I was able to go on a nice run this evening, and while enjoying the late summer flora and fauna I listened to books for my #academicrunplaylist!

First was “Monopolizing Knowledge” by Jessica Ratcliff. This is an interesting chronology, showing how the East India Company systematically looted the regions that fell under its dominion and how those artifacts fueled British academia. This book doesn't, however, convincingly show that this looting was strongly related to scientific advances, with Ratcliff conflating advances in academic inquiry with science. Still, if you're interested in the seedy provenance of many British university and museum artifacts, this book will be informative https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/monopolizing-knowledge/8EF2F2B77FD76449A16BF4B8CAAD1CBE

Last was “Digital Exiles” by Andreas Hackl. This book does double duty, simultaneously providing insight into the lives of refugees and work on digital platforms, with the intersection being particularly precarious. There are no easy fixes here, since these platforms offer a real lifeline, as Hackl clearly demonstrates through his deep examination of refugee communities in Lebanon, Kenya, and Germany. If you want to understand the changing nature of work in a global context, this is an essential volume. Highly recommend https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262052450/digital-exiles/