BOOKS
Warlord Politics and African StatesWilliam Reno The dramatic reconfigurations of political authority taking place in Africa—what many term "warlordism" or "state failure"—call for an exploration of the origins of these changes, the likelihood of their durability, and their implications for the continent's regional system of states. Reno argues that the end of the Cold War as a particular configuration of the More > | ![]() |
Weaponizing Water: Water Stress and Islamic Extremist Violence in Africa and the Middle EastMarcus D. King Drought, lack of access, poor quality … water supplies are in jeopardy across Africa and the Middle East. These same areas are rife with conflicts involving Islamic extremist groups. Marcus King explores linkages between water stress and violent conflict by looking closely at how ISIS in Syria and Iraq, Boko Haram in Nigeria, and al-Shabaab in Somalia have weaponized water in the pursuit of More > | ![]() |
Weavers of the Songsedited and translated by Mishael Maswari Caspi and Julia Ann Blessing A collection of songs sung by Arab women, compiled by Caspi during field research in the West Bank and Israel. The songs, in English translation, are divided into three sections: bridal songs, lullabies, and lamentations. The work also includes a general introduction and a bibliography. More > |
West Africa's Security Challenges: Building Peace in a Troubled RegionAdekeye Adebajo and Ismail Rashid, editors Among the world's most unstable regions, West Africa in the last decade has experienced a web of conflicts with profound and wide-ranging effects. West Africa's Security Challenges is the first comprehensive assessment of the resulting mix of setbacks and progress. The authors provide a context for understanding the region's security dilemmas, highlighting the link between failures of More > | ![]() |
West German Filmmakers on Film: Visions and VoicesEric Rentschler, editor This book presents reflections on the New German Cinema by such prominent artists as Fassbinder, Kluge, and Syberberg. Positioning these filmmakers' statements within their historical and theoretical contexts in his introduction, he offers here what is in essence a running self-reflection by 50 West German filmmakers on German film. More > | ![]() |
Western Sahara: Anatomy of a Stalemate?, 2nd editionErik Jensen Responding to the changes that have swept across North Africa since the first edition of this book was published, Erik Jensen sheds new light on the enduring dispute over Western Sahara. Jensen reviews the history of the dispute, beginning with its colonial roots, and explains how and why attempts made by the OAU and, more persistently, the UN failed to achieve a formula for resolution More > | ![]() |
What Is Constructionism? Navigating Its Use in SociologyScott R. Harris Winner of the SSSI Charles Horton Cooley Award! Has constructionism become a victim of its own success? Scott Harris argues that, as more scholars adopt the approach, its key concepts are being used in differing and even contradictory ways—thus undercutting the vitality of its application as a research tool. To help clear the waters, he critically examines current debates and delivers a More > | ![]() |
What Is Political Islam?Jocelyne Cesari Honorable mention for ISA's Religion and International Relations Section Book Award! The debate continues unabated: Is political Islam decipherable through the tenets of the Islamic tradition—or is it a tool of secular actors who shrewdly misuse religious references? Is it an expression of modernity, or a return to the past? Eschewing these dichotomies, Jocelyne Cesari demystifies the More > | ![]() |
When Democracies Choose War: Politics, Public Opinion, and the Marketplace of IdeasAndrew Z. Katz What is going on domestically when democracies choose war? Why do some wars of choice generate political opposition while others don't? Is there an internal mechanism that constrains the behavior of democracies when it comes to war? To answer these questions, Andrew Katz explores the relationship between public support for wars of choice and democratic norms in the marketplace of More > | ![]() |
When Killing Is a CrimeTony Waters Taking another person's life is the crime for which every society reserves the strongest of punishments. But why (and when) is the act of killing sometimes defined as murder—as inexcusable—and other times considered a justifiable, or even righteous, act? Grappling with this ambiguity, Tony Waters sheds light on the sociology of murder. This innovative text draws on More > | ![]() |