No Turning Back: Life, Loss, and Hope in Syria
You will not ɿnd an end to the seven year Syrian civil war in this book. But you will ɿnd e[traordinary reporting from a courageous journalist who has been covering the tragedy since it began, as well as unforgettable stories from survivors, relayed in he
A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership By James Comey FLATIRON BOOKS
Attend cocktail parties without reading this book at your peril. The controversial former director of the FBI, ɿred a year ago by President Donald Trump, has written summer’s political must-read. How Democracies Die By Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt CROWN PUBLISHING GROUP The two Harvard political scientists—as disgusted by Donald Trump as anyone— believe the current erosion of norms actually began during the last year of the Obama presidency, when Republicans refused to conɿrm Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. But while they see nothing good in the spread of authoritarianism, they also offer historical examples of people who have fought against it and won. Journey Into Europe: Islam, Immigration, and Identity By Akbar Ahmed BROOKINGS INSTITUTION PRESS Ahmed’s study of European reactions to Islamic immigrants is more anthropological than political, but it offers fascinating insights into how white Europeans struggle to reconcile outsiders, and how Muslim communities end up reinforcing negative stereotypes. The bigger takeaway, though, is evidence of harmonious relations between Islamic and European civilizations throughout the past—a potent argument against rising nationalism and tribalism. In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History By Mitch Landrieu VIKING PRESS Written in response to the controversy surrounding New Orleans’s removal of monuments from the Confederacy, the city’s mayor offers a powerful manifesto devoted to the cause of ɿghting “the hohum racism that eats through our country every day.” The People vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is in Danger & How to Save It By Yascha Mounk HARVARD UNIVERSIT< PRESS Mounk, a political scientist, is preoccupied with two problems: the rise of populism (what he calls “democracy without rights”) and rights without democracy. A certain U.S. president makes an appearance, but this clear and pragmatic guide is about a global problem. Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin’s War on America and the Election of Donald Trump By Michael Isikoff and David Corn TWELVE The veterans of Washington political journalism don’t deliver on their promise of irrefutable evidence of Vladimir Putin’s involvement in the 2016 U.S. election. But that doesn’t make this ticktock of Russian meddling any less riveting.