Most student who have been on an ISDSI semester know Dr. Christina Fink (Ajaan Christina) from the Foundations course.  Ajaan Christina has been teaching with ISDSI for years, along with her other work in the region.

She has just updated her book, Living Silence in Burma: Surviving Under Military Rule.

If you’ve already read the first edition, it is still worth getting and reading the new edition.  It has been updated with a chapter covering developments since 2001, as well as other changes.

It is very readable, and a great introduction to how “normal” life has been impacted by military rule. Not so much statistics (like a lot of books on Burma), but more nuanced and rich in its description of what is happening on the ground throughout Burma.

“Living Silence is particularly valuable for its study of the psychological effects of military rule on the people of Burma. The real struggle in Burma is the struggle between the desire to opt for the easy option of submitting to the demands of the powers that be and the commitment that leads to the hard road of resisting the threats and blandishments of a ruthless regime. By exploring the impact of military rule on the lives of ordinary people against a broad historical and social backdrop, Christina Fink makes an important contribution towards an understanding of the root causes of the problems and choices that the people of Burma are facing today.” — Aung San Suu Kyi

If you are interested in Burma and Southeast Asia more generally, this is highly recommended.

Available on Amazon.