Post #1 Pages 1-20

     When Americans think of their country's involvement in the ill-defined region known as the Middle East, they will likely call to mind the events of 9/11 and the Iraq War. But America has had constant and significant interaction with the Middle East almost since our nation's origin. Our exchanges with the region, which includes West Asia and much of North Africa depending on who you ask, have resulted in such important events as the creation of the U.S. Navy and the drafting of the Constitution. Michael B. Oren contends that there are three primary factors in these exchanges: power, faith, and fantasy. The American government has pursued its interests in the Middle East through use of power, whether that power be political, financial, or militaristic. Many interactions between the Middle East and the US have been based on religion. Some of the earliest American travelers to the region were missionaries and zionists. Lastly, the fantastical depictions of the Arab world found in A Thousand and One Arabian Nights drew drew adventure-seeking explorers. 

Book #10: Who Rules the World? by Noam Chomsky

Pages: 320

Published: 2016

From the Boston Globe: "How did we ever get to be an empire? The [musings] of Noam Chomsky―America's most useful citizen―are the best answer to that question."

From Loyd Eskildson: "Prominent researchers in the U.S. have produce compelling evidence that 'economic elites and organized groups have substantial independent impact on U.S. government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or none.' Other studies have demonstrated that the large majority of the population at the lower end of the income/wealth [spectrum] are effectively excluded from the political system, while a tiny sector at the top has overwhelming influence, and that over a long period, campaign funding is a good predictor of policy choices. One consequence is large numbers not [participating in the democratic process], and 'class-skewed abstention rates.' Meanwhile, environmental and nuclear threats continue to grow."

I am interested in this book because it shows how the geopolitical scene changes as the U.S. adopts more imperial practices. Through this book I would hope to learn what factors specifically shape relations between different countries and what allows nations to accumulate international power and influence. 

Book #9: The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape by James Howard Kunstler

Pages: 304

Published: 1994

From Library Journal: "In this spirited, irreverent critique, Kunstler spares none of the culprits that have conspired in the name of the American Dream to turn the U.S. landscape from a haven of the civic ideal into a nightmare of [gaudy] commercial production and consumption. Kunstler strips the bark off the utopian social engineering promoted by the machine-worshiping Modern movement of Gropius, Le Corbusier, and Frank Lloyd Wright and skewers the intellectual camps (e.g., Venturi) that have thrived on making academic glory of the consumer wasteland. With the [passion] of an investigative reporter and in the [pros] of a tabloid journalist, Kunstler [highlights] the insidious "car lobby" and gives case studies of landscapes as diverse as Detroit, Atlantic City, and Seaside, Florida, to illustrate both the woes and hopeful notes. The ideas in this book are not new (Jane Jacobs and William H. Whyte Jr. were bemoaning the loss of civic life a quarter-century ago), but Kunstler gives their case an urgent, popular voice. An eminently relevant and important book; highly recommended."

From Shannon B.: "Geography of Nowhere is a wonderful, life-changing book. I wish I could make every developer, every SUV owner and every town council read this book. Its main topic is the physical environments that Americans live in, in contrast to our historical environments and to [the environments of other countries]. Kunstler [demonstrates] how the advent of the automobile has changed the [image] of cities, small-towns and birthed the suburb. The choice to live without [a car] is now a very difficult one for most people, and also comes with certain social assumptions. Yet, after reading Geography of Nowhere, I am [searching for] ever more ways to take public transportation and reduce my reliance on a vehicle that both pollutes the natural environment and despoils the man-made environment.

Some chapters in the book focus on cities gone wrong, such as Detroit. Others discuss the ideal community, involving mixed-use neighborhoods (both purpose - commercial, residential, industrial - and class - working, professional, wealthy). Kunstler makes the case that prior to the development of suburbia and the reign of automobiles as our primary form of transportation, we had a kinder, cleaner, and [better organized] world. Disney World's Main Street was used as an example of how car-free neighborhoods have become an American dream, and at the same time, few people understand why cars have had such a negative effect. Geography of Nowhere has confirmed my [decision] to live in a city with public transportation, in a mixed-use neighborhood, within walking distance of most of my needs. It may be more expensive and it may be unconventional, but I now have the evidence to back up my convictions."

This book shows how geography itself is to some degree dynamic. It seems to give insight into how geography impacts the development of a political system within a specific country. 

Book #8: Understanding the Cultural Landscape by Dr. Bret Wallach

Pages: 406

Published: 2005

From Peirce F. Lewis, Department of Geography (Emeritus), Pennsylvania State University: "Understanding the Cultural Landscape is a tour de force--a splendid example of the [engaging], clear, and attractive writing that scholarly prose should be, but so seldom is. Bret Wallach, one of America's most [talented] geographers, has revived a noble but long-neglected tradition of cultural geography, deeply [entrenched] in history and an amazing range of geographic facts. For intellectually curious students of the human condition, this is a profoundly important book."

