What are the best ways of creating sustainable economic development in post-conflict states? Gerd Junne and Vidya Marapin review five books in search of viable strategies.

Architecture has long served the powerful and prosperous. But it is in a unique position to help reconstruct post-conflict societies by building stability and uniting divided cities.

Expectations were high that authoritarian regimes would not survive the expansion of capitalism. However, in the Middle East there are strong currents that underpin authoritarianism. Trying to impose democracy from the outside will not help. Only…

Le rendez-vous des civilisations, by Youssef Courbage and Emmanuel Todd. Seuil, 2007.A review by Gerd Junne.