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History and Current Events March 2018
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| Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Steve CollWhat it's about: Picking up where his Pulitzer-Prize winning Ghost Wars left off, author Steve Coll examines American intelligence activity in Afghanistan and Pakistan post-9/11 and the war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Coll pays particular attention to the complicated relationship between the CIA and Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI).
Reviewers say: Well written and exhaustively researched, Directorate S is a “journalistic masterpiece” (Kirkus Reviews) and “an essential work of contemporary history” (Booklist). |
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| The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook by Niall FergusonWhat it's about: Acclaimed, bestselling historian Niall Ferguson tackles collisions between established hierarchies and upstart networks throughout history, arguing that they have led to political and social change. From ancient Rome to the current day, Ferguson looks at various networks such as the 18th-century Illuminati and Facebook.
Further reading: For another thought-provoking and bold rethinking of change throughout time, try Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels by Ian Morris. |
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The Future of War : A History
by Lawrence Freedman
What it's about: follows a century and a half of warfare in all its guises, and the (often misconceived) thinking that precedes a war
What you'll get out of it: an understanding of current strategic thinking, with a bracing historical perspective.
About the author: Lawrence Freedman is emeritus professor of War Studies at King's College London. Professor Freedman has written extensively on nuclear strategy and the Cold War, as well as commentating regularly on contemporary security issues.
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Behemoth : A History of the Factory and the Making of the Modern World
by Joshua B. Freeman
What it's about: Traces the rise of the factory and its positive and negative effects on society, from the textile mills of the Industrial Revolution, through the steel and car plants of the twentieth century, to the massive retail producers of today's world.
What's inside: - Industrial work has fallen off considerably in the U.S., which has led to wholesale re-evaluations of the political place of unions and the role of workers in mass progressive movements - Manufacturing work has remained mostly steady worldwide, with about a third of the workforce engaged in industry, most employed in factories. - Factories have life cycles, but they are recognized differently from place to place.
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Full Battle Rattle : My Story As the Longest-Serving Special Forces A-Team Soldier in American History
by Changiz Lahidji
What it's about: Special Forces veteran and first Muslim Green Beret Lahidji shares the stories of his contributions to history-shaping operations, including the Iran hostage rescue of 1980, the 1993 conflict that inspired "Black Hawk Down," and the locating of Osama Bin Laden.
About the author: Retired Master Sergeant Changiz Lahidji is a highly decorated member of the US Special Forces with over 24 years of active service. He’s participated in many top-secret missions in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. He later worked as a Ceasefire Monitor in Darfur, a Tactical Advisor to the US Army in Afghanistan, and Guard Force Commander for the US Embassy in Kabul.
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| A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America by T. Christian Miller and Ken ArmstrongWhat it's about: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong examine the ways in which rape cases are investigated in the United States. Rather than looking at sexual assaults as a whole, the authors focus on one particular case, that of a teenage victim who was accused of false reporting, resulting in an eye-opening look at how cases can be handled, mishandled, and later resolved.
Is it for you? Readers with an interest in women’s rights, true crime, and criminal justice will want to check this one out |
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Focus on: Business and Economics
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| Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah BergerWhat it's about: Author Jonah Berger has drawn on detailed research to discuss why some trends, products, and ideas take off -- and some don’t. He identifies six key ingredients that work together to promote word-of-mouth popularity and uses real-world examples (the "hit" song "Friday," the Atkins diet, Apple products) as evidence. Surprisingly, he argues that the Internet has less influence than you might expect.
Related reading: Try Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath. |
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| Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael LewisWhat it's about: At the outset, Flash Boys exposes how post-crisis Wall Street was rigged through computerized stock exchanges. However, the heart of this exciting narrative is the four “Wall Street guys” who figured this out separately -- working independently at different firms -- and then banded together to reform the financial markets.
Reviewers say: Bestselling author Michael Lewis does a “superb job of explicating the inexplicable in his lucid, absorbing account” (Publishers Weekly). |
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| The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter by David SaxWhat it's about: Just when you think the world has been overtaken by digital content and products, statistics arrive showing sales of tangible goods like vinyl records are up -- way up. But why? Journalist David Sax examines the surprising reasons why some consumers opt to limit their screen time and purchase printed books, Moleskine notebooks, and film cameras instead.
Reviewers say: “Compulsively readable” (Booklist). |
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| This Fight Is Our Fight: The Battle to Save America's Middle Class by Elizabeth WarrenWhat it is: Outspoken and impassioned U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren shares her views on how the American middle class is under siege -- and offers strategies on how to save it. She shares the story of her own working-class family in 1960s Oklahoma and discusses why things have changed since the 1980s. Warren also describes her battles in the U.S. Senate on behalf of the shrinking middle class.
Further reading: Saving Capitalism by Robert Reich. |
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