Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard by Joseph Conrad
I read Nostromo after seeing it mentioned in The Company. The novel did deal with capitalist enterprises in South America, so there was some connection. It seemed "familiar". There were Italians and English involved in various parts of activities in this country. Things would seem familiar for a bit, then I would get lost. This is one of Conrad's longer books. I just did not have the patience to adequately engage with it.
What is the west? And why does it dominate now? There are a number of different theories. Some say it is pure luck. Others say the geography or cultural institutions were critical. Ian Morris tries to respect all theories and provide a comprehensive analysis. He goes back as far as we can go historically to look at development and formation of societies. Different areas have dominated at times in history. Empires have grown and fallen, often by overextending or failing to respect non-standard rivals.
