Philippine trials & tribulations

Given the recent spate of bad news coming from our homeland, wonder | wander | world proudly presents this week's pick.

6 books that will help make sense of the Philippines now

by Nash Tysmans

"If there’s one thing Trevor Noah and I agree on, it’s that we now live in a world where nuance is in short supply. The economy of ideas that runs on a currency of likes and shares forces us to make quick calls on issues, and the social nature of our networks can sometimes feel like quiet contemplation is tantamount to apathy."

These are places to start when you want to learn more about the Philippines and the issues the country currently faces:

1. “Bakwit: The Power of the Displaced” by Jose Jowel Canuday (Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2009)
2. “Tradition and Transformation: Studies on Cordillera Indigenous Culture” by June Prill-Brett, edited by Delfin Tolentino, Jr. (Cordillera Studies Center, 2015)
3. “Big Little Man: In Search of My Asian Self” by Alex Tizon (First Mariner Books, 2018)
4. The Embarrassment of Slavery: Controversies Over Bondage and Nationalism in the American Colonial Philippines” by Michael Salman (Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2001)
5. “Barangay” by William Henry Scott (Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1994)
6. “Puki-Usap” by Liv Strömquist, translated to Filipino by Beverly W. Siy (Pride Press, Anvil Publishing, 2018)

More recommended reading from Nash: 6 books to help you understand Mindanao better.