Latest Book Research Articles

The Point of No Return: A Review Essay

Abstract Thomas Byrne Edsall is one of America's finest political journalists and a foremost amplifier of the work of political scientists and other scholars. Academic research bolsters his argument in virtually every chapter of The Point of No Return. The book is a collection of his New York Times columns, bookended by a new introduction and conclusion, spanning the period from Donald Trump's rise in the 2016 election to his attempt to overturn the presidential election four years later. A remarkable feature of Edsall's columns is how quickly he diagnosed emerging developments that would come to define our politics, including the Republican Establishment's rapid descent, Trump's unwavering and cult-like following, the pernicious effects of disinformation, the Democratic Party's inept response to social and cultural change, and the likelihood that Trump would not surrender power peacefully if he lost the 2020 election. A running theme throughout the book is the danger that Trump poses to the nation's democracy. The Point of No Return is the latest book in the four-decade career of a journalist who regularly has enlarged our understanding of American politics.

An Overview of Dimitris Xygalatas’ Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living (2022)

In his latest book Ritual: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living (2021), Dimitris Xygalatas brings together his various research programs with colleagues and the history of ritual theory to explain why humans engage in apparently pointless rituals. His core thesis is that rituals are not pointless activities whatsoever but rather cultural technologies that make our lives better, whether they assuage anxieties or render our communities more prosocial. Drawing from an interdisciplinary body of scholarship, Xygalatas offers a compelling argument as to why we humans are a ritual species. Furthermore, Xygalatas’ extensive laboratory and ethnographic research from over the last two decades provides strong empirical evidence for his thesis and other longstanding theories in ritual studies. The result is a book that delivers a captivating introduction to ritual studies, reasons for seriously considering the power of rituals, and how to research rituals with philosophical rigor and methodological precision.

Chuprinin, S. (2023). The Thaw as disobedience. Moscow: Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie. (In Russ.)

Chuprinin’s The Thaw as Disobedience [Ottepel kak nepovinovenie] is his latest in a series of research published in the last few years. The cycle opens with The Thaw: Events [Ottepel: Sobytiya] in 2020, followed by The Thaw: Characters [Ottepel: Deystvuyushchie litsa] in 2023. In his studies, Chuprinin draws on material from the press of the day as well as archives. His latest book consists of an author’s preface, six chapters, and an index of names ‘People of the Thaw.’ Each chapter constitutes an individual fragment of the history of the Thaw, whose timeline begins in March 1953, following Stalin’s death, and ends with the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Soviet-led armed forces in August 1968. In the 15 years of the Thaw, the USSR saw changes that, combined with other factors, eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet state. Chuprinin’s undeniable talent as a storyteller shines as he successfully demonstrates how a ‘critical mass’ of rejection of old stereotypes gradually and imperceptibly took over the mentality of Soviet people — a process greatly aided by writers.

Exploring Literature in Islam Beyond (Secularized) Christian Normativity in Western Academia

Anyone specialising in Islamic theology at a Western university is aware of the fact that their teaching and research will either be recognised by the institution as falling under the category of “Islamic Studies” or “Divinity”. In the first case, Islam is predominantly considered a cultural phenomenon and studied as such. In the second case, for reasons that have to do with what Marianne Moyaert in her latest book Christian Imaginations of the Religious Other has conceptualised as “Christian normativity” and the “religionisation” of other faiths, Islamic theology is de facto understood as Islamic speculative theology (kalām). In both cases, the understanding of how Islam theorises and practices theology is significantly restricted, when not altogether ignored. This article unpacks the genealogy of the secular version of a Christian epistemic framework that dominates the study of Islamic theology in the West and engages with the issues related to its application in the field of Islamic theology. In doing so, it opens a critical space for the investigation of Islamic literary productions as both dissensual and consensual theological terrains, through the analysis of the poetry of two theologians and polymathic scholars from two different periods of Islamic history, namely Ibn al-Fāriḍ (d. 632/1235) and Sidi Muḥammad Ibn al-Ḥabīb (d. 1390/1971).

Oil cities, industrial policy and sustainable development: a new historical approach

The notion of “oil cities” is typically considered antithetical to industrialization, growth and development. This paper frames a symposium on Hou Li’s (2021) latest book, Building for Oil, which questions this imbroglio. The book’s central argument is that the oil city of Daqing drove industrialization in China from the 1960s to the 1970s. The industrialization and the self-sufficiency that Daqing symbolized in Chinese socialist economic planning became the template for that particular period of history. While that model was subsequently modified, its developmentalist ideology, its industrial policy and its urban experience – collectively called “the Daqing model” – cannot be overlooked in the analysis of oil cities. In this sense, the book is not simply about Daqing but also about a consequential city that provides lessons – distilled by the six authors in this book symposium.

