These were for the seminar U.S. in World Politics. Because of time constraints, I either read only portions or skimmed through sections.
"A Problem From Hell": America and the Age of Genocide by Samantha Power
I used images from Power's account to write a song that, by now, my friends are all sick of hearing about. I also wrote an eight-page paper that left a lot to be desired.
Takeover: The Return of the Imperial Presidency and the Subversion of American Democracy by Charlie Savage
Don't be put off by the pundit-friendly title - this is good legal reporting for the layperson. Strange to be reading histories of events I remember. I already knew most of this simply because I've followed the news for the last five years.
The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright
History-as-novel. Emphasis on narrative and characterization and plot. Accomplished effectively because of the extensive research that undergirds the writing. The sort of book I might like to write some day.
Statecraft: And How to Restore America's Standing in the World by Dennis Ross
Interesting inside view of U.S. statecraft from a high-level practitioner. He comes with all the expected presumptions: the U.S. should continue to support Israel, Iran cannot acquire nuclear weapons, etc. Still a valuable book - the man has nuance. Why does contemporary non-fiction have to sport such banal titles? Ready-made for the Border's bestseller discount table, I suppose.
The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy by Pietra Rivoli
Basic, straightforward. Will surprise no one who has ever thought about the effects of globalization beyond laissez-faire messianism. Still interesting for its rich storytelling, though. A layperson's anthropological study of the individuals involved in "globalization." God, these little summaries suck. All I can manage at the moment.
