book of the week

“A wonderful thing about a book, in contrast to a computer screen, is that you can take it to bed with you” – Anonymous, 1998

A weekly book recommendation from the readers, writers and staff of openDemocracy. What are you reading now? Email us

Wednesday 11th July

"Bound Together: How Traders, Preachers, Adventurers, and Warriors Shaped Globalization", Nayan Chanda

openDemocracy, 11 July 2007

Without looking into the past, how does one explain that almost everything carries within itself the imprints of a long journey? Nayan Chanda maps the hidden history of globalisation.

Tuesday 26th June

"The Dictionary of Alternatives"

openDemocracy, 26 June 2007

Is the world already organised and are there any choices left open to ordinary people? A new dictionary lists alternative ways of living and organising life.

Wednesday 13th June

Hollow Land

Eyal Weizman, 13 June 2007

Eyal Weizman dissects and reconstructs the thinking and strategy behind Israel's occupation of the West Bank

“Imaginary Futures”, Richard Barbrook

openDemocracy, 13 June 2007

We must resist the status quo of today's information society to imagine – and create – a better future.

“What Democracy is for”, Stein Ringen

openDemocracy, 13 June 2007

Stein Ringen's new book outlines how we can halt the decline of democracy's hard-won freedom.

Monday 11th June

“Sorry”, Gail Jones

Rob Cawston, 11 June 2007

A poetic exploration of colonial-Aboriginal relations and the politics of apology in wartime Australia. Hear author Gail Jones talk about her latest novel

Tuesday 15th May

"Alter Ego: Avatars and their Creators", Robbie Cooper

Rob Cawston, 15 May 2007

Portraits of online gamers and their virtual-world alter egos.

Monday 7th May

'The Atlas of Religion,' Joanne O'Brien & Martin Palmer

openDemocracy, 7 May 2007

Mapping the religions of the world.

Sunday 29th April

'Beyond Terror,' Chris Abbott, Paul Rogers & John Sloboda

openDemocracy, 29 April 2007

Is international terrorism really the single greatest threat to world security? Chris Abbott, Paul Rogers and John Sloboda present an alternate global vision and map new paths into the future.

Sunday 22nd April

'The Space Between Us,' Thrity Umrigar

Barira Limbada, 22 April 2007

A rich and complex portrait revealing the forces that divide us and the ties that bind.

Sunday 15th April

The Syrian conundrum

Carsten Wieland, 15 April 2007

Robert G Rabil's book reveals a Syria-United States relationship more changeable and nuanced than post-9/11 rhetoric indicates, says Carsten Wieland.

Monday 9th April

'From Outside In: Refugees and British Society,' Nushin Arbabzadah

openDemocracy, 9 April 2007

Being British from the perspective of the newly arrived.

Sunday 25th March

'Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet,' Mark Lynas

Caspar Henderson, 25 March 2007

Climate change is big, complex and scary. While Mark Lynas's new book helps readers get to grips with the issue, Caspar Henderson offers six caveats.

Monday 19th March

'Enslaved: True Stories of Modern Day Slavery,' Jesse Sage and Liora Kasten

openDemocracy, 19 March 2007

The story of Sveta: a young Belarusian woman coerced into prostitution at the age of fifteen. Her frank description of the dehumanizing experience in part explains how she eventually came to invert the roles of sex slave and pimp.

Monday 12th March

'Live Working or Die Fighting,' Paul Mason

openDemocracy, 12 March 2007

Paul Mason charts the history of the global labour movement and the parallels among workers in the global south today.

Monday 5th March

'Coral - A Pessimist in Paradise,' Steve Jones

Caspar Henderson, 5 March 2007

Mankind is rapidly destroying ancient coral reefs. Why care? Caspar Henderson reviews Steve Jones’s new book on the wondrous ecosystems and finds it wanting.

Monday 26th February