Lewis, David, 2008. The Temptations of Tyranny in Central Asia. London: Hurst. viii + 243 pp. ISBN 9781850658337
| Date | 01 May 2009 |
| Author | Pavel Baev |
| Published date | 01 May 2009 |
| DOI | 10.1177/00223433090460030910 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
BOOK NOTES 457
nonviolence from the perspective of the individual,
distinguishing it conceptually from merely the
absence of aggression and expounding on the role
of personal choice and motivation, citing various
studies that contribute to our understanding of
how cognitive processes, moral reasoning, cul-
tural practices and perceptions of social identity
can sustain and promote nonviolent attitudes and
behaviours. The author includes a casual review
of psychological works, ranging from the classic
writings of William James to contemporary stud-
ies by scholars such as Baumeister, Kahneman
and Zimbardo, while exposing the complexities
inherent in studying multidimensional concepts
such as peace and nonviolence. Kool brings in key
contributions from both social and organizational
psychology to the field of conflict resolution, pro-
viding useful insights for peace researchers who
wish to gain a general overview of relevant psy-
chological literature.
Monica Hanssen
Lewis, David, 2008. The Temptations of Tyr-
anny in Central Asia. London: Hurst. viii + 243
pp. ISBN 9781850658337.
Closing this compact and elegantly designed
book, no reader could avoid regretting that it was
not published a couple of years earlier, when the
author’s sharp insights gained from directing the
International Crisis Group’s Central Asia Proj-
ect in 2001–05 were more immediately relevant.
Many first-hand observations and details collected
in numerous interviews remain useful, and the
stories are told beautifully yet without any undue
sensationalism. But the complex social transfor-
mation in the region has entered a new phase,
where the temptations in question are tested by
a massive crisis. Lewis attempted no systematic
explanation or theoretic examination of the trend
towards consolidation of despotic regimes in
Central Asia, and he also left out entirely politi-
cal evolution in Kazakhstan, the largest and rich-
est state in this region, which is more open to
external impacts from the north, east and west,
while less exposed to instabilities emanating from
Afghanistan. It could also be pointed out that
the last chapter, dealing with the competition
between Russia, China and the United States,
reads like an unnecessary and rather superficial
appendage to the thoughtful analysis of domestic
developments in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turk-
menistan and Uzbekistan. The rather chaotic and
essentially senseless ‘revolution’ in Kyrgyzstan
in February 2005 and the massacre in Andijan,
Uzbekistan in May 2005 form two focal points
of the narrative, and the author, while sharply
critical of the authorities, is particularly worried
about ‘the failure of local cultures … to respond
adequately to the challenges of modernization’
(p. 234). He expects that the consequences of
quite inevitable collapses of the ruling regimes
would be ‘far worse than anything we have seen
so far’ (p. 236); this pessimism remains entirely
warranted.
Pavel Baev
Lewis, Peter M., 2007. Growing Apart: Oil
Politics and Economic Change in Indonesia and
Nigeria. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan
Press. xi + 295 pp. ISBN 9780472069804.
The main objective of this book is to look at what
types of institutional arrangements are important
for creating economic growth in poor countries.
The question is addressed by a comparison of
Nigeria and Indonesia. Owing to similarities such
as size, regime type, political history and the cen-
tral state’s dependence on subregional resources,
the two countries make for a very interesting
comparison. Nonetheless, Lewis finds that the
two countries have taken two very different paths
of development from the late 1960s to the 1990s.
While Nigeria has fallen into the stereotypical
petro-state Dutch Disease, Indonesia has had a
much healthier development where the non-oil
sector has been increasing. Further, during the
authoritarian regime, Indonesia was even able to
ensure growth as well as alleviate poverty through
an equitable distribution pattern. Nigeria, on
the other hand, experienced fast growth along-
side increasing poverty and increasing inequali-
ties. Lewis points out some explanations for
these divergences. First, Indonesia had a globally
focused macroeconomy, while it had a protec-
tionist microeconomic approach in the 1970s
and 1980s. Nigeria, on the other hand, was more
centralized and internally focused, and an over-
valued exchange rate and restrictive trade policies
hindered the development of non-oil sectors. Sec-
ond, Indonesia has supported private initiative,
while political leaders in Nigeria have impeded
and penalized private entrepreneurs. Third, the
Indonesian leadership showed a much greater
propensity to adjust through economic shocks
and reform. Lewis’s book is an excellent outline of
the two countries’ economic and political devel-
opment, but it also gives a very good theoretical
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