In this section you can read reviews of academic books covering the USA, and its continental neighbours, Canada and Mexico. Each weekend we publish two reviews, aiming to cover a wide range of books on all aspects of public policy and politics.
GalleryBook Review: The New Age of Empire: How Colonialism and Racism Still Rule the World by Kehinde Andrews
In The New Age of Empire: How Colonialism and Racism Still Rule the World, Kehinde Andrews explores how the intellectual, political and economic frameworks inherited from colonialism are still governing today’s world, resulting in a new age of empire that perpetuates racism, white supremacy and global economic inequalities. This compact and comprehensive book challenges the grand narratives of the Enlightenment, […]
GalleryBook Review: Causal Inference: The Mixtape by Scott Cunningham
In Causal Inference: The Mixtape, Scott Cunningham offers a new guide to methods for determining cause and effect in the social sciences. In summarising, systematising and prioritising methodological tools for researchers, this book will be of use to all social scientists looking to validate their quantitative findings, recommends Simeon Mitropolitski.
Causal Inference: The Mixtape. Scott Cunningham. Yale University Press. 2021.
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GalleryBook Review: What Do We Know and What Should We Do About Fake News? by Nick Anstead
In What Do We Know and What Should We Do About Fake News?, Nick Anstead explores what we mean by fake news and possible ways to address it. Situating fake news in its historical context and providing clear and brief summaries of the current scholarly work on the subject, this concise book will provide a solid touchpoint for people looking to understand […]
GalleryBook Review: Meddling in the Ballot Box: The Causes and Effects of Partisan Electoral Interventions by Dov H. Levin
In Meddling in the Ballot Box: The Causes and Effects of Partisan Electoral Interventions, Dov H. Levin explores the effects, causes and history of electoral interference, analysing all national-level executive elections between 1946 and 2000 in which the US or the USSR/Russia mounted interventions. The book’s disciplined and thoughtful analysis will shape our understanding of election meddling and its implications for […]
GalleryBook Review: Lessons from Plants by Beronda L. Montgomery
In Lessons from Plants, Beronda L. Montgomery offers a deep engagement with plant lives, showing how growing our plant awareness can benefit our understanding of human societies and relationships. Inviting us to reflect on the biological and plant metaphors we think with in our everyday lives, this book shows the power of scientists writing about the inspiration that fuels […]
GalleryBook Review: The Power of Narrative: Climate Skepticism and the Deconstruction of Science by Raul P. Lejano and Shondel J. Nero
In The Power of Narrative: Climate Skepticism and the Deconstruction of Science, Raul P. Lejano and Shondel J. Nero offer a narrative analysis of climate skepticism, exploring its emergence and transformations as well as its position in the ‘post-truth’ era. This book will help readers to critically understand the social and political construction of public narratives surrounding climate change […]
GalleryBook Review: Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn’t, and Why It Matters by Steve Koonin
In Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn’t, and Why It Matters, Steve Koonin sets out his scepticism about the science of climate change, arguing that increasing global temperatures could be down to natural variability rather than human activities. Bob Ward finds that the book is not a robust guide to the subject and is based on […]
GalleryBook Review: Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism by Anne Case and Angus Deaton
In Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism, Anne Case and Angus Deaton document the rising death rates from suicide, drug overdoses and alcoholic liver disease in the US, exploring what these ‘deaths of despair’ reveal about capitalism and the healthcare system. Making a compelling case for exploring these deaths of despair and their implications, this stimulating and thought-provoking book […]
GalleryBook Review: Power Shift: The Global Political Economy of Energy Transitions by Peter Newell
In Power Shift: The Global Political Economy of Energy Transitions, Peter Newell examines energy transitions at all levels of governance, drawing out the lessons learned from prior energy transitions to unlock an actionable understanding of today’s struggle to decarbonise the global economy. While the book stops short of presenting a detailed comparative analytical framework, researchers can learn a great […]
GalleryBook Review: It Can Happen Here: White Power and the Rising Threat of Genocide in the US by Alexander Laban Hinton
In It Can Happen Here: White Power and the Rising Threat of Genocide in the US, Alexander Laban Hinton challenges the myth of exceptionalism that has led many to believe that genocide cannot happen in America, exploring contemporary white power extremism in the US. This nuanced and noble account encourages readers to carefully and critically attend to the longer histories and […]
