New insights into how the Book of Samuel offers a timeless meditation on the dilemmas of statecraftThe Book of Samuel is universally acknowledged as one of the supreme achievements of biblical literature. Yet the book's anonymous author was more than an inspired storyteller. The author was also an uncannily astute observer of political life and the moral compromises and contradictions that the struggle for power inevitably entails. The Beginning of Politics mines the story of Israel's first two kings to unearth a natural history of power; providing a forceful new reading of what is arguably the first and greatest work of Western political thought.Moshe Halbertal and Stephen Holmes show how the beautifully crafted narratives of Saul and David cut to the core of politics; exploring themes that resonate wherever political power is at stake. Through stories such as Saul's madness; David's murder of Uriah; the rape of Tamar; and the rebellion of Absalom; the book's author deepens our understanding not only of the necessity of sovereign rule but also of its costs―to the people it is intended to protect and to those who wield it. What emerges from the meticulous analysis of these narratives includes such themes as the corrosive grip of power on those who hold and compete for power; the ways in which political violence unleashed by the sovereign on his own subjects is rooted in the paranoia of the isolated ruler and the deniability fostered by hierarchical action through proxies; and the intensity with which the tragic conflict between political loyalty and family loyalty explodes when the ruler's bloodline is made into the guarantor of the all-important continuity of sovereign power.The Beginning of Politics is a timely meditation on the dark side of sovereign power and the enduring dilemmas of statecraft.
#181840 in Books Ther Philipp 2016-09-20Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.60 x 1.50 x 5.40l; .0 #File Name: 0691167370440 pagesEurope Since 1989 A History
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A great book explaining why Europe is the way it is ...By Frank OlssonA great book explaining why Europe is the way it is 25 years later. IMF and austerity will never be pillars of the great society.This is just economists and accountants trying to produce better numbers. What is missing is empathy and a healthy sense ofcommunity. The good society needs more than impressive GDP numbers - it also needs hope for the many disadvantaged.Europe would do well by looking less to America for building the good society and continue to develop its own more caring approach.The Scandinavian countries; although not flawless by any means; continue to provide some light in terms of finding future harmony.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Highly recommended!By PFThis book is exactly what’s been missing from many a bookshelf of those of us invested; personally or professionally; in the subject of Europe after the fall of Communism in the so-called Other Europe. In a style that shows his erudition yet remains extremely readable; Ther offers fascinating insights on the effects of neoliberal policies imported en masse under the pretext of ‘there is no alternative’ into the post-communist countries from the West. While Poland; Hungry; or; say; the Czech Republic have seen a huge increase in their citizens’s standard of living; which is obvious to anyone visiting their capitals or major cities; Ther reminds us that many of them also suffered a great deal thanks to the “shock therapies†carried out by native and foreign-born acolytes of Thatcherism and Reaganism. While he doesn’t make the point of separating explicitly the people and their countries into winners and losers of the post-1989 changes; which would’ve been a mistake; Ther does highlight the fact that the negative effects of the policies linger on; which in turn helps to explain the rise of populism and anti-immigrant sentiment across Europe and the U.S. today. It is to Ther’s credit that he peppers his study with personal anecdotes; since historical events and economic policies do not occur in a vacuum; where they can be reduced to a few dates and statistics; but rather have very human consequences that affect us all.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Neoliberalism and if it works.By R DunbarChecked this out of the library in 2017. A rather dry mostly economic history. You get a little bit about the writers personal history that's OK. And the history of important people at the time; but it's information you could find anywhere else. And you better learn about Neoliberalism because you will hear it over and over again. As some one who grew up at that time I was hoping for more inside information and not why Poland had faster economic growth than the Czech Republic. If you like charts and economics this is the book for you.
