Most Interesting 2022: Yao, The Ideal River: How Control of Nature Shaped the International Order

Many thanks to all those who submitted their choices for most "interesting, important, or influential" article or book published in 2022. As a reminder, the call was open exclusively to junior scholars. Beginning today, I will post the submissions. Each post will include the article and/or book and a statement from the recommender explaining the reason why they believe the article/book is interesting, important, or influential. The full series will be available at the label "Most Interesting 2022." Here's the first post:

Joanne Yao, The Ideal River: How Control of Nature Shaped the International Order (Manchester Univ. Press 2022)

This book explores the geographical imaginaries of three rivers (the Rhine, Danube, and Congo) and how these very imaginaries shaped the constitutions, structure, and life of three early international organizations. It is a marvellous tale of how (and why) experts sought to tame nature and also says much about law’s relationship to the physical geography. I always really recommend and admire it because of how well written and engaging it is.

Gail Lythgoe
Lecturer in International Law
University of Manchester