In this fascinating inquiry into the African Diaspora; Caryl Phillips embarks on a soul-wrenching journey to the three major ports of the transatlantic slave trade. Juxtaposing stories of the past with his own present-day experiences; Phillips combines his remarkable skills as a travel essayist with an astute understanding of history. From an West African businessman's interactions with white Methodists in nineteenth-century Liverpool to an eighteenth-century African minister's complicity in the selling of slaves to a fearless white judge's crusade for racial justice in 1940s Charleston; South Carolina; Phillips reveals the global the impact of being uprooted from one's home through resonant; powerful narratives.
#59013 in Books Francis Fukuyama 2012-03-27 2012-03-27Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 .32 x 1.60 x 5.50l; 1.12 #File Name: 0374533229608 pagesThe Origins of Political Order From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. How did we get this way?By Walter W. Olson; Ph.D; P.E.I have just finished reading The Origins of Political Order by Francis Fukuyama. This is the first of two books which covers the history of building of the state. The second book was recommended to me by one of my former students and I thank him for doing this. Finding that he was recommending the second book; I decided to read the first book first. After reading the first book; I am looking forward to the second book which I own but haven't read yet.I am convinced by Dr. Fukuyama's arguments that good modern governments need the rule of law; accountability to its citizens and a strong state to be successful.If a citizen is serious about their country; they should know why it is the way it is; why it it is legitimate (or illegitimate;) and the possible modes of decay. Dr. Fukuyama has presented several models based on history and philosophy. His arguments are convincing.The future is not necessarily hopeful. As he adequately expresses; "The United States seems increasingly caught in a dysfunctional political equilibrium; wherein everyone agrees on the necessity of addressing long-term fiscal issues; but powerful interest groups can block the spending cuts or tax increases necessary to close the gap."As a Conservative; I see that this is a correct analysis of the situation we find ourselves in today. Dr. Fukuyama shows that extreme conservatism (extreme by my standards of conservatism) results in institutions that can no longer adequately function. He credits this more than any other factor as the reason why states fail. And I think he is right: people receiving the benefits of an institution prevent it from being changed.Furthermore; these institutions grow and require more and more resources (read TAXES;) eventually these institutions grow so big and are so dysfunctional; they kill the state that created them. Furthermore; the interests of the particular institutions grow so dependent on the institutions that they will protect these institutions even if it it means neglecting the protection of the overall state. This has happened in both Hungary and France.This is not the Conservatism espoused Buckley and Hayek; but is a form of conservatism that is known by other names. Dr. Fukuyama has been referred to as a neoconservative by others in his outlook but; he; himself disputes this. The reader of this book needs to understand this. When conservatism is a maintenance of institutions that have lost their ability to efficiently serve the purposes that they were created for; then it is necessarily wrong and does not in general represent modern Conservatism. I regret that Dr. Fukuyama used this term as it will confuse those who can not distinguish the difference. Unfortunately; many will read this book and improperly infer the wrong conclusion.However; Dr. Fukuyama's analysis of history and the formation of of the political states rings with truth. His thesis is largely that an effective modern government needs a balance between the rule of law; accountability; external family/tribal social mobilization and a strong state.He dismisses Marx and Hobbes for assuming facts not in in evidence. Dr. Fukuyama fundamentally believes that man is a social animal and has never lived without a social structure of man's own making. First that social structure was family and then it developed into a tribe as being more efficient to meet man's needs. As the need for defense from other tribes grew; it required state-like organizations to survive. As man became increasingly agrarian; the efficiency of food supply offered by farming required property rights that needed protection. The development of religion influenced what people thought about laws; morals and legitimacy. Ultimately; it affected how states formed.This was not a linear process as Marx professed but a process where cultures differed and where reversion to earlier conditions often occurred. In many cases the conditions for a modern state did not exist until late. In some cases; it is still developing. The natural state of man favored family so often early development of states reverted back to patrimonialism. And where modern states did develop; the paths were variable depending on the geography including religion and history of the region.But states that succeeded overcame this through various supporting mechanisms including religious supports; legal supports and the involvement of nonruling classes in government have come to some successful institutions that have endured. There were very different ways of achieving a modern government. He only touches briefly on recent developments. This he is reserving for the second book. But he has built a great foundation for further discussion.In general I agree with Dr. Fukuyama and look forward to reading the second book.127 of 133 people found the following review helpful. A thoughtful addition to the world-historical theorizing genreBy RyanThe Origins of Political Order is an engaging read for anyone willing to grant the author license to do some old school multidisciplinary broad-scope theorizing on a hugely important question: What are the origins of political order? Why did key political institutions -- a centralized state with a monopoly on the use of force; enforcement of legal norms by third parties; and accountability of the state to outside forces -- develop in some places and not others?The real standard for evaluating this kind of book; a work in the world-historical Guns; Germs; and Steel genre; is not whether the author gets details wrong; or misconstrues some of the theories or cultures he discusses. This is inevitable. No one can be an expert in biology; the history of China; cultural anthropology; primate behavior; and legal history. But as Fukuyama correctly argues; that the task is necessarily imperfect and difficult doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile. The standard for success is whether the necessarily imperfect effort nonetheless tells us something new and interesting. And Fukuyama succeeds on this metric.Fukuyama abolishes any doubts the reader might harbor about political development as separate from economic or social development; and destroys any notion the reader might have that political order is somehow automatic or natural. Fukuyama will persuade you that political order is instead fragile and contingent. And he'll do it while taking you on a fascinating tour of the history of several different nations as well as the history of humans as a species. You'll learn about geography; primate behavior; and religion. Indeed; the pages are brimming with interesting theories on the various sub-topics that make up the volume; each of which could form its own PhD project. That none is quite fully explored is a necessary byproduct of the scope of the work.Fukuyama; of course; has his biases. He gleefully and rightly eschews political correctness. Some readers might flinch; for example; at the characterization of societies that use women as chattel as essentially egalitarian and free. But Fukuyama's biases are not Right or Left; readers of any partisan persuasion will find things to like and dislike about Fukuyama's conclusions.If nothing else; the book is a sterling example of clear; concise prose that is well-edited. You won't find yourself puzzling over poorly written sentences; awkward constructions; or unfocused structure.It's hard to a imagine a reader of nonfiction who wouldn't find something to like about this book. Give it a shot.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A Must ReadBy NelsonI intensely disliked Fukuyama's End of History; but he redeems himself in this historical survey of the origins of political order and; perhaps most importantly; highlighting how it differs in different cultures (culture underlying everything). Excellent book; and to me convincing. He argues "natural human sociability is built around two principles; kin selection and reciprocal altruism." In political terms; that means a constant struggle in the pre-19th century Malthusian world to prevent kin politics dominating the state and the benefits that can accrue to a rent-seeking power elite. “Entrenched interest groups tend to accumulate in any society over time; which aggregate into rent-seeking coalitions in order to defend their narrow privileges." He lists the methods attempted by Chinese; Indian; Muslim and Western societies to empower the dispassionate state over kith and and kin and rent-seeking politics; from bureaucratic Confucianism to Brahamism to Muslim slave ruler states to parliamentary government. "Shared mental models most particularly those that take the form of religion; are critical for facilitating large-scale collective action." Lots of good stuff. I hope his book on political order from 1815 to the present is equally convincing.
