Progress is often incremental, says publisher Jason Low, and the book publishing industry moves slowly. The week’s news bears out the thesis. Last week, author Matt de la Peña became the first Latino author in almost 100 years of the award to win the Newbery Medal in children’s literature for “Last Stop On Market Street.” […]
Posts with the books tag
Part 2 of my interview with Rob Schmitz
In the Los Angeles Review of Books: In part 2 of this interview, Rob Schmitz talks more about factory workers in China, the vast system of netting installed at factory dormitories to cut back on worker suicides, the problems with and opportunities for doing responsible journalism in China, and his book recommendations. Listen here.
Imaging a War on Terror
Two days after Osama bin Laden was killed by American forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan, President Barack Obama announced that he would not to release photos of the Al Qaeda leader’s body. He said the releasing gruesome images could incite anger against American troops abroad and create unnecessary risks to national security. He also said that […]
Deeper Reading: Recent Titles on Islam around the World
If you are reading and watching American news in the last few weeks, you are probably simultaneously seeing a lot and very little about Islam in America today. The conversation surrounding Park51, the Islamic community center slated to be built in Lower Manhatten, is often very shallow, with little explication of terms and nuance. Words […]
Book Reviews: Full List
All reviews published by Zócalo Public Square unless otherwise noted. Not looking for book reviews? See my portfolio. Asia The Dragon’s Gift: The Real Story of China in Africa by Deborah Brautigam March 9, 2010 If the headlines are any indication, it’s time for a proper China scare. China Watcher: Confessions of a Peking Tom by […]
Weekend Reading
If you are looking for downtime reading, here are a few of my favorite, most enjoyable nonfiction choices from my reviews for Zócalo Public Square:
Life at the Speed of Books
I’m spending most of this month and last looking over the Hudson River, from Jersey City to New York. It’s a good vantage point to be an observer of global interactions and politics. It is from here that I read wrote most of the books I have reviewed so far for Zócalo Public Square. Three […]