The following book reviews have been received at Pacific Affairs and will be published in the print edition within the next 12-18 months. Please note that minor textual changes may occur before final publication in our print and official online edition (hosted at IngentaConnect and here).
We do not accept unsolicited book reviews.
Asia General China & Inner Asia Northeast Asia South Asia & the Himalayas Southeast Asia Australasia & the Pacific Islands
Asia General
PUBLIC HEALTH IN ASIA DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: Global Health Governance, Migrant Labour, and International Health Crises | Edited by Anoma P. van der Veere, Florian Schneider, and Catherine Yuk-ping LoPUBLIC HEALTH IN ASIA DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: Global Health Governance, Migrant Labour, and International Health Crises | Edited by Anoma P. van der Veere, Florian Schneider, and Catherine Yuk-ping Lo
Diego Fossati | February 14, 2023
Diego Fossati | February 14, 2023
GLOBAL EASTS: Remembering, Imagining, Mobilizing | By Jie-Hyun LimGLOBAL EASTS: Remembering, Imagining, Mobilizing | By Jie-Hyun Lim
Beng Huat Chua | February 14, 2023
Beng Huat Chua | February 14, 2023
ASIA-PACIFIC FISHING LIVELIHOODS | By Michael Fabinyi and Kate BarclayASIA-PACIFIC FISHING LIVELIHOODS | By Michael Fabinyi and Kate Barclay
Robert Winstanley-Chesters | February 1, 2023
Robert Winstanley-Chesters | February 1, 2023
MOBILIZING FOR DEVELOPMENT: The Modernization of Rural East Asia | By Kristen E. LooneyMOBILIZING FOR DEVELOPMENT: The Modernization of Rural East Asia | By Kristen E. Looney
René Trappel | February 1, 2023
René Trappel | February 1, 2023
DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY IN ASIA | Edited by Baogang He, Michael Breen, and James FishkinDELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY IN ASIA | Edited by Baogang He, Michael Breen, and James Fishkin
Kanishka Jayasuriya | February 1, 2023
Kanishka Jayasuriya | February 1, 2023
RIVERS OF IRON: Railroads and Chinese Power in Southeast Asia | By David M. Lampton, Selina Ho, and Cheng-Chwee KuikRIVERS OF IRON: Railroads and Chinese Power in Southeast Asia | By David M. Lampton, Selina Ho, and Cheng-Chwee Kuik
Chen Li | January 30, 2023
Chen Li | January 30, 2023
SETTLER GARRISON: Debt Imperialism, Militarism, and Transpacific Imaginaries | By Jodi KimSETTLER GARRISON: Debt Imperialism, Militarism, and Transpacific Imaginaries | By Jodi Kim
Jim Glassman | January 30, 2023
Jim Glassman | January 30, 2023
SKATEBOARDING AND URBAN LANDSCAPES IN ASIA: Endless Spots | By Duncan McDuie-RaSKATEBOARDING AND URBAN LANDSCAPES IN ASIA: Endless Spots | By Duncan McDuie-Ra
Stephanie Geertman | January 30, 2023
Stephanie Geertman | January 30, 2023
PRECARIOUS ASIA: Global Capitalism and Work in Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia | By Arne L. Kalleberg, Kevin Hewison, and Kwang-Yeong ShinPRECARIOUS ASIA: Global Capitalism and Work in Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia | By Arne L. Kalleberg, Kevin Hewison, and Kwang-Yeong Shin
Teresita Cruz del Rosario | January 30, 2023
Teresita Cruz del Rosario | January 30, 2023
OPPOSING POWER: Building Opposition Alliances in Electoral Autocracies | By Elvin OngOPPOSING POWER: Building Opposition Alliances in Electoral Autocracies | By Elvin Ong
Yoonkyung Lee | January 11, 2023
Yoonkyung Lee | January 11, 2023
China & Inner Asia
THE CHINESE COMMUNIST YOUTH LEAGUE: Juniority and Responsiveness in a Party Youth Organization | By Konstantinos D. TsimonisTHE CHINESE COMMUNIST YOUTH LEAGUE: Juniority and Responsiveness in a Party Youth Organization | By Konstantinos D. Tsimonis
Wen-Hsuan Tsai | February 14, 2023
