Author du Jour Archives - Page 5 of 12

Author du Jour: K. J. Howe

04/14/201702/08/2017 by Frederic Colier

As the inauguration of our new president promises to take us into unchartered territory, I pondered on how this month selection could reflect the unknown of the coming months. Per chance many books finding their way to bookstores fail to find their way to readers, and this is where a perceptive book review can help. This month selection offers a wide range of topics. We have a first timer riding side by side with worldwide spiritual celebrities, and, in between, uncanny voices of the present.

“Freedom Broker” by K. J. Howe

(Quercus, pp 374, $ 26.99)

At “Books du Jour,” we pay special attention to first-timers. They are an important step to the continuity of the book business. Reviewing established authors calls for a safe stance. Taking risks on new voices entail careful scrutiny and measured endorsement. But most often than not, intuition rarely betrays. K. J. Howe is one of those safe bets. You know upon reading the first chapters of her novel, “Freedom Broker,” that you are in the presence of an enormous potential. The writing is brisk, the tone confident, and the story not only eye-popping original but also riveting. It is one of those (forgive the cliché) can’t-put-downers as you get enmeshed in the world of K&R. K&R said you? Yes, indeed, which stands for Kidnap and Rescue (though Ransom could have worked too). K &R is not an agency or an LLP, but the world revolving around a professional elite dealing with the kidnapping of hostages (estimated at 40,000 a year) and their rescue operations. Given the uncertainties around the globe, kidnapping has seen a huge increase over the last ten years and can target, not just the rich and famous, but anyone.

The hero of “Freedom Broker,” Thea Paris, the only woman kidnap negotiator in the field, is forced to live through a family tragedy, when her father, Christo, is kidnapped from his yacht off Santorini, and this while his crew get slaughtered in the assault. Thea sets to tasks to discover the who and why, investigating her father’s past and numerous enemies. But remember, when originality strikes, it does so with delightful surprises. In Howe’s novel, the kidnappers demand nothing. No ransom, no political prisoner exchange, except sending enervating Latin quotes . . . which, for Thea, initiate a perilous journey to settle long-standing family score. Be the first one to discover K. J. Howe.

Author du Jour: Miroslav Volf

02/06/2017 by Frederic Colier

“Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World,” by Miroslav Volf

(Yale University Press, pp 304, $28.00)

Do religions still hold value in our lives in an age of globalization? There is indeed a paradox in the reactionary violent stance with religions given that both globalization and religions aim for universals. This simplistic vision leaves aside a profound gap: that religions impact us internally whereas the leveling force of globalization shapes us externally. Needless to say that materialism and morals do not mix well. A case well documented in “Flourishing,” where Miroslav Volf first notices that our world is increasingly torn by religious conflicts, often stemming from the threat that globalization brings in its wake.

Volf, a professor of theologian at Yale, is an advocate for bridging the gulf separating the two opposite worlds. What is at stake here is life quality itself and the meaning of being human. The book’s narrative becomes how to find an appropriate balance. In other words, how to live well in a world demanding more and more endless adjustments, which conflict with our disposition, values, and morals. Volf’s solution is spirituality, and though he does not hide that his approach is Christian in nature, his argument is both inviting and needed. In a world increasingly devoid of relevant meanings, God can be the gift and the bridge to connect with others.

Author du Jour: Richard Haass

04/28/201702/02/2017 by Frederic Colier

“A World in Disarray,” by Richard Haass

(Penguin Press, pp 341, $28.00)

This book has a lot of merit, and more. Let me start with the merit part. Though I do not subscribe with all the solutions, which would take too long to explain, the author. Richard Haass, clearly chisels a new template for a productive global political environment. Something, which he calls World Order 2.0. Haass’s grasp of the international scene is pragmatic, solidly anchored in a deep experience. One can sense that years in the administration have made him the de-facto expert in foreign policy and international relations. What makes the book so engaging however is its outline. Before offering his conceptualization and solution for the future of American relations, Haass gives a world tour of the current international climate, exposing the traditional triumvirate of power, Russia, China and US, and complementing it with the new disrupters and rule-breakers, the likes of ISIS and North Korea.

