Three books connected to Cornell University scholars examine economic change in India, the use of satellite evidence to document threatened cultural heritage and the role of workers and race in World War II mobilization.
The publications span economics, archaeology, history and international affairs, with release dates between July and September 2026.
Economy and endangered heritage
A new volume on India's economy was edited by Cornell economist Kaushik Basu and other scholars. Released Aug. 27, it brings together work on artificial intelligence, globalization, climate change, unemployment and inequality.
The contributors examine how a rapidly growing economy can respond to technological and environmental pressure while distributing opportunity more broadly. The book also considers the policy choices facing India as its workforce and industries change.
Basu's work has long focused on development economics and public policy. The collection places current debates in the context of India's recent economic transformation and its role in the global economy.
Another book, "Heritage Forensics," uses satellite imagery and other forms of remote evidence to document damage to cultural sites. The project was developed by Lori Khatchadourian, Adam T. Smith and collaborators and was released July 15.
The authors focus on Armenian cultural heritage in areas affected by the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. They show how repeat satellite observations can help researchers identify the destruction or alteration of monuments when on-site access is restricted.
The approach combines archaeology, geographic analysis and human-rights documentation. It also raises questions about how digital evidence should be preserved, verified and used when governments dispute what happened to a site.
Researchers said the method can make cultural destruction visible beyond the immediate conflict zone. It cannot replace fieldwork, but it can create a record when investigators are unable to reach endangered places.
Wartime mobilization viewed through labor
"Troop Movements," by Tejasvi Nagaraja, is scheduled for release Sept. 22. The book looks at World War II through the experiences of workers and examines how mobilization reshaped race, labor and global politics.
Rather than treating the war only as a military campaign, Nagaraja traces the movement of workers, soldiers and ideas across borders. The book considers how wartime labor demands created new openings while preserving or deepening inequalities.
The research connects workplace organizing and military logistics with debates over citizenship and empire. It follows people whose labor sustained the war effort but whose experiences often sit outside standard accounts of the conflict.
Together, the three books illustrate the range of Cornell scholarship reaching readers this fall. Each uses a different set of sources, from economic data and archival records to satellite images.
The works also share an interest in how institutions respond to upheaval. Economic disruption, armed conflict and wartime mobilization can produce rapid change, but the authors examine who benefits, who bears the cost and how evidence survives.
Publication and purchasing details are available from the respective publishers. Cornell provided summaries of the works as part of a roundup of recent faculty books.
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