Wen-Hsuan Tsai | February 14, 2023
CHINA’S FOREIGN POLICY CONTRADICTIONS: Lessons from China’s R2P, Hong Kong, and WTO Policy | By Tim Nicholas RühligCHINA’S FOREIGN POLICY CONTRADICTIONS: Lessons from China’s R2P, Hong Kong, and WTO Policy | By Tim Nicholas Rühlig
Omar Ramon Serrano Oswald | February 14, 2023
Omar Ramon Serrano Oswald | February 14, 2023
MAO’S BESTIARY: Medicinal Animals and Modern China | By Liz P. Y. CheeMAO’S BESTIARY: Medicinal Animals and Modern China | By Liz P. Y. Chee
Scott Hurley | February 14, 2023
Scott Hurley | February 14, 2023
DREAMS OF FLIGHT: The Lives of Chinese Women Students in the West | By Fran MartinDREAMS OF FLIGHT: The Lives of Chinese Women Students in the West | By Fran Martin
Christina Ho | February 14, 2023
Christina Ho | February 14, 2023
CHINA AFTER MAO: The Rise of a Superpower | By Frank DikötterCHINA AFTER MAO: The Rise of a Superpower | By Frank Dikötter
Norbert Francis | February 14, 2023
Norbert Francis | February 14, 2023
THE COMMUNIST JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN CHINA, 1927–1976: Building on Fear | By Qiang FangTHE COMMUNIST JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN CHINA, 1927–1976: Building on Fear | By Qiang Fang
Yang Feng | February 14, 2023
Yang Feng | February 14, 2023
CHINA’S RISE IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH: The Middle East, Africa, and Beijing’s Alternative World Order | By Dawn C. MurphyCHINA’S RISE IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH: The Middle East, Africa, and Beijing’s Alternative World Order | By Dawn C. Murphy
Joshua Eisenman | February 1, 2023
Joshua Eisenman | February 1, 2023
Northeast Asia
BETTING ON THE FARM: Institutional Change in Japanese Agriculture | By Patricia L. Maclachlan and Kay ShimizuBETTING ON THE FARM: Institutional Change in Japanese Agriculture | By Patricia L. Maclachlan and Kay Shimizu
Leonard Schoppa | February 1, 2023
Leonard Schoppa | February 1, 2023
SOCIAL CHANGE IN JAPAN, 1989–2019: Social Status, Social Consciousness, Attitudes and Values | Edited by Carola Hommerich, Naoki Sudo, and Toru KikkawaSOCIAL CHANGE IN JAPAN, 1989–2019: Social Status, Social Consciousness, Attitudes and Values | Edited by Carola Hommerich, Naoki Sudo, and Toru Kikkawa
Ian Neary | February 1, 2023
Ian Neary | February 1, 2023
DREAM SUPER-EXPRESS: A Cultural History of the World’s First Bullet Train | By Jessamyn R. AbelDREAM SUPER-EXPRESS: A Cultural History of the World’s First Bullet Train | By Jessamyn R. Abel
Ulrike Schaede | January 30, 2023
Ulrike Schaede | January 30, 2023
ADMINISTERING AFFECT: Pop-Culture Japan and the Politics of Anxiety | By Daniel WhiteADMINISTERING AFFECT: Pop-Culture Japan and the Politics of Anxiety | By Daniel White
John Ostermiller | January 30, 2023
John Ostermiller | January 30, 2023
SUPERCORPORATE: Distinction and Participation in Post-Hierarchy South Korea | By Michael M. PrenticeSUPERCORPORATE: Distinction and Participation in Post-Hierarchy South Korea | By Michael M. Prentice
Olga Fedorenko | January 30, 2023
Olga Fedorenko | January 30, 2023
JAPAN IN AUSTRALIA: Culture, Context and Connection | Edited by David Chapman and Carol HayesJAPAN IN AUSTRALIA: Culture, Context and Connection | Edited by David Chapman and Carol Hayes
Chris Burgess | January 30, 2023
Chris Burgess | January 30, 2023
HEALING LABOR: Japanese Sex Work in the Gendered Economy | By Gabriele KochHEALING LABOR: Japanese Sex Work in the Gendered Economy | By Gabriele Koch
Kaoru Aoyama | January 30, 2023
Kaoru Aoyama | January 30, 2023
JAPANESE DIASPORA AND MIGRATION RECONSIDERED | By Yvonne SiemannJAPANESE DIASPORA AND MIGRATION RECONSIDERED | By Yvonne Siemann
