Book Reviews

Our book reviews are designed to assist people in deciding what they should read. We aim to review about a dozen books each year.

These comprise a mix of recently published books and books published over the course of the last thirty years or so which we think should not be forgotten. We generally do not review books that may be regarded as “classics” (on the basis that they are already well known) or books that are aimed solely at an academic or other specialist audience (since our aim is to assist the non-specialist who want seriously to think through current issues).

We publish our book reviews on Substack which allows you to receive new reviews directly in your email inbox.

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Neil Jordan: ‘My Year with God: Faith for Doubters’ by Svend Brinkmann

In My Year with God, Svend Brinkmann charts his thinking about questions of religion over the course of a year, seeking to explore how it is possible to find meaning in faith in a modern, secularised world.

Andrew Lilico: ‘Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth’ by Ingrid Robeyns

In Limitarianism, Ingrid Robeyns asks whether a person can be too rich and whether extreme wealth has negative consequences, but her arguments for limiting wealth are unconvincing.

Neil Jordan: ‘The Political Philosophy of AI: An Introduction’ by Mark Coeckelbergh

The Political Philosophy of AI explores fundamental concepts in political philosophy and applies them to central issues connected with artificial intelligence, showing that there is a rich body of thought in political philosophy as well as ethics that can contribute to our reflection on a technology that is already inherently political.

Matthew Lynn: ‘What Went Wrong With Capitalism’ by Ruchir Sharma

What Went Wrong With Capitalism tells a powerful story about how the system of making and selling has changed dramatically over the last fifty years, drawing on a wealth of data to challenge the narrative about what is wrong with modern capitalism, and how only a stronger state can fix it.

Andrei Rogobete: ‘The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies’ by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee

The Second Machine Age explores the profound implications of rapid technological advances, particularly in digital technologies, for society, the economy, and the labour market, considering the risks of technological unemployment but striking an optimistic note overall about the capacity of technology to drive progress and prosperity.

Andrew Fincham: ‘As Gods Among Men: A History of the Rich in the West’ by Guido Alfani

In this ambitious book, the author proposes a ‘history of the rich’ over two continents across a period that just falls short of a millennium, though the result displays shortcomings in methodology, data and analysis.

Gordon Bannerman: ‘Pax Economica: Left-Wing Visions of a Free Trade World’ by Marc-William Palen

Charting the continuous movements for free trade from the 1840s to the present day, Pax Economica examines the history of the liberals, radicals, socialists, feminists, and Christians who advocated for free trade as the necessary accompaniment to anti-imperialism and peace.

Amanda Porterfield: ‘Faith in Markets: Christian Capitalism in the Early American Republic’ by Joseph P. Slaughter

In Faith in Markets, Joseph Slaughter describes the organization, economic power, and cultural impact of three different Christian businesses in pre-Civil War America.

Richard Godden: ‘Economics of Good and Evil: The Quest for Economic Meaning from Gilgamesh to Wall Street’ by Tomas Sedlacek

Economics of Good and Evil looks for economic thought in ancient myths and seeks myths in today’s economics, raising fundamental questions about the nature of economics, its relationship with moral values and the connection of both of these with human behaviour.

Why AI Undermines Democracy Cover Coeckelbergh Review

Jan C. Bentz: ‘Why AI Undermines Democracy and What To Do About It’ by Mark Coeckelbergh

Mark Coeckelbergh’s book delves into the complex and multifaceted relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and democracy, articulating the significant risks AI poses to what he deems democratic principles. The author embarks on a comprehensive exploration, commencing with a historical perspective and extending through political-philosophical discussions, to analyze how AI impacts democracy. Coeckelbergh not only identifies […]