64 books like Rich Forests, Poor People

By Nancy Lee Peluso,

Here are 64 books that Rich Forests, Poor People fans have personally recommended if you like Rich Forests, Poor People. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Friction: An Ethnography of Global Connection

Michael A. Lange Author Of Meanings of Maple: An Ethnography of Sugaring

From my list on explore how people make meaning and knowledge.

Why am I passionate about this?

I study culture. Ever since I was little, I’ve been fascinated by what people think, feel, believe, have, and do. I’ve always wondered why people need things to be meaningful. Why do people need an explanation for why things happen that puts the meaning outside their own minds? I wanted to get beyond the need for things to be meaningful by themselves, so I began looking into meaning-making as a thing we do. Once I realized the process was infinitely more interesting and valuable, I read books like those on my list. I hope they spark you as much as they have me. 

Michael's book list on explore how people make meaning and knowledge

Michael A. Lange Why did Michael love this book?

I love this book because Tsing walks me through an increasingly complex, increasingly comprehensive understanding of how people think, feel, and make meaning and how that process is fundamental to understanding who we are as a species.

Each chapter gives me a basic yet profound bit of insight into people as meaning makers, and each chapter flows from the one(s) previous, all building toward the sort of “holy crap, I get it!” culmination that leaves me wanting to go back and read it again and again.

Tsing makes the complicated understandable and the obscure accessible. 

By Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Friction as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A wheel turns because of its encounter with the surface of the road; spinning in the air it goes nowhere. Rubbing two sticks together produces heat and light; one stick alone is just a stick. In both cases, it is friction that produces movement, action, effect. Challenging the widespread view that globalization invariably signifies a "clash" of cultures, anthropologist Anna Tsing here develops friction in its place as a metaphor for the diverse and conflicting social interactions that make up our contemporary world. She focuses on one particular "zone of awkward engagement"--the rainforests of Indonesia--where in the 1980s and the…


Book cover of The Banana Tree at the Gate: A History of Marginal Peoples and Global Markets in Borneo

Carol J. Pierce Colfer Author Of The Longhouse of the Tarsier: Changing Landscapes, Gender and Well Being in Borneo

From my list on Indonesian life and policy.

Why am I passionate about this?

I worked in Indonesia much of the time between 1979 and 2009, with people living in forests. As an anthropologist, my work was initially ethnographic in nature, later linking such insights to policies relating to forests and people – as I worked at the Center for International Forestry Research in Bogor (1995 – the present). Although later in my career, I worked in forests all over the tropics, my real love remains with Indonesia, where I worked the longest and learned the most. My most recent research was in 2019, when I returned to the first community I studied ethnographically in 1979-80.

Carol's book list on Indonesian life and policy

Carol J. Pierce Colfer Why did Carol love this book?

This book builds on Dove’s longstanding involvement in research on Borneo and his in-depth knowledge of the history of agricultural and nontimber forest products there. His work shows how the people of Borneo have long been involved in international trade, alternately expanding and contracting their attention to rice production as other opportunities (high prices, high demand) wax and wane. His insights contributed to my own research, showing how longstanding and ubiquitous the international involvement I have seen has been.

By Michael R. Dove,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Banana Tree at the Gate as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The "Hikayat Banjar," a native court chronicle from Borneo, characterizes the irresistibility of natural resource wealth to outsiders as "the banana tree at the gate." Michael R. Dove employs this phrase as a root metaphor to frame the history of resource relations between the indigenous peoples of Borneo and the world system. In analyzing production and trade in forest products, pepper, and especially natural rubber, Dove shows that the involvement of Borneo's native peoples in commodity production for global markets is ancient and highly successful and that processes of globalization began millennia ago. Dove's analysis replaces the image of the…


Book cover of Land's End: Capitalist Relations on an Indigenous Frontier

Carol J. Pierce Colfer Author Of The Longhouse of the Tarsier: Changing Landscapes, Gender and Well Being in Borneo

From my list on Indonesian life and policy.

Why am I passionate about this?

I worked in Indonesia much of the time between 1979 and 2009, with people living in forests. As an anthropologist, my work was initially ethnographic in nature, later linking such insights to policies relating to forests and people – as I worked at the Center for International Forestry Research in Bogor (1995 – the present). Although later in my career, I worked in forests all over the tropics, my real love remains with Indonesia, where I worked the longest and learned the most. My most recent research was in 2019, when I returned to the first community I studied ethnographically in 1979-80.