Chigusa Yamaura | January 11, 2023
Chigusa Yamaura | January 11, 2023
THE PRISONER: A Memoir | By Hwang Sok-yong; translated by Anton Hur and Sora Kim-RussellTHE PRISONER: A Memoir | By Hwang Sok-yong; translated by Anton Hur and Sora Kim-Russell
Seung Hee Jeon | January 11, 2023
Seung Hee Jeon | January 11, 2023
JAPAN ON AMERICAN TV: Screaming Samurai Join Anime Clubs in the Land of the Lost | By Alisa FreedmanJAPAN ON AMERICAN TV: Screaming Samurai Join Anime Clubs in the Land of the Lost | By Alisa Freedman
Michal Daliot-Bul | January 11, 2023
Michal Daliot-Bul | January 11, 2023
South Asia & the Himalayas
MUMBAI TAXIMEN: Autobiographies and Automobilities in India | By Tarini BediMUMBAI TAXIMEN: Autobiographies and Automobilities in India | By Tarini Bedi
Abdul Shaban | January 30, 2023
Abdul Shaban | January 30, 2023
ORDERING VIOLENCE: Explaining Armed Group-State Relations from Conflict to Cooperation | By Paul StanilandORDERING VIOLENCE: Explaining Armed Group-State Relations from Conflict to Cooperation | By Paul Staniland
Shivaji Mukherjee | January 30, 2023
Shivaji Mukherjee | January 30, 2023
VILLAGE TIES: Women, NGOs, and Informal Institutions in Rural Bangladesh | By Nayma QayumVILLAGE TIES: Women, NGOs, and Informal Institutions in Rural Bangladesh | By Nayma Qayum
David Lewis | January 30, 2023
David Lewis | January 30, 2023
ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENTS OF INDIA: Chipko Narmada Bachao Andolan Navdanya | By Krishna MallickENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENTS OF INDIA: Chipko Narmada Bachao Andolan Navdanya | By Krishna Mallick
Surajkumar Thube | January 11, 2023
Surajkumar Thube | January 11, 2023
COLONIAL INSTITUTIONS AND CIVIL WAR: Indirect Rule and Maoist Insurgency in India | By Shivaji MukherjeeCOLONIAL INSTITUTIONS AND CIVIL WAR: Indirect Rule and Maoist Insurgency in India | By Shivaji Mukherjee
Paul Staniland | January 11, 2023
Paul Staniland | January 11, 2023
HINDUTVA AS POLITICAL MONOTHEISM | By Anustup BasuHINDUTVA AS POLITICAL MONOTHEISM | By Anustup Basu
Shefali Jha | January 11, 2023
Shefali Jha | January 11, 2023
FROM RAJ TO REPUBLIC: Sovereignty, Violence, and Democracy in India | By Sunil PurushothamFROM RAJ TO REPUBLIC: Sovereignty, Violence, and Democracy in India | By Sunil Purushotham
Oliver Godsmark | January 11, 2023
Oliver Godsmark | January 11, 2023
THE JUDICIALIZATION OF POLITICS IN PAKISTAN: A Comparative Study of Judicial Restraint and Its Development in India, the US and Pakistan | By Waris HusainTHE JUDICIALIZATION OF POLITICS IN PAKISTAN: A Comparative Study of Judicial Restraint and Its Development in India, the US and Pakistan | By Waris Husain
Sadaf Aziz | January 11, 2023
Sadaf Aziz | January 11, 2023
Southeast Asia
CHRISTIAN CIRCULATIONS: Global Christianity and the Local Church in Penang and Singapore, 1819–2000 | By Jean DeBernardiCHRISTIAN CIRCULATIONS: Global Christianity and the Local Church in Penang and Singapore, 1819–2000 | By Jean DeBernardi
Daniel P. S. Goh | February 1, 2023
Daniel P. S. Goh | February 1, 2023
THE FILIPINO MIGRATION EXPERIENCE: Global Agents of Change | By Mina RocesTHE FILIPINO MIGRATION EXPERIENCE: Global Agents of Change | By Mina Roces
Pauline Gardiner Barber | February 1, 2023
Pauline Gardiner Barber | February 1, 2023
TOWARDS A NEW MALAYSIA? The 2018 Election and Its Aftermath | Edited by Meredith L. Weiss and Faisal S. HazisTOWARDS A NEW MALAYSIA? The 2018 Election and Its Aftermath | Edited by Meredith L. Weiss and Faisal S. Hazis
Chan Xin Ying | January 30, 2023
Chan Xin Ying | January 30, 2023
RELIGIOUS PLURALISM IN INDONESIA: Threats and Opportunities for Democracy | Edited by Chiara FormichiRELIGIOUS PLURALISM IN INDONESIA: Threats and Opportunities for Democracy | Edited by Chiara Formichi
