Welcome to the May edition of the reading list! This month I’ve got three classics of leftist analysis. Along with a foray into contemporary fiction.
Enjoy, and let me know what you’ve been reading lately!
Category: Books (Page 2 of 21)
These are posts about books from the blog Base and Superstructure. Occasionally I’ll read a book worth talking about, and write some thoughts on it. These cover a wide range of topics from the blog.
I recently read a classic in political sociology – Power and Powerlessness by John Gaventa. It’s an insightful attempt to apply the Steven Lukes analysis of power – laid out in a book by that title – to the situation of coal miners in central Appalachia.
Gaventa seeks to explain why oppressed Appalachian miners refuse to rise up in revolt against their oppressors. While he argues for the intuitive view that the power of the mining companies prevents them from doing so, he gets there via an interesting and compelling route. Ultimately, he argues that the power of the mining companies consists, in part, in their ability to change the desires and aims of miners. Rebellion comes only when we alter those underlying power relationships.
I think we can learn a lot from Gaventa about power and powerlessness.
We’re well into spring these days. What are you reading? My list this month is a nice eclectic mix of sci-fi, historical fiction, political science, and hot topics in politics.
I hope you enjoy!
As we’re (hopefully) moving out of winter, let’s talk about books! Here are some things I’ve been reading over the long Iowa winter. Let’s see if we can get back next month fully ready to jump into spring reading.
As always, let me know what you’ve been reading lately!
Welcome to our second reading list of 2024! We’re well into winter, suitably annoyed, and ready to sit down with a good book.
I think you’ll find this month’s reading list to be a great cross-section of politics and history. Enjoy!
