Although capitalism experienced various crises in the 20th century, it overcame each of them. Despite its criticisms, capitalism continues to persist in the 21st century. In the book The Futures of Racial Capitalism, Gargi Bhattacharyya offers an ambitious and detailed critique of capitalism. The book consists of six chapters, excluding the introduction and conclusion. The chapters present solid arguments for why capitalism is dangerous and for recognizing it as such. The book’s central premise revolves around racial capitalism, a term coined by Cedric Robinson to describe the inherent connections between capitalism and racial exploitation. According to the book, racial capitalism is not simply an economic system that functions in parallel to racism; rather, it is a system that is deeply dependent on racial hierarchies and differentiation to sustain itself.
Arab Petro-Politics, which is a historical reference source, has not been updated or expanded since its first publication in 1984 until this new 2023 edition. In this context, the only criticism can be said that the book was not updated in subsequent editions. The argument expressed by the author that “the Palestine issue is decisive in the policies of Arab states” (p. 51) has begun to change in recent years. Expanding new editions, especially considering the post-1990 period (the post-Cold War period) would have made the book much more valuable for researchers and academics studying the Middle East. In present times, the Arab states’ utilization of oil as a weapon in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has waned in significance. Meanwhile, Israel continues to carry out attacks against Palestine, largely without substantial reactions from the Arab states, actions that some perceive as amounting to genocide.