Books
The latest reviews and excerpts for global readers.

Is Cold War Inevitable?
A new biography of George Kennan, the father of containment, raises questions about whether the old Cold War—and the emerging one with China—could have been avoided.

Trysts With Sri Lanka’s Ghosts
In the Booker Prize-winning “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida,” the past haunts a country racked by unresolved death.

The Best Books We Read in 2022
FP columnists and contributors recommend their favorite books they read this year.

Why the India-Pakistan Rivalry Endures
A recent book emphasizes domestic politics in the conflict but doesn’t account for the depth of the impasse.

China Wants Your Attention, Please
Beijing’s massive expansion of state media hasn’t quite worked as planned. But watch out for Xinhua’s growing global deals.

American Horror Stories Aren’t Just Cinematic
A new history ties the genre to U.S. atrocities—not always convincingly.

No Justice. No Peace.
Post-apartheid South Africa remains steeped in the “rainbow nation” ideals of reconciliation and forgiveness—but it has never truly reckoned with accountability.

How the U.S.-Chinese Technology War Is Changing the World
Washington’s crackdown on technology access is creating a new kind of global conflict.

The Solution to Climate Change Isn’t Demilitarization
A new book argues that the Pentagon drives carbon emissions worldwide but ignores inconvenient realities.

Only an Absolute Bureaucracy Can Save Us
The West will only restore its stability when civil servants are again devoted to the public rather than themselves.

Is Longtermism Such a Big Deal?
William MacAskill’s “What We Owe the Future” was endorsed by Elon Musk and has fueled a movement, but is it all that revolutionary, really?

The Journalist and the Murderer
A new book investigates the death of veteran Mexican crime reporter Regina Martínez Pérez—with a surprising conclusion.

How Putin Came to Fear ‘Color Revolutions’
A new graphic novel reexamines the Russian leader’s biography—with lessons for the present.

Xi’s First Steps in Power Signaled His Political Turn
Elites were uncertain about the new leader’s growing power.

How ‘Screw Your Optics’ Became a Far-Right Rallying Cry
White supremacist terrorists have taken a page from the Islamic State’s playbook—discarding concerns about image and embracing shocking displays of public violence.

The 1980s Are Buried but Not Dead in China
A new history explores an intense period of hope, reform, and death.

Will Xi’s Paranoia Defeat Him?
The Chinese leader has taken security worries to a new level.