Darfur and the Crisis of Governance in Sudan. A Critical Reader

Books about development cooperation and other sociopolitical matters do not commonly find their way to famous designers, or, for that matter, into the Best Dutch Book Designs. Irma Boom, however, has long worked for the Prince Claus Fund, an organization that promotes culture and development in Third World countries. This reader elicited a debate among the panel during which a range of arguments came up for discussion. A collection of essays on the conflict in Darfur and its causes, it is a highly relevant and necessary publication, but not, as a book, one that is particularly conspicuous. Some members of the panel also felt that the cover was too much of a stereotype with its close-up of a child’s face. Others, by contrast, argued that the book is a success precisely because it does not pretend to be more than it is, and because it demonstrates that Boom is also capable of designing with restraint if that is what the subject calls for.