Daqing and China’s quest for oil: between survival and ingenuity in times of resource scarcity

Daqing in China is well-known as a, if not the, “Chinese oil city”. However, the reasons behind its importance for the People’s Republic of China and the origins of its current spatial organization remain unclear. “How was such growth achieved against the backdrop of the so-called de-urbanization processes? What was occurring at the local level? What happened to the people of my parents’ generation?” Hou Li, a leading Chinese urban scholar, addresses these questions in her latest book, Building for Oil, explaining how the lowering of urban construction standards to the level of rural ones, the focus of investments on production, and the reliance on individual commitment led to China’s unprecedented growth. Despite the absence (or the concealment) of a critical opinion on the part of the author on the events and decisions described, this contribution is of particular importance to understand the path leading to contemporary China.

Soggetti che si amano. La vita della coppia dal miele dell’amore romantico all’acido del calo del desiderio e oltre

Soggetti che si amano. La vita della coppia dal miele dell’amore romantico all’acido del calo del desiderio e oltre is the latest book publishedby Giuseppe D'Amore (Psychologist, Psychotherapist and Psychoanalyst, MemberOrdinary of the Italian Society of Relationship Psychoanalysis). Released at the beginning of 2023, it represents at least in part the ideal continuation of the previous volume by the same author, 'Subjects that meet.From the relationship with others to the relationship with oneself... and vice versa',printed in 2021 also with the same publisher and whose review was published in No. 3, Year XXXIII, 2022 of Ricerca Psicoanalitica(pp. 637-641). [...]

Book Review of “Planificarea teritoriala integratã a unui sistem montan complex. Microregiunea Bazinul Dornelor” [Integrated Territorial Planning of a Complex Mountain System. Dornelor Basin Microregion], authored by Daniela Antonescu, LUMEN Publishing, 2024

The book titled “Planificarea teritoriala integrata a unui sistem montan complex. Microregiunea Bazinul Dornelor” [Integrated Territorial Planning of a Complex Mountain System. Dornelor Basin Microregion], published in April 2024, is the latest book by the author, Daniela Antonescu, scientific researcher II at the Mountain Economy Center of the Romanian Academy. With over 25 years of experience in academic research, the author follows the trajectory of the integrated territorial planning and development process in the Dornelor Basin Microregion, providing a complete, relevant and objective picture of the profile of this Romanian mountain area characterized by a special beauty and importance.

Public reason and constitutional adjudication in India

Taking India as my vantage point, I analyse Professor Wojciech Sadurski’s latest book, Constitutional Public Reason. The book comes at an interesting time for India. Comparative constitutional law scholarship has shifted focus from the Indian Supreme Court’s Public Interest Litigation movement to take a closer look at the Court’s deferential approaches to adjudicating fundamental rights. Simultaneously, the question of which standard of review to apply continues to be a contentious issue in constitutional cases before the Supreme Court. Even though India gets limited coverage in Sadurki’s new book, the book can be helpful in critiquing the deferential jurisprudence of the Indian Supreme Court and in exploring possible solutions. This review demonstrates the applicability of Sadurski’s insights by focusing on two strands of the book’s core argument: motive-based judicial review and standards of scrutiny in the context of the right to equality.

Compiling and Publishing in late Ming Fuzhou: the Case of the Chashu 茶書

The Chashu 茶書 (Writings on Tea), also known as Chashu quanji 茶書全集 (Complete Collection of Writings on Tea), was published by the Fuzhou prefect Yu Zheng 喻政 (1571–?) in the early 1610s. It stands as the first dedicated collectanea of Chinese works on tea, encompassing essays that range from the Tang to the Ming period. Currently, only a few copies remain, all exhibiting variations. The present article analyses the structure, content, and paratextual elements of surviving imprints of the Chashu. It contextualizes the collection within late Ming dynasty book culture and the distinctive milieu of Fuzhou scholars and officials within which it was published. The article elucidates the compilation and publication process of the Chashu, while also accounting for the differences among editions of the collectanea.

An investigation of factors associated with antenatal care attendance in Gauteng in 2015.

