{"title":"Series: Points of View","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePoints of View\u003c\/strong\u003e offers a diverse range of perspectives across subjects as varied as history, technology, culture, and politics. Readers can explore themes from the intricate details of electrical engineering to the rich narratives of social justice and historical events, encouraging thoughtful reflection and deeper understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEach book invites you to engage with unique viewpoints, whether delving into artistic expression, architectural design, or the dynamics of global affairs. This series is ideal for curious minds eager to consider the world through multiple lenses and appreciate the complexities behind every topic.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-present-colonizes-the-past-by-romila-thapar-9781803096612","title":"The Present Colonizes the Past","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShort, rigorous intervention on history-writing in public life.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHow does the present reshape what a society chooses to remember as its past? Recent interpretations of India's history have replaced careful inquiry with narratives that mirror contemporary anxieties and ambitions, sidelining the evidence, debate, and plurality that once characterized India's long intellectual tradition. At stake is a shift from understanding history as a method to treating it as a tool of identity and authority.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Present Colonizes the Past\u003c\/em\u003e, Romila Thapar asks: How have cultural and religious identities evolved through interaction rather than isolation? How have dissent and accommodation shaped social change? How have education and public discourse influenced what is accepted as knowledge? And, most urgently, how might weakened institutions and selective pasts redefine our heritage and citizenship?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48038564528364,"sku":"9781803096612","price":28.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781803096612-the-present-colonizes-the-past.jpg?v=1785393770"},{"product_id":"torture-and-the-war-on-terror-by-tzvetan-todorov-9781803097039","title":"Torture and the War on Terror","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOne of the world's leading intellectuals dismantles the political and ethical justifications for institutional torture.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the aftermath of 9\/11, the US government approved interrogation tactics for enemy combatant detainees that could be defined as torture, which was outlawed in Europe in the eighteenth century and forbidden by the Geneva Conventions and the United Nations Convention Against Torture. In conjunction with these policies, the Bush administration vocally defended torture as a necessary tool in its Global War on Terror. Though the election of Barack Obama and his signing of the executive order to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay signalled a considerable shift away from the policies of the Bush era, the lessons to be learned from the Global War on Terror will remain relevant and necessary for many years to come.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eTorture and the War on Terror\u003c\/em\u003e, Tzvetan Todorov argues that the use of the terms \"war\" and \"terror\" dehumanises the enemy and permits treatment that would otherwise be impermissible. He examines the implications and corrupting impact of the attempt to impose \"good\" through violence and spread democratic values by unethical means. Todorov asks: Can violence overcome violence? Does the need to protect one's own country justify violating human rights? Challenging one by one the political and ethical arguments in favour of torture, Todorov likens institutional torture to a cancer that is eroding our society and undermining the very fundamental democratic ideas of justice and right.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48038595821804,"sku":"9781803097039","price":28.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781803097039-torture-and-the-war-on-terror.jpg?v=1785394058"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/series-points-of-view.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}