Saskia Schäfer | January 30, 2023
Saskia Schäfer | January 30, 2023
ALLURING MONSTERS: The Pontianak and Cinemas of Decolonization | By Rosalind GaltALLURING MONSTERS: The Pontianak and Cinemas of Decolonization | By Rosalind Galt
Adam Knee | January 30, 2023
Adam Knee | January 30, 2023
PERFORMING POWER: Cultural Hegemony, Identity, and Resistance in Colonial Indonesia | By Arnout van der MeerPERFORMING POWER: Cultural Hegemony, Identity, and Resistance in Colonial Indonesia | By Arnout van der Meer
Muhammad Yuanda Zara | January 11, 2023
Muhammad Yuanda Zara | January 11, 2023
SHARIA TRANSFORMATIONS: Cultural Politics and the Rebranding of an Islamic Judiciary | By Michael G. PeletzSHARIA TRANSFORMATIONS: Cultural Politics and the Rebranding of an Islamic Judiciary | By Michael G. Peletz
Arskal Salim | January 11, 2023
Arskal Salim | January 11, 2023
MOUNTAINS OF BLAME: Climate and Culpability in the Philippine Uplands | By Will Smith; foreword by K. SivaramakrishnanMOUNTAINS OF BLAME: Climate and Culpability in the Philippine Uplands | By Will Smith; foreword by K. Sivaramakrishnan
Maria F. Mangahas | January 11, 2023
Maria F. Mangahas | January 11, 2023
STRIKE PATTERNS: Notes from Postwar Laos | By Leah ZaniSTRIKE PATTERNS: Notes from Postwar Laos | By Leah Zani
Erin Lin | January 11, 2023
Erin Lin | January 11, 2023
Australasia & the Pacific Islands
TOWARDS AN ANTHROPOLOGY OF WEALTH: Imagination, Substance, Value | Edited by Theodoros Rakopoulos and Knut RioTOWARDS AN ANTHROPOLOGY OF WEALTH: Imagination, Substance, Value | Edited by Theodoros Rakopoulos and Knut Rio
Susanne Kuehling | February 14, 2023
Susanne Kuehling | February 14, 2023
SHE SPEAKS HER ANGER: MYTHS AND CONVERSATIONS OF GIMI WOMEN: A Psychological Ethnography in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea | By Gillian GillisonSHE SPEAKS HER ANGER: MYTHS AND CONVERSATIONS OF GIMI WOMEN: A Psychological Ethnography in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea | By Gillian Gillison
Frederick H. Damon | February 14, 2023
Frederick H. Damon | February 14, 2023
RADIATION SOUNDS: Marshallese Music and Nuclear Silences | By Jessica A. SchwartzRADIATION SOUNDS: Marshallese Music and Nuclear Silences | By Jessica A. Schwartz
Ola Gunhildrud Berta | February 14, 2023
Ola Gunhildrud Berta | February 14, 2023
MUSIC WORLDING IN PALAU: Chanting, Atmospheres, and Meaningfulness | By Birgit AbelsMUSIC WORLDING IN PALAU: Chanting, Atmospheres, and Meaningfulness | By Birgit Abels
Donald H. Rubinstein | February 1, 2023
Donald H. Rubinstein | February 1, 2023
WAYFINDING AND CRITICAL AUTOETHNOGRAPHY | Edited by Fetaui Iosefo, Stacy Holman Jones, Anne HarrisWAYFINDING AND CRITICAL AUTOETHNOGRAPHY | Edited by Fetaui Iosefo, Stacy Holman Jones, Anne Harris
Emily C. Donaldson | February 1, 2023
Emily C. Donaldson | February 1, 2023
TEARS OF RANGI: Experiments Across Worlds | By Anne SalmondTEARS OF RANGI: Experiments Across Worlds | By Anne Salmond
Doug Dalton | February 1, 2023
Doug Dalton | February 1, 2023
COCONUT COLONIALISM: Workers and the Globalization of Samoa | By Holger DroesslerCOCONUT COLONIALISM: Workers and the Globalization of Samoa | By Holger Droessler
Paul Shankman | January 30, 2023
Paul Shankman | January 30, 2023
BECOMING A GARAMUT PLAYER IN BALUAN, PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Musical Analysis as a Pathway to Learning | By Tony LewisBECOMING A GARAMUT PLAYER IN BALUAN, PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Musical Analysis as a Pathway to Learning | By Tony Lewis
Michelle Ladwig Williams | January 11, 2023
Michelle Ladwig Williams | January 11, 2023