What We Are Reading Today: ‘Orientalism’ by Edward Said

Photo/Supplied
Short Url
Updated 21 January 2025
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Orientalism’ by Edward Said

  • This binary framing, Said argues, has historically shaped Western attitudes and policies toward the Middle East, Asia, and North Africa, with effects that persist today

Author: Edward Said

Edward Said’s “Orientalism” is a landmark work that reshaped the understanding of how the West perceives and portrays the East.

First published in 1978, the book is a critique of the constructed image of the “Orient” as an exotic, monolithic “other,” created by the West to assert cultural and political dominance.

Through a meticulous examination of literature, art, and academic scholarship, Said reveals how this distorted portrayal served to justify colonial rule and perpetuate stereotypes.

Central to Said’s argument is the idea that orientalism is not merely a scholarly discipline but a political and cultural discourse used to reinforce Western superiority. He illustrates how this discourse characterizes the East as irrational, backward, and static, contrasting it with a rational and progressive West.

This binary framing, Said argues, has historically shaped Western attitudes and policies toward the Middle East, Asia, and North Africa, with effects that persist today.

Said’s interdisciplinary approach draws on history, literature, and politics, making “Orientalism” a rich and provocative analysis. He sets out how even seemingly objective academic studies and media representations have reinforced reductive stereotypes, showing how power shapes knowledge. By doing so, he challenges readers to critically examine the narratives they encounter about the “East.”

Although “Orientalism” is deeply rooted in historical context, its relevance endures in contemporary discussions of cultural representation and global politics. It continues to resonate in a world where stereotypes and biases influence international relations and public perception.

Said’s writing is both rigorous and accessible, blending scholarly depth with a moral clarity that makes his arguments compelling. While the book’s density may challenge some readers, its insights are invaluable for understanding how cultural narratives are constructed and used to assert dominance.

Ultimately, “Orientalism” is a profound critique of the structures that perpetuate inequality and division. It remains an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the cultural legacies of imperialism and the enduring power of representation.

Said’s work is not only an academic achievement but also a call to rethink entrenched attitudes and strive for a more equitable understanding of cultural difference.

 


What We Are Reading Today: The Second Emancipation by Howard W. French

Updated 06 February 2025
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: The Second Emancipation by Howard W. French

“The Second Emancipation,” a work of Odyssean dimension, recasts the liberation of post–World War II colonial Africa and the American civil rights struggle through the lens of Ghana’s revolutionary visionary Kwame Nkrumah (1909–1972), who emerges as the most significant African leader of the twentieth century. 

In its dramatic depiction of a continent that once exuded the promise of a newly won freedom, this book offers a generational work that positions not only Africa but also the American civil rights movement at the forefront of modern-day history.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘California Amphibians and Reptiles’

Updated 05 February 2025
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: ‘California Amphibians and Reptiles’

Authors: Robert Hansen and Jackson D. Shedd

California is home to more than 200 species of reptiles and amphibians that can be found in an extraordinary array of habitats, from coastal temperate rainforests with giant redwoods to southeastern deserts offering dazzling wildflower displays each spring. 

“California Amphibians and Reptiles” covers every species and subspecies in this biodiverse region of the United States, with outstanding color photography and in-depth species accounts that draw on the latest findings on taxonomy and distribution.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Make Your Bed’

Photo/Supplied
Updated 04 February 2025
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Make Your Bed’

  • The author argues that discipline, resilience and hard work are essential for personal improvement and growth

Author: William H. McRaven

Published in 2017, “Make Your Bed: Small Things That Can Change Your Life … And Maybe The World” by retired US navy four-star admiral, William H. McRaven, is an exploration of discipline and self-control.

According to McRaven, attending diligently to simple daily tasks, such as making one’s bed in the morning, create a sense of discipline and accomplishment.

In addition, having a sense of order and purpose in life can help motivate one to push beyond initial goals.

The author argues that discipline, resilience and hard work are essential for personal improvement and growth.

In the book’s 10 chapters, McRaven outlines specific lessons which include the value of teamwork, perseverance, and the importance of facing adversity.

His style of writing is engaging and he emphasizes some of his own struggles and wins, while elaborating on how the principles he learned can be applied.

The book provides valuable insights that could inspire people to go and “make their bed” if they want to change their own lives, and maybe even the world.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Power of Cute’

Photo/Supplied
Updated 04 February 2025
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: ‘The Power of Cute’

Author: SIMON MAY

Cuteness has taken the planet by storm. Global sensations Hello Kitty and Pokémon, the works of artists Takashi Murakami and Jeff Koons, Heidi the cross-eyed opossum and E.T.—all reflect its gathering power.

But what does “cute” mean, as a sensibility and style? Why is it so pervasive? Is it all infantile fluff, or is there something more uncanny and even menacing going on—in a lighthearted way? In “The Power of Cute,” Simon May provides nuanced and surprising answers.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior’ by David Hone

Updated 03 February 2025
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior’ by David Hone

Our understanding of dinosaur behavior has long been hampered by the inevitable lack of evidence from animals that went extinct more than 65 million years ago and whose daily behaviors are rarely reflected by the fossil record. Today, with the discovery of new specimens and the development of new and cutting-edge techniques, paleontologists are making major advances in reconstructing how dinosaurs lived and acted.

“Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior” provides an unparalleled look at this emerging field of science.