2022: Annotated List of Books I've Indexed
"Indexing & Word Services," exemplified
Happy New Year! For the first post of 2023, I’ve summarized all the books I indexed over the last year…
A chronological listing of books I indexed in 2022, with descriptive abstracts.
Published Indexes
Rebuilding Arab Defense: US Security Cooperation in the Middle East, by Bilal Saab.
The author reviews U.S.-Arab security partnership and analyzes U.S. military presence in the Middle East; he compares the old and new models of U.S. military assistance programs; presents case studies of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates; and in conclusion, discusses cultural and structural challenges of defense institution building in the U.S. and Arab world, and tradeoffs that the U.S. may face in efforts to build its Arab partners’ military capabilities.
Cyber War and Cyber Peace: Digital Conflict in the Middle East, edited by Eliza Campbell and Michael Sexton (2nd edition).
This book provides an overview of the impacts of cyberspace on Middle Eastern and North African civil society as well as political and industrial sectors, starting with a historical overview of the past twenty years, the contributing authors discuss different forms of cyber diplomacy; cyber conflict, including industrial cyberattacks and their consequences, state-sponsored hacking activity, and information and influence operations of the Syrian Electronic Army and the U.S. counter-ISIS campaign called Operation Glowing Symphony; the rise of digital authoritarianism, and how COVID-19 restrictions impacted online privacy; and finally considers how cyber conflict may develop in the future, and how risks may be avoided.
Escaping the Conflict Trap: Toward Ending Civil War in the Middle East, edited by Ross Harrison and Paul Salem (2nd edition).
Various experts weigh in on the regional dynamics and domestic drivers of civil war in the Middle East and North Africa. The book presents a broad discussion of the Middle East’s recent past, global and regional geopolitical conditions that drive conflict, and what can be done to mitigate and end the civil wars. Authors also provide a focused examination of the cases of Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, and the use of engagement diplomacy for transitional states, before concluding with takeaways and recommendations for U.S. policy.
Abraham Lincoln’s Wilderness Years: Collected Works of J. Edward Murr, edited by Joshua Claybourn.
The editor has collected and annotated the research and writings of J. Edward Murr, which present information gathered through interviews with President Lincoln’s family members and neighbors, who provided Murr with anecdotes about Lincoln’s home life and character traits. This book details, in three parts, Lincoln’s family history and his childhood in Kentucky, his youth in Indiana, and finally the correspondence between Murr and historian and senator Albert Beveridge.
The Economic Statecraft of the Gulf Arab States: Deploying Aid, Investment and Development Across the MENAP, by Karen Young.
The author provides data and analysis of the economic statecraft of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, collectively known as Gulf Arab states. Starting with a historical overview of development finance institutions in the post-World War II era through the economic liberalization of China in the 1990s, to the relatively recent entry of Gulf Arab states into economic development activities, the author goes on to examine the political economy of the Gulf before presenting empirical data which is used in case studies of subsequent chapters. Case studies examine the situation and financial intervention in Egypt and Ethiopia, and Oman and Pakistan; and the effectiveness of development efforts in Sudan and Yemen. The author concludes the book with policy recommendations for the Gulf Arab States and U.S.
El surgimiento de la ingeniería en Bolivia: Formación y ejercicio de la profesión, 1900-1964, by Manuel E. Contreras.
The book analyzes the history of technical and engineering education institutions in Bolivia. It examines the historical impacts of engineering and technical professions on society — their roles in society as well as how society viewed them compared to other, more traditional professions; competition between national and foreign professionals; and the impact of state institutions and political events on the development of engineering.
By the People? The 2020 U.S. presidential election and theft of Americans' right to self rule, by Daniel A. Brubaker.
“By the People?” reviews the political and cultural turmoil surrounding the U.S. 2020 presidential elections; it features various court cases and examines the “Texas lawsuit” (Texas, et. al v. Pennsylvania, et al.) in depth, providing specific examples that call into question the honesty and legitimacy of certified results from battleground (i.e., swing) states, many of which have already begun legal examination through the judicial process. The author argues that there is enough reasonable doubt and probable cause to merit a full forensic audit and emphasizes the importance of honest elections for self rule. A list of discussion questions is provided at the end of each chapter.
Between the Marsh and the Skies: The Mepkin Abbey Story, by Robert E. Macdonald.
“Between the Marsh and the Skies” chronicles the lives of the people and events that have shaped the development of Mepkin Abbey into the South Carolina refuge that it is known as, today. It considers how Mepkin’s past abbots have adapted to ever-changing times, technologies, and challenges, and contemplates what the future may have in store.
Power to the Population: The Political Consequences and Causes of Demographic Changes, by Tadeusz Kugler.
The author examines the relationship between demography and politics, and how they function together to determine the future of humanity, its societal structure, and population numbers. Through that lense, the author reviews the impacts of demographic shift — youth bulges and aging populations — on the labor force, domestic and international politics, and economic productivity; the causes and effects of immigration on recipient populations and politics, as well as the decisions migrants must make; how women affect and are affected by societal policies; the role of personal decision-making in the formation of government policies; violence, both domestic and international, and its effects on demographics and society in general; and international power competition, specifically that between the U.S. and China, and the role that demographics will play in both countries’ future dominance.
Unpublished Indexes
These are available for free on my website, as an example of my work.
Links for interested readers to gain access to the books are also included.
The Day of Maysalūn: A Page from the Modern History of the Arabs, by Abū Khaldūn Ṣāṭi' al-Ḥuṣrī. (Click here to access the index.)
The author was a government official in Syria; in this book, he offers a personal account of the Syrian struggle for independence from France following World War I. The author details the ambitions of France and its ultimatum regarding the mandate, and the resultant Syrian-French clash on the day of the Battle of Maysalūn. It is divided into three parts: the first provides historical context for the Day of Maysalūn; the second section is composed of extracts from the author’s personal journal of events; and the third section includes translated official government documents and communications, and newspaper clippings on the topic.
Answers to Unanswered Questions of Life and Religion, by Wm. Edwin Jacobs. (Click here to access the index.)
Using a list of questions provided by congregation members and other friends, the author relies on biblical sources and his educational background in theology to provide answers to common questions that arise in daily life.
Magnificent Journey, by Wm. Edwin Jacobs. (Click here to access the index.)
An adaptation of the author’s Master’s thesis, the book uses a hike through the woods on a mountainside as a plot driver for this meditation on the passage of time, interaction between humanity and nature, and God’s role in the world.