Books in Brief
April 28, 2023
Sacred Foundations: The Religious and Medieval Roots of the European State
Author: Anna Grzymała-Busse
Via Princeton University Press

“Sacred Foundations argues that the medieval church was a fundamental force in European state formation. Existing accounts focus on early modern warfare or contracts between the rulers and the ruled. In contrast, this major study shows that the Catholic Church both competed with medieval monarchs and provided critical templates for governing institutions, the rule of law, and parliaments.”
Read more about The Civic Bargain: How Democracy Survives co-authored by Josiah Ober, Political Science and Classics

The Civic Bargain: How Democracy Survives co-authored by Josiah Ober, Political Science and Classics
Read more about Post-Cinematic Bodies by Shane Denson, Art and Art History

Post-Cinematic Bodies by Shane Denson, Art and Art History
Read more about We’ve Got You Covered: Rebooting American Health Care co-authored by Liran Einav, Economics

We’ve Got You Covered: Rebooting American Health Care co-authored by Liran Einav, Economics
Read more about The Mathematics of Shuffling Cards co-authored by Persi Diaconis, Statistics and Mathematics

The Mathematics of Shuffling Cards co-authored by Persi Diaconis, Statistics and Mathematics
Read more about Engage and Evade: How Latino Immigrant Families Manage Surveillance in Everyday Life by Asad L. Asad, Sociology

Engage and Evade: How Latino Immigrant Families Manage Surveillance in Everyday Life by Asad L. Asad, Sociology
Read more about A Certain Justice: Toward an Ecology of the Chinese Legal Imagination by Haiyan Lee, East Asian Languages and Cultures and Comparative Literature

A Certain Justice: Toward an Ecology of the Chinese Legal Imagination by Haiyan Lee, East Asian Languages and Cultures and Comparative Literature
Read more about When I Waked, I Cried To Dream Again by A. Van Jordan, English

When I Waked, I Cried To Dream Again by A. Van Jordan, English
Read more about What Even Is Gender? co-authored by R.A. Briggs, Philosophy

What Even Is Gender? co-authored by R.A. Briggs, Philosophy
Read more about The Cartel System of States: An Economic Theory of International Politics co-authored by Avidit Acharya, Political Science

The Cartel System of States: An Economic Theory of International Politics co-authored by Avidit Acharya, Political Science
Read more about The Greeks and the Rational: The Discovery of Practical Reason by Josiah Ober, Political Science and Classics

The Greeks and the Rational: The Discovery of Practical Reason by Josiah Ober, Political Science and Classics
Read more about Election Day: How We Vote and What It Means for Democracy by Emilee Booth Chapman, Political Science

Election Day: How We Vote and What It Means for Democracy by Emilee Booth Chapman, Political Science
Read more about Shared and Institutional Agency: Toward a Planning Theory of Human Practical Organization by Michael E. Bratman, Philosophy

Shared and Institutional Agency: Toward a Planning Theory of Human Practical Organization by Michael E. Bratman, Philosophy
Read more about Bedouin Bureaucrats: Mobility and Property in the Ottoman Empire by Nora Elizabeth Barakat, History

Bedouin Bureaucrats: Mobility and Property in the Ottoman Empire by Nora Elizabeth Barakat, History
Read more about The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover: How the FBI Aided and Abetted the Rise of White Christian Nationalism by Lerone A. Martin, Religious Studies

The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover: How the FBI Aided and Abetted the Rise of White Christian Nationalism by Lerone A. Martin, Religious Studies
Read more about The Forest: A Fable of America in the 1830s by Alexander Nemerov, Art and Art History

The Forest: A Fable of America in the 1830s by Alexander Nemerov, Art and Art History
Read more about Knots, or the Violence of Desire in Renaissance Florence by Emanuele Lugli, Art and Art History

Knots, or the Violence of Desire in Renaissance Florence by Emanuele Lugli, Art and Art History
Read more about Words in My World series by Nandi Sims, Linguistics

Words in My World series by Nandi Sims, Linguistics
Read more about The Socialist Patriot: George Orwell and War by Peter Stansky, History

The Socialist Patriot: George Orwell and War by Peter Stansky, History
Read more about Written Out: The Silencing of Regina Gelana Twala by Joel Cabrita, History

Written Out: The Silencing of Regina Gelana Twala by Joel Cabrita, History
Read more about Life: A Journey Through Science and Politics by Paul R. Ehrlich, Biology

Life: A Journey Through Science and Politics by Paul R. Ehrlich, Biology
Read more about Exponential Families in Theory and Practice by Bradley Efron, Statistics and Biomedical Data Science