Carol's book list on Indonesian life and policy

Carol J. Pierce Colfer Why did Carol love this book?

Tania Li shows the impacts of the capitalist process of a highland group’s attempts to adopt commodity production of cacao in central Sulawesi, building on her two decades of ethnographic research there. The book shows how, in this process, relations among people and with their environment change as the forest disappears and land ownership and wealth become more inequitable – not particularly pretty. It taught me how the Sulawesi situation differs from the Bornean situation I know so well.

By Tania Murray Li,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Land's End as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Drawing on two decades of ethnographic research in Sulawesi, Indonesia, Tania Murray Li offers an intimate account of the emergence of capitalist relations among indigenous highlanders who privatized their common land to plant a boom crop, cacao. Spurred by the hope of ending their poverty and isolation, some prospered, while others lost their land and struggled to sustain their families. Yet the winners and losers in this transition were not strangers-they were kin and neighbors. Li's richly peopled account takes the reader into the highlanders' world, exploring the dilemmas they faced as sharp inequalities emerged among them.

The book challenges…


Book cover of The Fourth Circle: A Political Ecology of Sumatraas Rainforest Frontier

Carol J. Pierce Colfer Author Of The Longhouse of the Tarsier: Changing Landscapes, Gender and Well Being in Borneo

From my list on Indonesian life and policy.

Why am I passionate about this?

I worked in Indonesia much of the time between 1979 and 2009, with people living in forests. As an anthropologist, my work was initially ethnographic in nature, later linking such insights to policies relating to forests and people – as I worked at the Center for International Forestry Research in Bogor (1995 – the present). Although later in my career, I worked in forests all over the tropics, my real love remains with Indonesia, where I worked the longest and learned the most. My most recent research was in 2019, when I returned to the first community I studied ethnographically in 1979-80.

Carol's book list on Indonesian life and policy

Carol J. Pierce Colfer Why did Carol love this book?

I share with John McCarthy an interest in how power operates in Indonesian communities and forests and this book provides a view of this as it plays out in northern Sumatra, ‘up close and personal.’ For me, it provided glimpses of very different ethnographic realities than what I had seen myself in other areas of Sumatra (West Sumatra, Riau) where I had lived for four years and supervised others’ research (in Jambi) as well. The recency of the 2004 tsunami and the separatist movement underway when the book was published lent urgency and excitement to McCarthy’s observations.

By John F. McCarthy,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Fourth Circle as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This book addresses the politics of environmental change in one of the richest areas of tropical rainforest in Indonesia. Based on field studies conducted in three agricultural communities in rural Aceh, this work considers a number of questions: How do customary (adat) village and state institutions work? What roles do they play in managing local resources? How have they evolved over time? Are villagers, state policies, or corrupt local networks responsible for the loss of tropical rainforest? Will better outcomes emerge from revitalizing customary management, from changing state policies, or from transforming the way the state works? And why do…


Book cover of Effective Java

Jeff Langr Author Of Modern C++ Programming with Test-Driven Development: Code Better, Sleep Better

From my list on doing it right in your programming language.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love computer programming books almost as much as I love computer programming. As a high school student in 1980 I remember typing in really frustrating source code from the book BASIC Computer Games. Was programming meant to be a black art? Was code supposed to be an impenetrable mess of buried intent? When I started getting paid to program, I was happy to see that the answer to both questions was "no." I began to seek and enjoy books that espoused the "right" way to code in a given language. Here is a handful of books that have helped me and countless others learn to produce correct, clear, and maintainable code.

Jeff's book list on doing it right in your programming language

Jeff Langr Why did Jeff love this book?

When seeking a book on how to use a language effectively, getting one written by someone who helped design and implement the language is usually a great idea. With Effective Java, you get a book written by someone who contributed a significant amount to the language: Joshua Bloch had a lot to do with the design of the Java 5.0 features circa 2004, which is where Java moved for me from "inelegant" to "hey I can finally make things look good in this language." Bloch goes into considerable and passionate depth about each of the 90 items in the 2018 edition and will help you ensure you don't make the mistakes that can lead to defective or bad code.