Many studies have shown that South African women tend to initiate antenatal care late in their pregnancies. This presents challenges in the provision of quality healthcare to both mother and child. There are several studies on the social and cultural reasons for late booking. However, understanding the factors in a woman's choice to initiate antenatal care is important in informing healthcare strategies and policies. This study was an analytical cross-sectional study of household and general health factors associated with attendance of antenatal care by pregnant women in Tshwane in 2015. It was a secondary data analysis from complete data sampling households registered on AitaHealthTM. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to assess which factors are associated with antenatal care attendance. The age of the head of the household was a significant factor in the attendance of antenatal care. The odds of attending antenatal care were 3.3, 2.1 and 1.8 times higher in households where the head of the household was 30 - 39 years of age, 20 - 29 or 40-49 years of age, respectively, than when between 10-19 years of age. Factors that increased the odds of attending antenatal care were living in households that had electricity and piped water, and running a business from home. Residing in a permanent dwelling and being food secure increased the odds of antenatal care attendance. The identified health and household factors should inform policies and programmes geared towards improving services around antenatal care provision.

Identity, Reasonableness and Being One Among Others: Dialogue, Community, Education, by Laurance Joseph Splitter (2022), Springer, Singapore, 2022. ISBN 978-981-6683-5

As the person who brought Philosophy for Children (P4C) to Australia in the 1980s, and who has been a leading figure in the movement internationally ever since, Laurance Splitter probably needs no introduction. He has long been fascinated by Big Questions—both in trying to answer them himself, and in exploring the means by which we can encourage youngsters to do so too. He brings all of his experience to bear on this, his latest book.

Critical social psychology, qualitative research and on being a research butterfly/magpie: ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’

Hannah Frith is a critical social psychologist and is Associate Professor in Psychology and Research Director for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Surrey. Her work draws on interdisciplinary theory and research to examine the intersections of sexuality, gender and embodiment, using creative qualitative research methods. Hannah has published numerous research articles and texts, illustrating a wide range of topics and research methods, including her latest book A Feminist Companion to Research Methods in Psychology’, with Rose Capdevila. The interview was conducted by one of our editors (Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez) together with a Psychology PhD student (Tilbe Nur Aslan) and centred on Hannah’s journey and work as a critical social psychologist, using qualitative and creative qualitative research methods, as well as pointers on how to branch out both in research topic and method. The interview was a thoroughly enjoyable, lively and vibrant experience!

St. Petersburg through Venetian Eyes: An Episode in Late Eighteenth-Century Book Illustration

This article analyzes a print that was published in Venice in 1797 as the opening image to a biography of Catherine II. Certainly prepared during the empress’s life, the publication appeared just months after her death in a watershed year for Europe which saw the fall of the Republic of Venice. The print imagines the moment that Peter the Great founded the new city of St. Petersburg over ninety years earlier. Through an exploration of the carefully constructed messages in the print, this paper examines the legacy of the image of Peter in Western Europe against which Catherine was understood. It considers the imagery of St. Petersburg in relation to Venice: the capitals of two empires, one in its ascendency and one at the point of collapse.

The mystical simplicity of Anna Dolgareva’s poetry

The article conducts an in-depth analysis of Anna Dolgareva’s poetic output: a contemporary poet, she has become somewhat of a chronicler of the special military operation. The scholar argues that Dolgareva’s poetics satisfies the needs of the current era: now that the postmodernist and avant-garde potential has been exhausted, the tragic character of history calls not only for a clear stance and unwearied word but also a radical change of tradition. To achieve such an effect with her poetics, Dolgareva opts for straightforwardness of expression and puts the main emphasis on the mission statement of the tragic hero, who is not romanticized but shows awareness of their responsibility. The critic particularly examines Dolgareva’s latest book Red Berry. Black Soil [Krasnaya yagoda. Chyornaya zemlya] (2023). It appears to be a manifesto of the poet’s idea of the protagonist’s direction in life and depicts the lyrical heroine through her various self-identifications – from the long-awaited offspring of a previously childless couple to a jester, the Fool from a tarot deck. In her reconstruction of the heroine’s personality, the critic examines the main motifs of Dolgareva’s lyrical poetry in the philosophical context of Russian poetry in the 2010s–2020s.

