In Code Dependent, Madhumita Murgia considers the impact of AI, and technology more broadly, on marginalised groups. Though its case studies are compelling, Marie Oldfield finds the book lacking in rigorous analysis and a clear methodology, inhibiting its ability to grapple with the concerns around technology it raises. Madhumita Murgia spoke at an LSE event, What it means to be human in a world changed by AI, in March 2024 – watch it back on YouTube. Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI. Madhumita Murgia. Picador. 2024. Code Dependent is a collection of case studies about peo ..read more

In this edited excerpt from the introduction to What Really Went Wrong, Fawaz A Gerges argues that US interventionism during the Cold War – especially in Iran and Egypt – steered the Middle East away from democracy towards authoritarianism, shaping the region’s political and economic landscape for decades to come. What Really Went Wrong: The West and the Failure of Democracy in the Middle East. Fawaz A Gerges. Yale University Press. 2024.  At the end of the colonial era after World War Two, the Middle East was on the cusp of a new awakening. Imperial Britain, France, and I ..read more

In Who’s Afraid of Gender?, Judith Butler confronts contemporary attacks on gender from right-wing movements that have undermined the rights of women, queer and trans people in areas from reproductive justice to protections against violence. The book deftly unpacks the phantasm of gender as it has been weaponised against queer and trans people and argues for countering it not with commensurate hate, but by making more desirable a way of living based in freedom and empathy, writes Elaine Coburn. Judith Butler came to LSE to launch the book in March 2024: watch it back ..read more

In The Architecture of Disability: Buildings, Cities, and Landscapes beyond Access, David Gissen contends that the focus on access in design around disability perpetuates inequalities, arguing instead for centralising disabled people in architectural and urban planning. Amy Batley finds that the book’s attempts to reframe disability in contemporary urban landscapes are overpowered by historical tangents and subjective claims. The Architecture of Disability: Buildings, Cities, and Landscapes beyond Access. David Gissen. University of Minnesota Press. 2022. Wh ..read more

In Rethinking Drug Laws: Theory, History, Politics, Toby Seddon analyses drug control policy and argues for a paradigm shift that decentres the West and recognises China’s historical and contemporary influence. Unpacking the complexity of drug law as a regulatory system, Seddon’s well-argued, insightful book calls for more inclusive, evidence-informed and democratic policymaking, writes Mark Monaghan. Rethinking Drug Laws: Theory, History, Politics. Toby Seddon. Oxford University Press. 2023. Based on forensic archival research, Rethinking Drug Laws: Theory, History ..read more

In The Gilded Cage: Technology, Development, and State Capitalism in China, Ya-Wen Lei explores how China has reshaped its economy and society in recent decades, from the era of Chen Yun to the leadership of Xi Jinping. Lei’s meticulous analysis illuminates how China’s blend of marketisation and authoritarianism has engendered a unique techno-developmental capitalism, writes George Hong Jiang. The Gilded Cage: Technology, Development, and State Capitalism in China. Ya-Wen Lei. Princeton University Press. 2023. Twenty years ago, people inside and outside China were won ..read more

In The Big Con, Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington claim that our overreliance on the consulting industry has negative consequences for society, inhibiting knowledge transfer and corporate and political accountability. The authors expose how consultancies’ goal of “creating value” may not align with addressing major issues such as climate change, arguing convincingly for greater transparency and a revitalised public sector, writes Ivan Radanović. The Big Con: How the Consulting Industry Weakens Our Businesses, Infantilizes Our Governments, and Warps Our Economies. Mariana M ..read more

Jonathan White‘s In the Long Run: The Future as a Political Idea examines how changing political conceptions of the future have impacted democracy, arguing that contemporary challenges like economic slowdown and climate change have led to reactive politics and short-termism. Though the book proposes ways to revitalise democracy, Aveek Bhattacharya suggests we may need to seek beyond our political institutions for strategies to build a more open future. You can read an interview with Jonathan White about the book here. On Monday 11 March at 6.30pm White will speak at an LSE pane ..read more

Caty Borum‘s The Revolution Will Be Hilarious: Comedy for Social Change and Civic Power considers how comedy intersects with activism and drives social change. Borum’s accessible text draws from case studies and personal experience to demonstrate how comedy can successfully challenge norms, amplify marginalised voices and foster dialogue on issues from racism to climate change, writes Christine Sweeney. The Revolution Will Be Hilarious: Comedy for Social Change and Civic Power. Caty Borum. NYU Press. 2023. Can you teach comedy? Can a sense of humour, charisma, delivery, stage presen ..read more

In Late Fascism: Race, Capitalism and the Politics of Crisis, Alberto Toscano unpacks the rise of contemporary far-right movements that have emerged amid capitalist crises and appropriated liberal freedoms while perpetuating systemic forms of violence. According to Dimitri Vouros, Toscano’s penetrating, theoretically grounded analysis is an essential resource for understanding and confronting the resurgence of reactionary ideologies. Late Fascism: Race, Capitalism and the Politics of Crisis. Alberto Toscano. Verso. 2023.  Observing the leftwing populism that emerged a ..read more