akin to a tourist who captures a partial insight rather than an active participant who could tell a fuller story. There are surely better first-hand accounts available.

]]> 25337004 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:12:48 -0700
One recurrent theme is the nature of human freedom, and how true freedom stems from the freedom to follow one's own conscience without recourse to fear of, or blind submission to, authority.

Another theme is the absurdity of Soviet life in which arbitrary and nonsensical actions are characteristic; even those who are ostensibly privileged and powerful are subject to the whims of unachievable targets and irrational commands. ]]>
author: Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.67
book published: 1968
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 07/11/08
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A brilliant panorama of life in Stalin's Russia in which the system of incarceration and arbitrary punishment is all pervasive. A complex picture emerges in which those who genuinely believe in the progressive character of the Soviet system count too among its victims. The petty and the vindictive appear, however, to be best positioned to benefit.

One recurrent theme is the nature of human freedom, and how true freedom stems from the freedom to follow one's own conscience without recourse to fear of, or blind submission to, authority.

Another theme is the absurdity of Soviet life in which arbitrary and nonsensical actions are characteristic; even those who are ostensibly privileged and powerful are subject to the whims of unachievable targets and irrational commands.
]]> 21595626 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:56:42 -0700
The thrust of the book is both clear and readily comprehensible, a workable and reinvigorated model of state-led development is needed which looks beyond the narrow confines of market-led strategies championed today. In short, the dogma of neoliberalism which has failed to deliver what it has promised must be supplanted by more diverse and varied strategies which leave room for the "developmental state". ]]>
author: John Rapley
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2007
rating: 4
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date added: 07/11/08
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An excellent introduction to the recent trends in the ongoing quest for the economic development of the poor nations of the world. Rapley chronicles the rise and fall of the Import Substitution Industrialisation (ISI) strategy and the dawning of the neo-liberal era of the push to market liberalisation. He offers an acute diagnosis of the failings and successes of the ISI period with reference to trends in Africa, Asia and Latin America before going on to assess the impacts of recent developments in these regions.

The thrust of the book is both clear and readily comprehensible, a workable and reinvigorated model of state-led development is needed which looks beyond the narrow confines of market-led strategies championed today. In short, the dogma of neoliberalism which has failed to deliver what it has promised must be supplanted by more diverse and varied strategies which leave room for the "developmental state".
]]> 21235688 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:48:22 -0700
author: Hunter S. Thompson
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1971
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 07/11/08
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A frenetic and bizarre journey through the landscapes of mind altering drugs, the sickly spectacle of the contradictions of the American dream writ large (Las Vegas) and the the collapse of the sixties counter-culture. Blending nihilism with social commentary, the sense of alienation from society is so strong it is practically dripping from the pages.
]]> 26526868 Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:22:38 -0700
1) Only when Islamist movements can united the "devout bourgeoisie", the young urban poor (the "disinherited ones") and the religious clerics can they achieve success. Such an outcome is difficult to achieve given the tension inherent between these different groups though one notable past success occurred in Iran where a broad coalition was built under the tutelage of Khomeini. However, Kepel argues, such success has proved fleeting and the Iranian revolution has stagnated ever since.

2) The violence of Islamist movements which aim at political power is a sign of their weakness. They lack capacity to mobilise the masses and so must resort to spectacular acts of terrorism to attempt to rally the faithful. This, Kepel thinks, is an approach which is destined to fail. The key example he cites is Algeria, where a military coup to stop an Islamist party gaining power via democratic means occurred; when a full-blown jihad was declared the various Islamist groups descended into bouts of internal violence which led to them ultimately alienating the masses they claim to represent.

The book is both an engaging read and dense with detail, which at times can be hard to fully grasp. Nonetheless, his emphasis on the regional dynamics of the middle east in which the Saudis and Iranians vie for hegemony makes for interesting reading as does his emphasis on how Wahhabi teaching and the maddrassa educational system breeds extremism. A compelling read! ]]>
author: Gilles Kepel
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 07/08
date added: 07/11/08
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Kepel provides a panoramic account of various incarnations of "political Islam" across the Arab and North African world outlining how and why events have unfolded as they did. At the heart of his analysis are two main insights:

1) Only when Islamist movements can united the "devout bourgeoisie", the young urban poor (the "disinherited ones") and the religious clerics can they achieve success. Such an outcome is difficult to achieve given the tension inherent between these different groups though one notable past success occurred in Iran where a broad coalition was built under the tutelage of Khomeini. However, Kepel argues, such success has proved fleeting and the Iranian revolution has stagnated ever since.

