Globalization

Globalization—a growing interdependence of the world's economies and populations—affects every aspect of life as we know it, including what we eat, how we work, and how we identify ourselves. The books in this collection explore globalization through various lenses, investigating the economic, social, and ecological impact of the direction the world is headed.

Jade Legacy

by Fonda Lee

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Conflict, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Family, Marriage, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Globalization, Nation

Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science Fiction, Dramatic Literature

The third and final installment of the Green Bone Saga trilogy spans over two decades in the struggle between the No Peak and Mountain clans, two powerful organizations on the island nation of Kekon whose members, known as Green Bones, possess superhuman abilities granted by the bioenergetic mineral jade. The novel traces the Kaul family's fight for survival against Ayt Mada, the Pillar (ruling head) of the rival Mountain clan, while navigating international politics, generational... Read Jade Legacy Summary

Jade War

by Fonda Lee

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Guilt, Revenge, Race, Family, Globalization, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure

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Knife

by Salman Rushdie

Publication year 2024

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Politics & Government, Perseverance, Love, Self Discovery, Community, Globalization, Art, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Trauma & Abuse, Indian Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychology, Psychology, Biography

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Little Bee

by Chris Cleave

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Globalization

Tags Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Little Bee, a 2010 novel by Chris Cleave, follows a teenage Nigerian refugee as her life intertwines with Sarah Summers, Andrew O’Rourke, and Charlie O’Rourke. Cleave imagines a singular scene on a beach in Nigeria that unites Little Bee to the O’Rourke-Summers family. As both Little Bee and Sarah slowly tell and retell their stories of that event and those before and after it, their voices slowly unite. Bridging across countries and blending into a... Read Little Bee Summary

Murder on the Orient Express

by Agatha Christie

Publication year 1934

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Appearance & Reality, Death, Globalization, Justice, Truth & Lies, Good & Evil, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Classic Fiction

Murder on the Orient Express, first published in 1934, is a mystery by Agatha Christie featuring one of her most famous characters, the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. A locked-room mystery, the novel unfolds in a train, the Orient Express, which has become stranded in a snowstorm. Poirot happens to be on the train when a man named Mr. Ratchett is murdered. Poirot is called upon to solve the case, and the book follows his investigation... Read Murder on the Orient Express Summary

My Name is Red

by Orhan Pamuk

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Guilt, Love, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Teamwork, Globalization, Beauty, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Historical Fiction, Middle Eastern Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Asian Literature, World History, Arts & Culture

My Name is Red (originally titled Benim Adim Kirmizi) is a 1998 historical novel by the Nobel Prize winning Turkish author Orhan Pamuk. Set in late-16th century Istanbul, the novel explores cultural tensions stemming from contemporary philosophical understandings of visual art. Told from the viewpoints of many different animate and inanimate characters—including Muslim and Jewish individuals, a corpse, the color red, and paintings of a horse, a devil, and a dog—the novel integrates elements of... Read My Name is Red Summary

Nash Falls

by David Baldacci

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Love, Memory, Revenge, Death, Family, Fathers, Self Discovery, Economics, Globalization, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction

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Necropolitics

by Achille Mbembe

Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Indigenous Identity, Race, Death, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Place, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Philosophy, Social Science, Politics & Government, Sociology

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Neo-Colonialism

by Kwame Nkrumah

Publication year 1965

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Colonialism, Race, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Power & Greed

Tags Politics & Government, History: African , Philosophy, African Literature

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Nickel and Dimed

by Barbara Ehrenreich

Publication year 2001

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Social Class, Economics, Globalization, Politics & Government, Community

Tags Sociology, Poverty, Social Justice, Politics & Government, Education, Education, Business & Economics

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America is a 2001 nonfiction book written by Barbara Ehrenreich. This book is considered a classic of investigative journalism and was ranked #13 in The Guardian’s list of the 100 best books of the 21st century. Ehrenreich takes a series of low-paying, entry-level jobs in three cities (Key West, Florida; Portland, Maine; Minneapolis, Minnesota) to answer the question of whether one can survive on these wages and... Read Nickel and Dimed Summary

Nomadland

by Jessica Bruder

Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Social Class, Community, Globalization

Tags Travel Literature, Sociology, Poverty, Social Class, American Literature, Business & Economics, World History, Politics & Government

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Planet of Slums

by Mike Davis

Publication year 2005

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Politics & Government, Economics, Colonialism, Social Class, Globalization, Nation, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Politics & Government, Business & Economics, Urban Development, Poverty, Finance, Asian History, History: African , European History, US History, Social Justice, Social Class, Science & Nature, Sociology, World History

Planet of Slums is a non-fiction book published in 2006 by American author and urban theorist Mike Davis. It chronicles the spread of poverty in cities around the world at a time when more than a billion people live in what the United Nations (UN) classifies as "slums."SummaryIn 1950, only 86 cities around the world had populations of one million people or more. When Davis wrote this book in 2005, he predicted that by 2015... Read Planet of Slums Summary

Prisoner of Tehran

by Marina Nemat

Publication year 2007

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Globalization, Nation, Safety & Danger

Tags Middle Eastern History, Incarceration, Trauma & Abuse, World History, Religion & Spirituality, Politics & Government, Biography

Prisoner of Tehran is a memoir by Marina Nemat that recounts her harrowing experiences in an Iranian prison post-1979 revolution, highlighting The Impact of Political and Ideological Repression. Through her narrative, Nemat explores The Challenges Faced by Women Under Authoritarian Regimes, illustrating the severe constraints and injustices they endured. Despite these adversities, her story is a testament to The Resilience of the Human Spirit, which showcases her journey of survival and defiance against oppressive forces.This... Read Prisoner of Tehran Summary