Other books that might interest you

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  The Art of Status - Looted...

  Jelena Subotić

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  An illuminating exploration of the relationship between the restitution of looted art, global status, and the international construction of national cultural heritage.Why is art restitution a matter of politics? How does the artwork displayed in national museums reflect the international status of the state that owns it? Why do some states agree to return looted art and others resist?National art collections have long been a way for states to compete with each other for status, prestige, and cultural worth in international society. In many former imperial nations, however, these collections include art looted during imperial expansions and colonial occupations. While this was once a sign of high international standing, the markers of such status, particularly in the context of art, have since significantly changed. A new international legal and normative architecture governing art provenance developed after World War II and became institutionalized in the 1990s and 2000s. Since then, there have been national and global social movements demanding the return of looted art. This shift has established not only that looting is wrong but, more importantly, that restitution is morally right. As a result of this reframing of what it means to own art, an artifact's historical provenance has become a core element of its value and the search for provenance and demands for restitution have become a direct threat to state status. The same objects that granted states high international status now threaten to provoke status decline. In The Art of Status, Jelena Subotić illustrates the larger questions of how national cultural heritage is internationally constructed and how it serves states' desire for international status and prestige.

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  The End of America? - A Guide to...

  Alan Friedman

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  America was the shining city on a hill. It was the country at the forefront of the world democratic order, the global policeman, the might of its military matched only by the depth of its financial reserves. America was the one the world listened to, whether it wanted to or not. So, what happened?
  Well, a lot of things. In this searing account, Alan Friedman shows how, from the disastrous Vietnam War to Barack Obama's bungled response to the Arab Spring, American intervention has ceased to be the decisive action it once was. And now, with the rise of China and Russia, coupled with America's prostration of itself following the election of Donald Trump, the decline of its authority is only hastening.
  We move now, Friedman argues, into the New World Disorder. In this dangerous and unstable world, the Washington-enforced liberal order is receding, and a new set of alliances and anxieties are in ascendence. What is America's place in this? Which powers are going to emerge as the leaders? Will the European Union count at all? One thing is for sure: the effects of the New World Disorder will challenge our Western values to breaking point.

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  Equality is a Struggle -...

  Thomas Piketty

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  An acclaimed economist’s observations on four years of events that have shaped the world 
   
  In this new volume drawn from his columns for the French newspaper Le Monde, renowned economist Thomas Piketty takes measure of the world since 2021: leaders grappling with the aftershocks of a global pandemic; politics shifting rightward in Europe and America; and wars breaking out and escalating, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the conflict in Israel and Gaza. Together with an extended introductory essay arguing that an ecological socialism remains the best hope for global equality, these articles present Piketty’s vivid first draft of history—on the rise of China, political upheaval, armed conflict, inequity within and between nations, discrimination, and beyond. Despite the gathering clouds, Piketty continues to find reasons for hope.

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  Eternal capitalist trickery

  Jean-François Bouchard

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  The concentration of power and wealth in the hands of a small predatory class, repeated crises, the inability of politicians to influence the course of events, worsening inequalities and the end of growth are the hallmarks of today's capitalism.  Since the fall of communism, capitalism has had no competitors. Will it die one day? Not in the short term: the system is stronger than governments, its worst scoundrels enjoy widespread impunity, and while economists have little or no understanding of how it works, no clear alternative is emerging. Above all, no one seems to be seriously considering a fundamental reform of modern financial capitalism. Curiously, a century earlier, this same situation had been analyzed by Nikolai Dimitrievich Kondratieff, a famous economist and committed player in the Russian Revolution of 1917. Kondratieff was executed by Stalin in 1938 for having scientifically demonstrated the eternity of capitalism. Would he have the same opinion about capitalism today?

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  Gujarat Files - Pardaposhi Di...

  Rana Ayyub

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  "Gujarat Files" by Rana Ayyub is a groundbreaking investigative book that exposes the dark underbelly of the Gujarat riots, fake encounters, and political assassinations. Through a daring covert operation, journalist Rana Ayyub disguised herself as a filmmaker from the American Film Institute Conservatory, adopting the alias Maithili Tyagi. In "Gujarat Files," she interviews high-ranking bureaucrats and senior police officers who held critical roles in Gujarat between 2001 and 2010. These candid conversations reveal shocking details about the state's administration, implicating key figures in controversial events during that period. 
  "Gujarat Files" offers readers an eye-opening account of the power dynamics, the political manipulation, and the systemic corruption that surrounded the Gujarat riots and their aftermath. With gripping revelations, this book has become essential reading for those interested in Indian politics, human rights, and investigative journalism. "Gujarat Files" provides a rare insider's perspective, making it a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the intricacies of the Gujarat riots. Available for worldwide delivery, "Gujarat Files" continues to be a powerful tool for truth-seekers and a reminder of the importance of fearless journalism. 
  You can order it from Sikh Siyasat and get it delivered anywhere in the world.

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  The Isolated Presidency

  Jordan T. Cash

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  How powerful is the President of the United States? For many scholars, this is a question that can be answered only by considering factors outside the office itself, such as the president's popularity, personal clout, political talents, or institutional relationships. 
   
   
   
  In The Isolated Presidency, Jordan T. Cash reframes this question to instead ask what authority is available to all presidents. Drawing on the Constitution itself, Cash argues that the presidency possesses an internal logic derived from its structure, duties, and powers which not only grants the president a unique institutional perspective, but also provides the president with considerable agency and discretion in pursuing agendas. 
   
   
   
  To gain a clear view of how the Constitution creates a baseline of authority that is available to all presidents, Cash examines the "isolated presidents"—presidents who were unelected, faced divided government, and were opposed by major factions of their own political parties. Stripped of all external supports, these presidents were left with nothing but their constitutional authority to rely on. Through three case studies of isolated presidents, Cash illustrates how the Constitution creates an empowering logic within the presidency which orients presidential behavior and grants every president significant power and agency.

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