Geontologies: A Requiem to Late Liberalism

Geontologies examines power and governance in late liberal societies through the lens of "geontopower" - a framework for understanding how life, nonlife, and death are defined and managed. The book draws on Povinelli's three decades of anthropological work with Indigenous communities in northern Australia. The analysis moves between theoretical discussion and on-the-ground encounters with the Karrabing Indigenous community. Povinelli introduces key figures and forces that shape contemporary biopolitics, including the Desert, the Animist, and the Virus. Through these investigations, the text traces how liberal governance evaluates and categorizes forms of existence, determining which are supported and which are left to wither. The author documents specific policies, sites, and events in Australia's Northern Territory. The work presents a critical intervention in how we conceptualize power, life, and politics in an era of climate crisis and late-stage capitalism. It challenges Western divisions between life and nonlife while exploring alternative frameworks for understanding existence and governance.

Readers note the book's complex theoretical arguments about power, governance, and materiality in contemporary liberal societies. Many value Povinelli's analysis of how Western concepts of "Life" and "Nonlife" shape political thought. Liked: - Original framework for understanding late liberalism - Integration of indigenous Australian perspectives - Detailed ethnographic examples Disliked: - Dense, academic writing style that's difficult to follow - Overuse of specialized terminology - Some concepts remain unclear even after multiple readings A Goodreads reviewer writes: "Important ideas but the prose is nearly impenetrable at times." Another notes: "Her fieldwork insights are valuable but buried under layers of theory." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (43 ratings) Amazon: 3.5/5 (6 ratings) The book receives more attention in academic circles than among general readers, with most reviews appearing in scholarly journals rather than consumer platforms.

Vibrant Matter by Jane Bennett This philosophical work explores the agency of non-human matter and reframes political theory through materialist perspectives that challenge anthropocentric worldviews.

Meeting the Universe Halfway by Karen Barad The text presents a theory of agential realism that connects quantum physics with posthuman philosophies and indigenous knowledge systems.

The Mushroom at the End of the World by Anna Tsing This ethnography examines capitalism, ecology, and survival through the global commodity chain of matsutake mushrooms and their relationships with human and non-human worlds.

Arts of Living on a Damaged Planet by Anna Tsing, Heather Swanson, Elaine Gan, and Nils Bubandt The collection brings together scholars across disciplines to examine the entanglements of human and non-human life in the Anthropocene through ghost and monster stories.

How Forests Think by Eduardo Kohn This anthropological study of Ecuador's Upper Amazon develops a theory of how forests perceive and communicate, extending semiotics beyond the human realm.

🔍 Elizabeth Povinelli conducted over 30 years of anthropological fieldwork with Indigenous communities in northern Australia, giving her unique insight into their relationship with the land and "geological beings." 🌏 The term "geontology" combines "geo" (earth) and "ontology" (the nature of being), exploring how Western thought separates Life from Nonlife, while many Indigenous peoples view rocks, weather, and landscapes as living entities. 📚 The book examines a sacred ancestral rock formation called Two Women Sitting Down, which became the center of a legal dispute between Indigenous custodians and a mining company in Australia. 🎓 Povinelli developed her theories while holding the Franz Boas Professor of Anthropology position at Columbia University, where she continues to teach and research. 🔄 The concept of "Late Liberalism" in the book's title refers to how modern governance manages social difference and markets after the social movements of the 1960s and the rise of neoliberalism.