Some People Need Killing: A Memoir Of Murder In My Country is a riveting account by journalist Patricia Evangelista, who came of age in the aftermath of a street revolution that promised a new future for the Philippines. Decades later, as the nation grappled with mounting inequality, it witnessed the fragility of its democratic institutions under the regime of Rodrigo Duterte.

Evangelista's book is a meticulously reported chronicle of the Philippines' drug war. For six years, she immersed herself in the world of killers and survivors, documenting the police and vigilante killings carried out in the name of Duterte's war on drugs—a conflict that has led to the slaughter of thousands and created an atmosphere of fear.

The book's title comes from the words of a vigilante, reflecting a psychological accommodation that many in the country have made: "I'm really not a bad guy," he said. "I'm not all bad. Some people need killing." Through her profound act of witness and literary journalism, Evangelista offers a dissection of the grammar of violence and an investigation into the human impulses to dominate and resist.

A Modest Proposal is a renowned satirical essay by Jonathan Swift, which offers a chilling solution to the dire poverty and overpopulation plaguing Ireland in the 18th century. Swift presents a shockingly calculated and seemingly rational argument for using the children of the poor as a food source, thereby addressing both the economic burden on society and the issue of hunger.

This provocative piece is a masterful example of irony and social criticism, as it exposes the cruel attitudes and policies of the British ruling class towards the Irish populace. Swift's incisive critique not only underscores the absurdity of the proposed solution but also serves as a profound commentary on the exploitation and mistreatment of the oppressed.

A Modest Proposal remains a quintessential example of satirical literature, its biting wit and moral indignation as relevant today as it was at the time of its publication. Swift's deadpan satire led to the coining of the term "Swiftian", describing satire of similarly ironic writing style.

Heartbreaking and timely novel by Afghan-American author follows one man’s journey from New York to the clutches of the Taliban and into an unintentional polygamist union. "He is picking up the same bags with the same clothes Lisa packed and folded a year ago. He wishes he were like his clothes, untouched by external forces."

Family man Nick Blake is living in New York City and working for the United Nations. Born and raised in the United States with broad knowledge of the Afghan culture, he is living the All-American life with his wife, Lisa, and their children. His life is turned upside down when, while on a diplomatic mission to Afghanistan, Nick is kidnapped and finds himself in the clutches of the Taliban. Omar Farhad’s debut novel Honor and Polygamy follows Nick throughout his eighteen months in Afghanistan and the devastating and unexpected turns his life takes, as he learns the true meanings of home, history and culture. After being held captive for several months, Nick is forced to marry the sixteen-year-old Shaista. Although he cannot forget his beloved wife and children back home, he finds himself falling in love with his second wife and, overwhelmed with guilt, is torn between his old life and his new one.

Honor and Polygamy is far from simply a captivating fiction story, but is also a brilliant commentary on the United States’ situation with Afghanistan. Farhad expresses his views on both the political and the cultural sides of Afghanistan. Politically, he is predicting how he feels the war will ultimately end, while culturally, he shows readers not familiar with Afghanistan that the 35-year-old war has created a population, which is uneducated, disloyal, and without identity. The United States and many other nations have continuously disrupted Afghanistan with no clear political objectives, and, in his novel, Farhad explores the consequences of these actions. The story of Nick Blake represents the reality of the Afghan culture and the results and disappointments of the political realities in Afghanistan, and shows readers just how unaware we all are of other cultures.

Written by an author who has lived both the American and Afghan ways of life, Honor and Polygamy is a harrowing, haunting and deeply moving tale for our times.

Enduring Literature Illuminated by Practical Scholarship

By turns a children's fantasy and a social satire for adults, Gulliver's Travels is one of the most popular adventure tales of all time. A Modest Proposal, also an imaginative, enduring work, is political lampoonery at its finest.

Gulliver's Travels takes readers on an imaginative journey through fantastical lands, filled with strange creatures and satirical insights into human nature and society. A Modest Proposal offers a biting critique of economic and political policies of Swift's time, wrapped in dark humor.