What I'm Reading Now - Clash of Civilizations

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