2) The violence of Islamist movements which aim at political power is a sign of their weakness. They lack capacity to mobilise the masses and so must resort to spectacular acts of terrorism to attempt to rally the faithful. This, Kepel thinks, is an approach which is destined to fail. The key example he cites is Algeria, where a military coup to stop an Islamist party gaining power via democratic means occurred; when a full-blown jihad was declared the various Islamist groups descended into bouts of internal violence which led to them ultimately alienating the masses they claim to represent.

The book is both an engaging read and dense with detail, which at times can be hard to fully grasp. Nonetheless, his emphasis on the regional dynamics of the middle east in which the Saudis and Iranians vie for hegemony makes for interesting reading as does his emphasis on how Wahhabi teaching and the maddrassa educational system breeds extremism. A compelling read!
]]> 25995490 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:14:09 -0700
author: Mike Gayle
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2006
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 07/01/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 25995484 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 04:13:56 -0700
author: Mike Gayle
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.32
book published: 2000
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 07/01/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 24308851 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:59:38 -0700
author: Oswaldo De Rivero
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 06/12/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 24130382 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:59:34 -0700
author: Edward W. Said
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 06/10/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 24130378 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:58:58 -0700
author: Irvine Welsh
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1994
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 06/10/08
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]]> 24130372 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:58:23 -0700
author: Ted Hughes
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 06/10/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 24043716 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 02:07:15 -0700
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 06/09/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 23546975 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:09:52 -0700
author: Orlando Figes
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1997
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 06/02/08
shelves:
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]]> 23546928 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:09:18 -0700
author: Richard Peet
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2003
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 06/02/08
shelves:
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]]> 23546885 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:08:35 -0700
author: Alice Walker
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1982
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 06/02/08
shelves:
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]]> 23546853 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:08:02 -0700
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 06/02/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 23050863 Tue, 27 May 2008 10:20:55 -0700
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 05/27/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 22254843 Wed, 14 May 2008 14:44:11 -0700
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 05/14/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 21620819 Mon, 05 May 2008 03:23:42 -0700
author: Bertrand Russell
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 05/05/08
shelves:
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]]> 21620811 Mon, 05 May 2008 03:23:09 -0700
author: Edward Hallett Carr
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2001
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 05/05/08
shelves:
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]]> 21620807 Mon, 05 May 2008 03:22:26 -0700
author: H.G. Wells
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.65
book published: 1895
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 05/05/08
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]]> 21620806 Mon, 05 May 2008 03:21:59 -0700
author: Khaled Hosseini
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 05/05/08
shelves:
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]]> 21620801 Mon, 05 May 2008 03:21:34 -0700
author: Noam Chomsky
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1992
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 05/05/08
shelves:
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]]> 21620796 Mon, 05 May 2008 03:21:06 -0700
author: John N. Gray
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2000
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 05/05/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 21620790 Mon, 05 May 2008 03:20:36 -0700
author: George Orwell
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1949
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 05/05/08
shelves:
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]]> 21596190 Sun, 04 May 2008 17:58:14 -0700
author: Theodore A. Burczak
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 05/04/08
shelves:
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]]> 21596065 Sun, 04 May 2008 17:56:18 -0700
author: Charles Dickens
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.69
book published: 1837
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 05/04/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 21596051 Sun, 04 May 2008 17:55:58 -0700
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1937
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 05/04/08
shelves:
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]]> 21595947 Sun, 04 May 2008 17:54:08 -0700
author: Eric Hobsbawm
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1989
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 05/04/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 21595856 Sun, 04 May 2008 17:52:38 -0700
author: Ira Katznelson
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1998
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 05/04/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 21595814 Sun, 04 May 2008 17:51:46 -0700
author: Ray Kiely
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1995
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 05/04/08
shelves:
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]]> 21595680 Sun, 04 May 2008 17:49:48 -0700
author: Jonathan Coe
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 05/04/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 21564630 Sun, 04 May 2008 07:06:47 -0700
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 05/04/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 21235753 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:46:36 -0700
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1998
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 04/29/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 21235738 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:46:08 -0700
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1997
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 04/29/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 19920618 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:20:16 -0700
However, there are some grating characteristics to the text. For a start, in order to show that he is au fait with all the right terminology, McEwan peppers the text with uneccessary medical jargon when describing Perowne's job, which is irritating. Moreover, Perowne's agnst - the angst of an affluent and fortunate individual, who has a loving family and a well-paid and rewarding job, is something I found hard to empathise with.

