What I’m
reading Right Now:
The
Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order by Samuel P. Huntington
Why I’m
reading it:
His name
was mentioned in an article I read recently, and I remembered that my friend
Dallas recommended him years ago.
What I
think of it:
I think
that Dr. Huntington’s assessment of the shift in international relations was
spot on. He wrote the book in 1996, but the world of 2015 looks like what he
described.
Will I
finish it?
Yes, in
time. It is not the thickest book I’ve read, but it is long, and bears close
reading. Huntington’s language isn’t overly academic but it is complex.
Would I
recommend it?
Yes. His tone is serious but reserved, he's obviously well-read, and makes his points with logic and explanation. It's a
good tonic against the over-heated emotional rhetoric of the popular media. We
need more reasoned & reasonable voices in our public debates, whatever your
position on international affairs.
Gimme a
quote:
“Civilizations
in the plural are the concern of this book. Yet the distinction between
singular and plural retains relevance, and the idea of civilization in the singular
has reappeared in the argument that there is a universal world civilization.
This argument cannot be sustained, but it is useful to explore, a will be done
in the final chapter of this book, whether or not civilizations are becoming
more civilized.” From chapter 2, p 41.
Image courtesy of STRATFOR, https://www.stratfor.com/sites/default/files/styles/stratfor_large__s_/public/main/images/clash-civilizations.png?itok=cGgRzieJ