Now about the more. When I first reviewed the book three months ago, the world was a different world. With hindsight of the last three months of the Trump presidency, the book can appear prophetic. Lots of the upheavals that have unraveled since the beginning of the year have somehow taken place, as if Haass had his ears glued directly against a geo-political crystal ball. But this would be misleading. Because Haass is just what he is: a fine-tuned expert, woh has sharpened his tools on the stone of history.

What becomes valuable in Haass’s incisive analysis is his understanding of the breaking down of post-WWII models of foreign policies seen as completely unfit to confront the new issues of terrorism, climate change, cyber war and the potential threat of nuclear weapons. The book’s merit lies here. Haass is not afraid to mention the US’s past mistakes in foreign policy and often its failure not to act. As you can imagine the task the new leadership has to face is staggering, and it requires sound minds to deal with it. But what comes through is that if the US wants to reinforce its ties with other sovereign nations, it must do so with a radical change of its understanding in an ever changing world. Haass’s strength rests in his ability to pave the first steps for the nation without fear.

Author du Jour: J. D. Vance

01/30/2017 by Frederic Colier

“Hillbilly Elegy: a Memoir of a family and Culture in Crisis,” J. D. Vance

(Harper, pp 272, $ 27.99)

A book that could not be more timely. The “Hillbilly Elegy,” is a memoir about poor white folks in a Rust Bell town, Middletown, in Southern Ohio. Timely because, these are the angry folks who elected Trump on the promise that he will bring jobs back to them. Income inequality, class warfare, high unemployment, drug addictions, and family disintegration, constitute the tapestry of everyday life. One can only speculate had the Democrats gotten their hands on this treasure trove of insights of this small town America two months earlier, what could have happened . . . Though well-documented and researched, “Hillbilly Elegy” is not simply a book of sociology. It also written from the inside, by one of “theirs.”

This is where the author, J. D. Vance, grew up, in a multi-generational family originating from the Appalachia, and journeyed from, to study at the Yale Law School. The book draws with moving descriptions the portrait of a culture in crisis where lives are torn apart by cycles of economic depression, featuring Vance’s own family. J. D. Vance excels at describing how the hillbillies lost faith “in any hope of upwards mobility.” The way he talks about his own mother’s struggle with drugs, finding forgiveness in himself, showing a lack of judgment to offer understanding is truly heartbreaking. At the core, the book questions the myth of the American Dream where promises are broken, and the prospect of a good life is blunted by the bleak lack of horizons. A great portrait of proletarian literature not seen in decades.

Author du Jour: Satyajit Das

01/25/2017 by Frederic Colier

“The Age of Stagnation: Why perpetual Growth is Unattainable and the Global Economy Is in Peril,” by Satyajit Das

(Prometheus Books, pp 340, $25.00)

Although the title of Das’s book is enough to make anyone go back to bed, the book is not only an eye-opener but also a great clarifier. Written in a clear prose and with concrete examples, Das performs an excellent demystification of the concept of perpetual growth. Think of a car running an empty but which still aims to reach the moon. This is where the global economy stands, on a verge of catastrophe. Heavily indebted, plagued with poor policies, modern economies seem out of the touch with reality. Something clearly visible at the moment with a red-hot stock market giving the impression that there is not trouble with national and international economies. This delusive aspect echoes the mindset of the pre-2008 Great Recession. Das challenges the deep-seated assumptions that led us spiraling into the global monetary crisis, the “easy money” approach, and he forecasts instead years of stagnation as a direct result.

The best part of the book is where Das makes an important argument about the political responsibility of our leaders, who display a vast array of denials and paralysis, while promoting short-term policies that only overwhelm the system. At that point, he asks what is the big picture going forward for Western countries and the meaning of their democracy, when GDP ratios top the 100%, and policies call for the increase of national debts, while diminishing supply of raw-products, disappearance of jobs, take their toll and exacerbate the population? What to do when the developing countries’ debts prevent them from ever becoming solvent and impact our polity? These are just a few of the challenges that Das brings to the table of fundamentals. Perhaps endless growth may not be the solution to our well-being. The buzzword these days for a way out is “degrowth.”

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