For students about to start their postgraduate degree in international development or anyone with an interest in development, IDS staff and students have put together an essential reading and listening list.
These books and podcasts cover a whole range of themes within development studies; from colonial rule; science and wisdom; and economics. They include fiction and non-fiction titles. All are thought-provoking, not only looking to the past, but also examining issues that will impact development in the future.
If you have a book or podcast you would like to recommend, then share them on twitter with the hashtag: #IDSSummerReading and tag us at @IDS_UK.
Book recommendations
Revolutionary Spring: Fighting for a New World 1848-1849
By Christopher Clark
Mahdi Zaidan, IDS Contracts and Compliance Officer says,
‘This book covers the period of general turbulence across the European continent between 1848 and 1849. It gives witness to the conditions of industrial poverty across various European metropoles which inspired the writings of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Auguste Comte, and John Stuart Mills. It was the Tumulus period, thoroughly and comprehensively covered by the author, that gave the impetus for the first wave of European welfare programs and social reform. As such, the book is an important background for our understanding of modern European theory and its basis in the historical reality of 19th-century Europe’.
The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule
By Angela Saini
Jerker Edstrom, IDS Research Fellow says,
‘Very accessible, but deeply engaged with a range of disciplines and research (from archaeology and biology to feminist research and cultural history etc.) on the age-old questions of Patriarchy (how come it survives? Are societies becoming more/less patriarchal? Where did it all come from?’
Solferino 21: Warfare, Civilians and Humanitarians in the 21st Century
By Hugo Slim
Richard Longhurst, IDS Research Associate says,
‘This is an excellent reassessment of humanitarian aid for the 21st century, written by Hugo Slim, the leading policy analyst in the field. The scholarship is first rate and the writing style engaging (one reviewer even calls the style ‘sparkling’). Slim commemorates the launch of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement by Henry Dunant on the battle field of Solferino in 1859 with this rethink. It is a valuable reference book of the impact of war on civilians; the author explores how humanitarian agencies have responded and should in future respond to this impact. He argues for greater localisation and decentralisation of humanitarian actions’.
Communication For Another Development – Listening Before Telling
By Wendy Quarry and Ricardo Ramirex
Ben O’Donovan Iland, IDS Communications Officer says,
‘This lively book argues that in the development process, communication is everything. The authors, world experts in this field as teachers, practitioners and theorists, argue that Communication for Development is a creative and innovative way of thinking that can permeate the overall approach to any development initiative. They illustrate their argument with vivid case studies and tools for the reader, drawing on the stories of individual project leaders who have championed development for communication, and using a range of situations to show the different possibilities in various contexts. Free from jargon, and keeping a close look at how development is actually being implemented at ground level, this book is an important contribution to development studies not just for students but also for development practitioners and policy makers.’
Invisible China – How the urban-rural divide threatens China’s rise
By Scott Rozelle and Natalie Hell
The World According to China
By Elizabeth C. Economy
The Avoidable War – The Dangers of a Catastrophic Conflict Between the US and Xi Jinping’s China
By Kevin Rudd
Lewis Husain, IDS Research Fellow says,
‘None of these books has a direct answer to the predicament we are in, but they point to real challenges. On one hand, the US-China relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world, and the deterioration in that relationship has very wide-ranging consequences. Equally, though, a dramatic slowdown in China’s development would be a catastrophe for much of the Chinese population and would have global repercussions. There are no easy ways out of this geopolitical, economic and security bind, yet the consequences of conflict would be catastrophic, and there is a need for practical ways to defuse tensions and work towards more effective means of tackling global challenges. As scholars and practitioners of international development, we should take this seriously and ask how constructive engagement on issues of global concern can be salvaged at a time of rising tensions’.
Not exactly cheery summer reading… But if you read just one on China and the US, make it Elizabeth Economy. Rozelle and Hell’s book, though, is a salutary reminder that there are multiple parts to this picture and that we need more nuanced understandings to guide our thinking going forward.
Podcast recommendations
Empire, by Anita Anand and William Dalrymple
Steve Metcalfe, Head of Communications says,
‘What are the links between historical forces of oppression and the inequality and injustices faced by people today? Anita Anand and Williams Dalrymple’s podcast unpicks the legacies of empire to find out. Series one focuses – unsurprisingly given the Anglo-Indian backgrounds of the presenters – on the British in India, showing why atrocities like the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre remain hugely divisive even today. The episode recorded just after Queen Elizabeth’s death features a compelling discussion with historian David Olusoga on why British people find it so difficult to discuss the legacies of the nation’s colonial past’.
Spilling Chai with Anushay Hossain
Shae Corvidae, Communications Support Officer – Events and Digital says,
‘Spilling Chai” is IDS alumni Anushay Hossain’s podcast. Anushay is a writer, analyst, podcast host, and author of “The Pain Gap: How sexism and racism in healthcare care women”. On the podcast she discusses topical subjects with a range of guests, often touching upon the intersections of race and gender. With content ranging from discussion of critical race theory and how its misunderstood – through to authoritarian regimes, this is an engaging and informative listen. It avoids the dryer feel of many podcasts in the same category, tackling difficult issues in an accessible way. It often feels like you’re in the room and part of the friendly conversation, so why not pull up a chair to the table’.
More on Systemic Action Research
Sam Reddin, IDS Communications and Impact Manager says,
‘Danny Burns and Marina Apgar discuss their IDS led large-scale system-changing project called Child Labour: Action-Research-Innovation in South and South-Eastern Asia (CLARISSA). They describe some of the ways the project went about understanding issues based on the lived experience of the children—starting with an extensive life story collection and analysis project. They share experience of the team working with stakeholders in the sex industry (such as the employers of the children, business owners, parents and guardians). For Marina and Danny, action research can be an implementation modality that can help co-researchers respond to complex problems such as these’.
Related material
IDS, along with our project partners, publishes a range of publications each year, many of which are open access and can be found on our core websites:
- IDS Publications . Our world-class research brings an understanding of people’s lived experiences to policy and practice.
- The IDS Bulletin. The IDS Bulletin is an open access, peer-reviewed journal focusing on international development. In continual publication since 1968, it has a well-established reputation for intellectually rigorous articles developed through learning partnerships on emerging and evolving development challenges presented in an accessible manner in themed issues that bridge academic, practice and policy discourse.
- IDS Between the Lines podcast. This podcast series explores ground-breaking ideas in development for positive social and environmental change. Each month we feature an interview with an expert in international development who will talk about their latest research and ideas. Episodes content could feature authors of new books, IDS research or interviews with special guest stars.
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