Subjugation of Indian Women in Anita Nair's Ladies Coupe

Perhaps Anita Nair is a famous postmodern Indian English writer. She writes about the lives of women on streets in her latest book, Women car. The primary focus of this novel is to explore the oppression of Indian men in society through self-discovery. Women coupe here implies a segment saved for ladies within the prepare. In the within the synonyms post-colonial period, most of these books were about the freedom of women and their problems in Indian society. The prevalent nature of Indian society meant that men saw themselves as dominant and ranked second to women, surpassing them. Indian English fiction reflects society. The focus of this article is on women's ongoing emancipation and eventual discovery of themselves.

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV service interruptions amid COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused global disruptions in healthcare service delivery. The prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) services were also interrupted, threatening the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 3. This article describes the PMTCT service interruptions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tshwane healthcare facilities. A descriptive phenomenological design was used to explore and describe the experiences of healthcare providers offering PMTCT services during COVID-19 in the Tshwane district, Gauteng province. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 16 participants, and Colaizzi's data analysis steps were followed in analysing the findings. Participants reported interruptions in PMTCT service delivery during the pandemic. Non-adherence to scheduled visits resulted in patients defaulting or not adhering to treatment regimens, high viral loads and mother-infant pairs' loss to follow-up. Other features of service disruption included late antenatal bookings, low client flow and delays in conducting deoxyribonucleic acid-polymerase chain reaction (DNA-PCR) testing in HIV-exposed babies. In addition, staff shortages occurred because of re-assignments to COVID-19-related activities. Study participants were psychologically affected by the fear of contracting COVID-19 and worked in a frustrating and stressful environment. Improved community-based follow-up services are critical to enhance PMTCT service outcomes and prevent infant HIV infections.Contribution:The findings may influence policymakers in developing strategies to curb HIV infections among mothers and children during pandemics.

With and against Max Weber: A Conversation with Wendy Brown on Politics and Scholarship in Nihilistic Times

The following discussion with philosopher and political theorist Wendy Brown revisits some of the arguments of her latest book, Nihilistic Times, in the light of her larger diagnosis presented in Undoing the Demos and In the Ruins of Neoliberalism. Thinking with and against Max Weber, Wendy Brown guides us through and to ways of doing politics and conducting scholarship capable of informing world-making practices that face up to the challenges of a nihilistic world. Picking up on some topics from a previous interview, the larger questions guiding those of this interview were how to redo the demos and how to remake our world democratically. We would like to thank Wendy Brown for the generous contribution of her time.

On the dialogism of genre nature of the concept of “Selected passages from correspondence with friends”: notes on the margins of the book by Iu. V. Mann “In search of a living soul...”

The issue of the genre nature of “Selected passages from correspondence with friends” is one of the oldest, most significant and yet actual problems of studying Gogol’s latest book. The first readers and critics faced this problem in 1847. Since then, interest in the genre of the book has been followed by special attention to its creative history. At the same time, it is well known that the book was created during Gogol’s work on the second volume of “Dead Souls” and that Gogol involved a wide range of close and distant readers in this process. This was discussed by Yu.V. Mann in his book “In search of a living soul: ‘Dead Souls’. Writer – criticism – reader” (published in 1984), where the long-lasting writer-reader dialogue is presented with factual and documentary details. In this context, Yu.V. Mann made observations, that are important for understanding the genre origins of the concept of “Selected passages ...”. Over the 40 years since that, the scholarly stockpile of studying Gogol’s work has been significantly expanded, and now we can appreciate and develop the scholarly resource of Mann’s observations about the dialogical origins of its idea.

Magic, Idleness and Comedy: Late Agamben’s Marxist Reaction to Neoliberal Political Theology

ABSTRACT This article deals with Giorgio Agamben's late work, arguing that Agamben’s trans secular critique of capitalist political theology is incepted from the historical conditions of late neoliberalism – with its focus on the personal “self” as its anchor. It suggests that to understand Agamben’s trans secular reaction to late neoliberalism we need historicized his thought. As historicized, it can reveal the dialectical limits of neoliberalism. To do so, the article reads late Agamben texts next to contemporary Marxist thinkers Alenka Zupančič and her theory of comedy, Todd McGowan and his analysis of Capitalism and desire and Sianne Ngai and her conceptualization of zaniness as the aesthetic representation of neoliberal precariousness. Moving on, the article focuses on Agamben’s late book Pulcinella. It argues that the book not only expresses the limits of neoliberalism but also uncovers hope and promises for comic theological renewal beyond neoliberalism and its cult of the self.