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46-0556 | DS371 | 2007-31125 CIP | Social & Behavioral Sciences \ Political Science \ International Relations | Sinno, Abdulkader H. Organizations at war in Afghanistan and beyond. Cornell, 2008. 336p bibl index afp; ISBN 9780801446184, $39.95. Reviewed in 2008sep CHOICE.
| This
book is a fascinating and serious piece of scholarship that carries
implicit policy warnings. Intending to provide greater depth to the
shallow understanding of group conflict dynamics, Sinno (Indiana Univ.)
avoids the traditional field research and case study approach that
dominates literature on the Middle East and conflict, even though he is
well-versed in the nuances. He considers five basic organizational
structures and argues that organizational theory can explain
organizational survival of groups in conflict. He examines Afghanistan
and groups in conflict there since 1979 but argues that organizational
theory can explain group survival beyond Afghanistan. This final
insight is extremely relevant and slightly controversial. It suggests
that despite the use of huge militaries to impose new regimes,
organizational structure may allow groups to survive and victory in
such conflicts seems not to be connected to how many boots are on the
ground or how massive and contemporary the materiel of the imposing
force. More disturbing, good organizational and strategic choices can
be great equalizers in asymmetric warfare. The book presents very
important conclusions, but is clearly written for an advanced,
specialist audience. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate collections and up. -- M. D. Crosston, Clemson University |
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