New Books on Global Leaders of the Past

IUPUI faculty publish books on global leaders of the past

July 2015

New books by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis professors Ian McIntosh and Gil Latz from the Office of International Affairs uncover modern lessons from the lives of two influential global leaders of their time: David Burrumarra (Australia) and Shibusawa Eiichi (Japan).

Ian and Gil holding their new books

Ian McIntosh, author of “Between Two Worlds: Essays in Honour of the Visionary Aboriginal Elder, David Burrumarra,” (left) and Gil Latz, author of “Rediscovering Shibusawa Eiichi in the 21st Century” (right)

In "Between Two Worlds: Essays in Honour of the Visionary Aboriginal Elder, David Burrumarra,” McIntosh examines the life and impact of Australian Aboriginal leader David Burrumarra M.B.E. (1917-1994). Burrumarra was a staunch advocate of Aboriginal rights, particularly influencing north-east Arnhem Land community development during the mid to late twentieth century.

McIntosh was a close friend and student of Burrumarra and the book includes more than thirty essays about Burrumarra’s life and continuing influence even today as Australia’s Aboriginal peoples continue with their struggle for land and sea rights and reconciliation.

This tribute volume – many years in the making – is intended to help connect contemporary Aboriginal youth with the worldviews that sustained Burrumarra’s clan since ancient times but which are now largely inaccessible,” said McIntosh. “Rather than have these stories ‘disappear beneath the earth’, it was Burrumarra’s wish that they continue to inspire and animate new lives, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal.”
A new book edited by Gil Latz examines the life and continuing impact of Shibusawa Eiichi (1840-1931). Shibusawa, often referred to as the father of Japanese capitalism, was a key figure in Japan’s development as an industrial country and in the fields of entrepreneurship and philanthropy.

“Rediscovering Shibusawa Eiichi in the 21st Century” uncovers Eiichi’s modern day impact, particularly through the activities of the Shibusawa Eiichi Memorial Foundation over the past fifteen years.

As Japan enters the twenty-first century, this book underscores how recent history can address contemporary questions such as balancing democratic values, citizenship and civil society, and Japan’s place in world affairs. Included are discussions of the Foundation’s international publications, conferences, and special museum exhibitions, as well as the establishment of a unique center gathering historical resource material on entrepreneurship, and digitization of an immense archive of Eiichi’s life and thought.

About the Authors

Ian McIntosh is the Director of International Partnerships at IUPUI. He is the former Managing Director of Cultural Survival, one of the world’s foremost organizations promoting the rights, voices and visions of indigenous peoples. McIntosh has written three books and over 100 articles on indigenous themes, and is a co-founder of Past Masters International. He regularly teaches courses at IUPUI on truth and reconciliation.

Gil Latz is Associate Vice Chancellor for International Affairs and Professor of Geography at IUPUI, and Associate Vice President for International Affairs and professor of Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University. His research and publications have focused on: the internationalization of higher education in the US and Asia; and regional development and resource management policy in East Asia, North America and Europe. Latz also conducts research on Japan’s modernization process in terms of the role played by philanthropy and civic leadership.