BOOKS IN BRIEF
Siyaasat, Cinema, Shakhsiyaat: Pakistan Ki Ibtidaee Siyaasat, Soviet Union Ka Inhedaam, Filmon Par Tabsaray Aur Azeem Danishwaron Par Khayalaat
Dr Naazir Mahmood, Translated by
Nadeem Akhtar
An Urdu translation of the author’s ‘Politics, Pictures, Personalities’ discusses the mistakes made in the early years of Pakistan’s history, civil-military relations, sectarianism, and the state of education. In ‘Pictures’, the essays explore international cinema, adaptations of novels and films made on the Cold War, on scientists and on powerful women, while in ‘Personalities’, the author ruminates on the great intellectuals of both the East and the West.
Political Economy of Bad Governance: Reflections on Interplay of Elite Structures, Governance and Public Policy Choices
Jamil Nasir
In his latest collection of improved and academic versions of essays previously published in various journals and newspapers, the author explores the relationship between political economy and governance. Considering the hypothesis that countries whose social structures are founded on extended families and tribes are less likely to ensure rule of law, as compared to nations that emphasise individualism, the author argues that the essence of governance lies in how state-society relations are structured and managed, and how citizens perceive the rules of the game.
Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, March 7th, 2021