en-US Fri, 13 Dec 2024 04:48:40 -0800 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Friend1410194249 Fri, 13 Dec 2024 04:48:40 -0800 ReadStatus8735090434 Wed, 11 Dec 2024 23:35:47 -0800 /review/show/7078569029 Shivam is currently reading A Concise History of U.S. Foreign Policy by Joyce P. Kaufman
]]> ReadStatus8734489795 Wed, 11 Dec 2024 19:33:22 -0800 /review/show/7078141955 Shivam is currently reading Toll the Hounds by Steven Erikson
]]> Review7078126311 Wed, 11 Dec 2024 19:27:40 -0800 /review/show/7078126311 Shivam gave 5 stars to Starship Troopers (Mass Market Paperback) by Robert A. Heinlein
Truly a golden standard for science fiction, that ultimately reflects on the very nature of human society and also the militarism that marks it. It is a must read for every aficionado of this genre. One sees Heinlein's notions of discipline well reflected within the story, the othering of the enemy as the "bugs" and the notions of combat readiness and martial honour that defines Cold War America. ]]> Review7075775719 Tue, 10 Dec 2024 23:26:37 -0800 /review/show/7075775719 Shivam gave 5 stars to The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (Paperback) by John J. Mearsheimer
This is Mearsheimer's magnum opus, his tour de force, his best work. Not only does his theories about great power politics hold to the testimony of time, but it is also put forth some inescapable truths on International Relations.
His typologies of state strategies, his conceptual of regional and global hegemony are easy to understand but also contain a good amount of depth. When read in conjunction to his 2014 lecture on the situation in Ukraine (the precursor to the Russia-Ukraine War), his ideas become even more illustrative.
Written in a clear language, the concepts are built in a simple manner but add up to create rich layers of analysis. This book is a must read for both scholars of International Relations and the general public. ]]> Review7075768400 Tue, 10 Dec 2024 23:20:47 -0800 /review/show/7075768400 Shivam gave 3 stars to The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (Paperback) by Samuel P. Huntington
While this book has been rightly criticized for reducing complex idea of civilization into a simplified form, and for arguing against the idea of muliculturalism and has an unabashed pro-Western bias, it also gives us an insight into something that is increasingly true about global politics, namely, the resurgence of religious identity.
To a certain extent, Huntington makes interesting insights about how states in the Global South have grappled with and against an imposed idea of modernity that was introduced to them via colonization by the West. That is part of the picture, but it fails to encompass that diverse movements within what he terms as the non-West.
On the whole, this book is important to read because it provides a window into how policymakers in Washington DC, London, and other power centers situate their position in the current world order. ]]> UserFollowing315974879 Tue, 10 Dec 2024 22:43:29 -0800 Review7075688854 Tue, 10 Dec 2024 22:21:07 -0800 /review/show/7075688854 Shivam gave 5 stars to The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte (Paperback) by Karl Marx
This book is, in my view, really underrated in how we understand Marx's theories and use them to interpret events occurring in our times. Furthermore, I do think that Marx hinted at the oncoming of populism through his explanations of how Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte undid the democratic system to establish his autocratic rule through the mechanisms of democracy itself, undoing a people's government by rousing segments of the people amenable to his political messaging.
And nothing can beat his marvelous quote on history repeating itself, first time as a tragedy and the second time as a farce.
If you can't read Capital, you definitely should read The 18th Brumaire. ]]> Review7075656231 Tue, 10 Dec 2024 21:58:56 -0800 /review/show/7075656231 Shivam gave 4 stars to Gardens of the Moon (Malazan Book of the Fallen, #1) by Steven Erikson
It took me multiple attempts to get into the rhythm of the book. But once I was invested, I could only marvel at the sheer depth of Erikson's imagination, his colourful characters and the different stories that he merges together.
For those who really want to practice delayed gratification, Malazan Book of the Fallen is a great series. Gardens of the Moon will introduce you to the Malazan empire, its wars across multiple continents, the enigma that is Anomander Rake, and the diverse landscapes where the stories will take place.
I would recommend holding on for the ride. ]]>