Ultimately his gripes are fairly minor, and though he appears concerned by the turn of world events, especially the threat of terrorism, this sense of alarm is hard to relate to given the low-risk nature of the threat (hysteria about terrorism aside - the risks posed to those in western nations are rather small). Still, McEwan writes with great style and some of the passages in the text are likely to linger in the memory - although I didn't find it entirely satisfying it is a book which I would say is definitely worth reading.]]>
author: Ian McEwan
name: Jonathan
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 04/08
date added: 04/16/08
shelves:
review:
A sense of foreboding hangs over this book, which consists of the ruminations of a middle-aged neurosurgeon during the course of a solitary day - Saturday. The backdrop to Perowne's (the main character) reflections on the world around him is the impending Iraq war, which he can't decide about - will it bring freedom or carnage in its wake? Against this backdrop his musings over his daughter's growing independence and sexual maturity, and his distress when a road-rage incident turns nasty, bubble away. The plot cleverly turns in the latter stages infusing a sense of drama into proceedings, which makes for an enjoyable read.

However, there are some grating characteristics to the text. For a start, in order to show that he is au fait with all the right terminology, McEwan peppers the text with uneccessary medical jargon when describing Perowne's job, which is irritating. Moreover, Perowne's agnst - the angst of an affluent and fortunate individual, who has a loving family and a well-paid and rewarding job, is something I found hard to empathise with.

Ultimately his gripes are fairly minor, and though he appears concerned by the turn of world events, especially the threat of terrorism, this sense of alarm is hard to relate to given the low-risk nature of the threat (hysteria about terrorism aside - the risks posed to those in western nations are rather small). Still, McEwan writes with great style and some of the passages in the text are likely to linger in the memory - although I didn't find it entirely satisfying it is a book which I would say is definitely worth reading.
]]> 17701185 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:58:01 -0700
However, where Aslan's book did succeed was in providing a historical sketch of the rise of Islam which succinctly dealt with the branching of the faith into different stands - Sufi, Shi'ite and Sunni. Where Aslan successfully illuminates a concept he writes with great fluency and style. As someone who lacks knowledge about Islam, and who wants to understand more, I found the text to be peppered with the names of rather too many historical figures in quick succession, alongside terms - hijaz, ta'wil, tawhid etc. which had me scrambling for the glossary at the back. But it is to Aslan's credit that he does provide a readily comprehensible sketch of the rise and spread of Islam which is informative and readable.

Later sections of the book where Aslan discusses Iran, Wahhibism, colonialism and the schism within contemporary Muslim thought were interesting, but the discussion seemed to lack a coherent structure. On the whole, although far from brilliant, the book does provide an insight into some of the different schools of thought in Islam, it thus provides context to some of the contemporary conflicts within the religion, though the idea that the Islamic 'reformation' has already begun (Aslan's closing theme) seems far from compelling, and in fact looks rather more like wishful thinking than fact.]]>
author: Reza Aslan
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 03/08
date added: 04/16/08
shelves:
review:
I found Aslan's account to be sporadic, wide-ranging and often lacking in depth; the ambitious nature of the book meant that some issues were superficially explored. Some annoying traits were also present in his writing style, such as beginning chapters with a presentation of a historical episode in the present tense, as though narrating a story, which I found trite.

However, where Aslan's book did succeed was in providing a historical sketch of the rise of Islam which succinctly dealt with the branching of the faith into different stands - Sufi, Shi'ite and Sunni. Where Aslan successfully illuminates a concept he writes with great fluency and style. As someone who lacks knowledge about Islam, and who wants to understand more, I found the text to be peppered with the names of rather too many historical figures in quick succession, alongside terms - hijaz, ta'wil, tawhid etc. which had me scrambling for the glossary at the back. But it is to Aslan's credit that he does provide a readily comprehensible sketch of the rise and spread of Islam which is informative and readable.

Later sections of the book where Aslan discusses Iran, Wahhibism, colonialism and the schism within contemporary Muslim thought were interesting, but the discussion seemed to lack a coherent structure. On the whole, although far from brilliant, the book does provide an insight into some of the different schools of thought in Islam, it thus provides context to some of the contemporary conflicts within the religion, though the idea that the Islamic 'reformation' has already begun (Aslan's closing theme) seems far from compelling, and in fact looks rather more like wishful thinking than fact.
]]> 20281845 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:52:31 -0700
author: Kevin Gallagher
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 04/16/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 20281706 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:49:04 -0700
author: Raphael Kaplinsky
name: Jonathan
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 04/16/08
shelves:
review:

]]>