Recently Mentioned Books

That is all from the new and noteworthy Famine: A Short History , by Cormac O Grada.  Here is the book's home page .

5. Dying Inside , by Robert Silverberg.  This 1972 classic has just been republished.  Is it science fiction or speculative fiction?  In any case it is full of social science; the basic premise is about how other people react to a man who has the ability to read peoples' minds and how psychologically destructive this power turns out to be.  If you wish to read every great science fiction book this is a must.

4. George Scialabba, What are Intellectuals Good For? , recommendation via Henry .  Fascinating essays on 20th century intellectuals, from an "ethical left" point of view.  I especially liked the piece on Pasolini (a favorite director of mine).

3. Mahmood Mamdani, Saviors and Survivors: Darfur, Politics, and the War on Terror .  This revisionist account argues the conflict is political rather than racial and that the notion of "genocide" is an externally imposed category for international political reasons.  I found the arguments of this book hard to assess but it made for stimulating reading.

2. Joseph Contreras, In the Shadow of the Giant: The Americanization of Modern Mexico .  A neglected side of recent Mexican history; one of the best books on where Mexico is headed.  Here is a recent article on related progress in Mexico's legal system.

1. Siddharth Kara, Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery .  A serious research effort and the best book so far on its topic.

That's from Fernando Pessoa's book , written under the name of Baron of Teive.

I enjoyed the book , most of all the chapter comparing Argentina and the United States.  I was struck by this bit:

The bottom line : I just bought his other non-fiction book .

The author is Michael Stein and this is possibly the most interesting and engaging book I have read this year.  The subtitle is “One Patient, One Doctor, One Year.”  The ongoing dialogue between a doctor and his addicted patient defies excerpt but here is one small (non-dialogic) bit:

That is from his quite interesting Bouvard and Pecuchet .  This unfinished book is a parody of self-education and perhaps of gay marriage as well.

6. Poet and essayist : Pessoa.  I've been influenced by his work. The Book of Disquiet is his masterpiece.

3. Novelist : Jose Saramago.  But I don't like them all. Blindness , The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis , and The Double are the primary ones to read. Baltasar and Blimunda I should try again. The Stone Raft is good.  Currently I am reading, and enjoying Antunes's Fado Alexandrino .

3. Novelist : Jose Saramago.  But I don't like them all. Blindness , The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis , and The Double are the primary ones to read. Baltasar and Blimunda I should try again. The Stone Raft is good.  Currently I am reading, and enjoying Antunes's Fado Alexandrino .

3. Novelist : Jose Saramago.  But I don't like them all. Blindness , The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis , and The Double are the primary ones to read. Baltasar and Blimunda I should try again. The Stone Raft is good.  Currently I am reading, and enjoying Antunes's Fado Alexandrino .

3. Novelist : Jose Saramago.  But I don't like them all. Blindness , The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis , and The Double are the primary ones to read. Baltasar and Blimunda I should try again. The Stone Raft is good.  Currently I am reading, and enjoying Antunes's Fado Alexandrino .

3. Novelist : Jose Saramago.  But I don't like them all. Blindness , The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis , and The Double are the primary ones to read. Baltasar and Blimunda I should try again. The Stone Raft is good.  Currently I am reading, and enjoying Antunes's Fado Alexandrino .

1. Singer : Amalia Rodrigues, fado specialist.  I am also a fan of Sara Tavares, especially this CD .  Carmen Miranda is often thought of as Brazilian, but she was born in Portugal and I believe she grew up there as well.  She was good.

That is from Wendy Doniger's new and noteworthy The Hindus: An Alternative History .  Here is a favorable Michael Dirda review of the book .  Read the Wikipedia section on "Criticism" of Wendy Doniger , some of it from fundamentalist Hindus.  Here is a defense of Doniger .

That's by Marion Fourcade and the subtitle is Discipline and Profession in the United States, Britain & France, 1890s to 1990s .

That's the new book by Joan Roughgarden and the subtitle is Deconstructing Darwinian Selfishness .  I'm not sure how true this book is, but if you're looking for a new popular book on evolutionary biology which is engaging, this is the first one in some time.

5. Keith Thomas, The Ends of Life: Roads to Fulfillment in Early Modern England .  His Religion and the Decline of Magic is one of my favorite history books ever (he tells us that, in equilibrium, a certain number of people should pretend to be witches, to get what they want).  The new one is impeccably researched and written, but I don't see so much original material there.  I can honestly call it a good book but for me it was a disappointment.

5. Keith Thomas, The Ends of Life: Roads to Fulfillment in Early Modern England .  His Religion and the Decline of Magic is one of my favorite history books ever (he tells us that, in equilibrium, a certain number of people should pretend to be witches, to get what they want).  The new one is impeccably researched and written, but I don't see so much original material there.  I can honestly call it a good book but for me it was a disappointment.

4. Jason Scott Smith, Building New Deal Liberalism, The Political Economy of Public Works , 1933-1956.  A very good book arguing the case for New Deal public works projects, primarily on grounds of growth (not stimulus).  I also enjoyed Robert D. Leighninger's Long-Range Public Investment: The Forgotten Legacy of the New Deal .

4. Jason Scott Smith, Building New Deal Liberalism, The Political Economy of Public Works , 1933-1956.  A very good book arguing the case for New Deal public works projects, primarily on grounds of growth (not stimulus).  I also enjoyed Robert D. Leighninger's Long-Range Public Investment: The Forgotten Legacy of the New Deal .