From Gretchen Foster: "An entertaining read that is [exceptionally] written and [simple] to follow. This book is an educational story of cultural development."

I would want to read this book because it offers an explanation of how geography shapes culture. Because cultural differences conjure a significant amount of political strife, looking at these differences at their origin would provide valuable insight into how geography impacts global politics. 

Book #7: The Power of Place: Geography, Destiny, and Globalization's Rough Landscape by Harm J. de Blij

Pages: 304

Published: 2010

From Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University: "The Power of Place is a tour-de-force, a [captivating] and deeply knowledgeable account of the [essential] ways in which 'place', the Earth's physical geography, shapes global society. The world, we learn, is not flat but is indeed a rugged terrain, in which climate, topography, natural [dangers], pathogens and much more, shape economy, politics, language, culture, and power. The Power of Place is a treat for the specialist and a thrilling eye-opener for the general reader." 

From Doomdayer520: "de Blij applies geographic theory to topics like health, literacy, urbanization, and many others with surprising connections to cultural and physical geography. The book contains many excellent maps and de Blij writes in [an accessible] style. Granted, de Blij's thoughts on religious conflict seem rather simplistic, and the closing chapter on proposed solutions to geographic problems is a bit unfocused, with vague prescriptions that don't line up with the details of the previous chapters. But otherwise, this is a rewarding book for those [fascinated by] the diversity of the world's peoples and their experiences, and you'll find that the world is only "flat" for certain economic elites. For everyone else, geography [establishes] many "rough" cultural and economic landscapes that will preserve not just diversity but also inequality."

This book not only shows how contemporary problems are linked to geography, but also suggests solutions to the tribulations it discusses. 

Book #6: Why Geography Matters: More Than Ever by Harm J. de Blij

Pages: 368

Published: 2012

From National Geographic Maps: "A provocative, fast-paced book that interprets the world through the dynamic discipline of geography. The remarkable chapter on Africa is at once compelling and tragic, but also cautiously [optomistc]. If you think that geography [is dull], try this book and you'll discover insights you've never encountered before."

From Roman P: "I recently returned from delivering a series of lectures at the Library of Alexandria, Egypt. Over 2300 years ago, the ancient library was the cradle of learning embracing many sciences and disciplines, including cartography and geography. Even thousands of years ago, the great thinkers and intellectuals of the time had an insatiable curiosity for the world, and attempted to understand the essential relationships between people and places. Following my lecture, there was a question and answer session. The audience included students and academics, many of whom had participated in the epic street protests that toppled the [three decade] dictatorship of Mubarak. It was inspiring how geographically literate and spatially aware these young people are - especially in terms of understanding and explaining the social, economic and geo-political forces driving their revolution with its historic changes but also great risks and uncertainties. As the discussions unfolded in Alexandria, I found myself constantly referencing many of the ideas and concepts [laid out] in this magnificent book - and its earlier version, Why Geography Matters? How often can you say that a contemporary book directly supports and explains complex world events such as those [taking place] across the Arab World and elsewhere for that matter. For anyone trying to understand our complex and [changing] world - geography REALLY matters - and this book offers not only a unique [array] of concepts and ideas, but links them clearly and directly to world events. This includes those in progress like the Arab Spring and remarkably, the book offers detailed insights into how these events might unfold in future impacting not only the host regions but the wider inter-connected world. Enlightening, inspirational, sobering in places, full of wit and wisdom and simply, an essential read."

I'd like to study this book because it provides direct links between geography and global trends and events. 

Book #5: In Europe's Shadow: Two Cold Wars and a Thirty-Year Journey Through Romania and Beyond by Robert D. Kaplan

Pages: 336

Published: 2016

From the Wall Street Journal: “Kaplan is one of America’s [most prominent] writers on the [subject]. . . . In a series of deep [analyses of] the region’s past—Byzantine, Ottoman, Habsburg and Soviet—he finds parallels and echoes that help us understand the present.”

From Patrick M: "Kaplan's memory-logue about Romania, the Cold War, the history of totalitarianism, is worth reading for the way he remembers and examines the grey, monolithic, yet [intimidating] world of Eastern European communism. He does touch on many writers, may views, and this can be name-dropping, as [other critics] noted, but I think of this rather as a struggle to [establish] an intellectual frame for his memories."

I find this book fascinating because it gives an account of how one country changes over time. Though physical locations are static, this book appears to demonstrate how the political structure of one area can shift over a number of decades.