By Joshua Bloch,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Effective Java as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Since this Jolt-award winning classic was last updated in 2008, the Java programming environment has changed dramatically. Java 7 and Java 8 introduced new features and functions including, forEach() method in Iterable interface, default and static methods in Interfaces, Functional Interfaces and Lambda Expressions, Java Stream API for Bulk Data Operations on Collections, Java Time API, Collection API improvements, Concurrency API improvements, and Java IO improvements.



In this new edition of Effective Java, Bloch explores new design patterns and language idioms that have been introduced since the second edition was released in 2008 shortly after Java SE6, including Lambda, streams,…


Book cover of Java Puzzlers: Traps, Pitfalls, and Corner Cases

Christian Clausen Author Of Five Lines of Code

From my list on reads with your hands on the keyboard.

Why am I passionate about this?

My life has been about programming for as long as I can remember. Learning to code was a way to connect with my dad and express my creativity at a young age. Since I grew up with code, it became the way I understood the world; often I could look at a process or program and immediately see its source code in my mind. I developed a very strong sense of aesthetics searching for “perfect code,” which for me was code that was not only error-free but resistant to errors. My studies, research, and career is about moving myself and all programmers closer to that goal: Software that never fails.

Christian's book list on reads with your hands on the keyboard

Christian Clausen Why did Christian love this book?

This tour of programming is a humorous reminder that we should always question our assumptions.

This book presents example after example of very simple Java programs all of which behave differently than you expect. It's both humbling and so provocative that you have to go into an editor and see if their claims are true.

By Neal Gafter, Joshua Bloch,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Java Puzzlers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Every programming language has its quirks. This lively book reveals oddities of the Java programming language through entertaining and thought-provoking programming puzzles."

--Guy Steele, Sun Fellow and coauthor of The Java (TM) Language Specification

"I laughed, I cried, I threw up (my hands in admiration)."

--Tim Peierls, president, Prior Artisans LLC, and member of the JSR 166 Expert Group

How well do you really know Java? Are you a code sleuth? Have you ever spent days chasing a bug caused by a trap or pitfall in Java or its libraries? Do you like brainteasers? Then this is the book for…


Book cover of Microservice Patterns: With examples in Java

Laurentiu Spilca Author Of Spring Security in Action

From my list on a technical shelf of books for a Java Engineer.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for computer science started while spending my free time gaming in my young adult days, leading me to experiment with C++ and then dive into enterprise-level Java applications during high school. My enthusiasm for Java propelled me to teach and share my knowledge through Java and Spring tutorials on YouTube. I also frequent conferences where I exchange ideas on various software topics. My constant wish to contribute further to the community is filled by writing technical books. This mix of teaching, creating, and constant learning fuels me and pushes me further into the tech world. I really hope you will enjoy this selection of technical books! 

Laurentiu's book list on a technical shelf of books for a Java Engineer

Laurentiu Spilca Why did Laurentiu love this book?

To be honest, I did not expect to learn something new from this book, given the fact that I have been working on enterprise-level applications since high school, which mostly follow a microservice architecture. 

Still, I have to admit that in Richardson's discussion on decomposition strategies, inter-service communication, and managing distributed data, I still got some valuable insights into dealing with such an architecture. Particularly, the saga pattern for managing transactions was definitely a game-changer for me.

By Chris Richardson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Microservice Patterns as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of Java Persistence with Hibernate

Laurentiu Spilca Author Of Spring Security in Action

From my list on a technical shelf of books for a Java Engineer.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for computer science started while spending my free time gaming in my young adult days, leading me to experiment with C++ and then dive into enterprise-level Java applications during high school. My enthusiasm for Java propelled me to teach and share my knowledge through Java and Spring tutorials on YouTube. I also frequent conferences where I exchange ideas on various software topics. My constant wish to contribute further to the community is filled by writing technical books. This mix of teaching, creating, and constant learning fuels me and pushes me further into the tech world. I really hope you will enjoy this selection of technical books! 

Laurentiu's book list on a technical shelf of books for a Java Engineer

Laurentiu Spilca Why did Laurentiu love this book?

Mastering a tool like Hibernate is essential when dealing with Spring Boot and databases, as it can simplify the development process if used correctly.

I was particularly impressed by how the authors tackled complex concepts like caching, lazy loading, and transaction management, making them accessible and relatable to persons with zero to no experience, and also making sure that someone with experience does not get bored either.

I found that managing entities correctly and knowing how to deal with JPQL automatically results in a cleaner, more scalable, and performant code base. 

By Christian Bauer, Gavin King, Gary Gregory

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Java Persistence with Hibernate as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

DESCRIPTION

Persistence-the ability of data to outlive an instance of a program-is central to modern applications. Hibernate, the most popular provider of the Java Persistence standard, offers automatic and transparent object/relational mapping, making it a snap to work with SQL databases in Java applications.

Java Persistence with Hibernate, Second Edition explores Hibernate by developing an application that ties together hundreds of individual examples. It digs into the rich programming model of Hibernate, working through mappings, queries, fetching strategies, transactions, conversations, caching, and more and provides a well-illustrated discussion of best practices in database design and optimization techniques. This revised edition…


Book cover of Practical Design Patterns for Java Developers: Hone your software design skills by implementing popular design patterns in Java

Jeanne Boyarsky Author Of OCP Oracle Certified Professional Java SE 17 Developer Study Guide: Exam 1Z0-829

From my list on becoming a better Java developer.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always enjoyed mentoring folks whether new or experienced in programming. Whether it is teaching an intern or a high school robotics student, or onboarding an experienced Java developer, it brings me joy to see people learn. I also love to read. Being able to recommend some of my favorite books can help even more people absorb all of this information.

Jeanne's book list on becoming a better Java developer

Jeanne Boyarsky Why did Jeanne love this book?

By contrast to my previous 20-year-old book recommendation, this one is brand new.

When I was learning Java, we used the (now classic) “Gang of Four” book for Patterns. For design patterns, language syntax does matter. Miro covers the Gang of Four patterns and new ones using the same categories – creational, structural, and behavioral.

Miro also adds concurrency and anti-patterns which weren’t in the original GoF. I like that he includes review questions. This is very key info to know and mastering it with a modern book is very useful. Plus Miro includes examples of that pattern in the JDK itself.

By Miroslav Wengner,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Practical Design Patterns for Java Developers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Unravel the power of Java design patterns by learning where to apply them effectively to solve specific software design and development problems

Key Features Decouple logic across objects with dependency injection by creating various vehicles with features Finalize vehicle construction by chaining handlers using the Chain of Responsibility Pattern Plan and execute an advanced vehicle sensor initiation with the Scheduler PatternBook Description

Design patterns are proven solutions to standard problems in software design and development, allowing you to create reusable, flexible, and maintainable code. This book enables you to upskill by understanding popular patterns to evolve into a proficient software…


Book cover of 97 Things Every Java Programmer Should Know: Collective Wisdom from the Experts

Jeanne Boyarsky Author Of OCP Oracle Certified Professional Java SE 17 Developer Study Guide: Exam 1Z0-829

From my list on becoming a better Java developer.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always enjoyed mentoring folks whether new or experienced in programming. Whether it is teaching an intern or a high school robotics student, or onboarding an experienced Java developer, it brings me joy to see people learn. I also love to read. Being able to recommend some of my favorite books can help even more people absorb all of this information.

Jeanne's book list on becoming a better Java developer

Jeanne Boyarsky Why did Jeanne love this book?

When trying to become a better Java developer, there is so much to learn.

97 Things covers, well 97, of them in a series of brief essays. What’s cool is that the essays were written by different people so you get lots of points of view on what is important. Topics range from language (comments, fat jars) to the ecosystem (benchmarking, frequent releases) to the language-agnostic (definition of done and breaking down problems.)

Note that two of these are mine. The book is thin at just over 200 pieces. And since each “thing” is short, it’s easy to read on the go.

By Kevlin Henney, Trisha Gee,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked 97 Things Every Java Programmer Should Know as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

If you want to push your Java skills to the next level, this book provides expert advice from Java leaders and practitioners. You'll be encouraged to look at problems in new ways, take broader responsibility for your work, stretch yourself by learning new techniques, and become as good at the entire craft of development as you possibly can

Edited by Kevlin Henney and Trisha Gee, 97 Things Every Java Programmer Should Know reflects lifetimes of experience writing Java software and living with the process of software development. Great programmers share their collected wisdom to help you rethink Java practices, whether…


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