CFR.org - Books

Start-Up Nation

Daniel Senor and Saul Singer — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:45:08 -0400

Start-Up Nation addresses the trillion-dollar question: How is it that Israel—a country of 7.1 million, only sixty years old, surrounded by enemies—produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada, and the UK? With the insights of geopolitical experts and investors, the authors examine this nation’s adversity-driven culture to answer this question and offer prescriptions for a global economy on the rebound.

Forces of Fortune

Vali R. Nasr — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:05:40 -0400

In Forces of Fortune, Vali Nasr presents a paradigm-changing revelation that will transform the understanding of the Muslim world at large. He reveals that there is a vital but unseen rising force in the Islamic world—a new business-minded middle class—that is building a vibrant new Muslim world economy and that holds the key to winning the cold war against Iran and extremists.

Cuba

Julia E. Sweig — Sun, 17 May 2009 12:42:30 -0400

In this compact reference guide, Julia E. Sweig presents a remarkably accessible portrait of Cuba’s unique place on the world stage over the past fifty years, including its internal politics, its often fraught relationship with the United States, and its shifting relationship with the global community.

War of Necessity, War of Choice

Richard N. Haass — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:47:26 -0400

In this compelling book, Richard N. Haass contrasts the decisions that shaped the conduct of two wars between the United States and Iraq involving the two presidents Bush and Saddam Hussein, and writes an authoritative, personal account of how U.S. foreign policy is made, what it should seek, and how it should be pursued.

Guardians of the Revolution

Ray Takeyh — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:52:37 -0400

For over a quarter-century, Iran has been one of America's chief nemeses. But as Ray Takeyh shows in this accessible and authoritative history of Iran's relations with the world since the revolution, behind the famous personalities and extremist slogans is a nation that is far more pragmatic—and complex—than many in the West have been led to believe.

Money, Markets, and Sovereignty

Benn Steil and Manuel Hinds — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:08:26 -0400

In this keenly argued book, the authors present a fascinating intellectual history of monetary nationalism from the ancient world to the present and explore why, in its modern incarnation, it represents the single greatest threat to globalization.

Power Rules

Leslie H. Gelb — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:51:01 -0500

In this book, inspired by Machiavelli’s classic The Prince, Leslie H. Gelb offers illuminating guidelines on how American power actually works and should be wielded in today’s tumultuous world, writing with the perspective of four decades of extraordinary access and influence in government, think tanks, and journalism.

Russian Foreign Policy

Jeffrey Mankoff — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 16:49:48 -0500

This thoughtful and balanced text examines the development of Russian foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. Presenting an even-handed treatment of controversial issues, Jeffrey Mankoff analyzes Russia’s interactions with major global actors and convincingly demonstrates that today’s Russia is more interested in restoring what its leaders consider to be its rightful place among the world’s major powers than in directly challenging the West.

Restoring the Balance

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:06:47 -0500

In Restoring the Balance: A Middle East Strategy for the Next President, experts from the Council on Foreign Relations and the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution propose a new, nonpartisan Middle East strategy drawing on the lessons of past failures to address both the short-term and long-term challenges to U.S. interests.

The Forgotten Man

Amity Shlaes — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:23:59 -0500

In this timely book, Amity Shlaes offers a striking reinterpretation of the Great Depression. She traces the mounting agony of the New Dealers and the moving stories of individual citizens who, through their brave perseverance, helped establish the steadfast character we recognize as American today.

The Closing of the American Border

Edward Alden — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:49:55 -0400

In this book, Edward Alden goes behind the scenes to tell the story of the Bush administration’s struggle to balance security and openness in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Termites in the Trading System

Jagdish N. Bhagwati — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:34:37 -0400

In this book, Jagdish Bhagwati reveals how preferential trade agreements have recreated the unhappy situation of the protectionist 1930s, when world trade was undermined by discriminatory practices, and argues that the world trading system is definitely at risk again.

America Between the Wars

Derek H. Chollet and James M. Goldgeier — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:05:40 -0500

The authors weave a compelling narrative of how the decisions and debates of the years between the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Twin Towers shaped the events, arguments, and politics of the world we live in today.

The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State

Noah Feldman — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:50:11 -0500

In this penetrating book, Noah Feldman tells the story behind the increasingly popular call for the establishment of the sharia—the law of the traditional Islamic state—in the modern Muslim world.

Regional Monetary Integration

Peter B. Kenen and Ellen E. Meade — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:36:56 -0500

This book seeks to explain why governments contemplate regional monetary integration and why some country groups are more likely than others to exercise that option. It also explains why some country groups may be more successful than others, and the potential relevance of the European experience for those other country groups.

On Nuclear Terrorism

Michael A. Levi — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 12:43:11 -0500

In this book, Michael A. Levi draws from our long experience with terrorism and proposes new principles for understanding and defending against nuclear threats.

Heroic Conservatism

Michael J. Gerson — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 11:23:22 -0400

Michael J. Gerson draws on his White House experiences as the chief speechwriter and a policy adviser to President George W. Bush to argue for a renewed idealism in domestic and foreign policy.

God and Gold

Walter Russell Mead — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 16:24:05 -0400

An illuminating account by Walter Russell Mead of the birth and rise of the global political and economic system that, sustained first by Britain and now by America, created the modern world.

Beyond Humanitarianism

Princeton N. Lyman and Patricia Lee Dorff — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 09:20:19 -0400

From Mugabe’s Zimbabwe to conflict in the Horn, Africa has moved off the back burner of U.S. foreign policy. To address the growing importance of this region, the Council on Foreign Relations and Foreign Affairs, the Council’s flagship magazine, present Beyond Humanitarianism, a citizen’s guide to deconstructing the complex issues and conflicts on the African continent and clarifying what’s at stake for the United States in Africa’s future.

Ruling But Not Governing

Steven A. Cook — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 15:05:09 -0400

This book critically examines how the legacies of military control in Egypt, Algeria, and Turkey affect political development in these countries, highlighting the often-overlooked difficulties of promoting democratic change in military- dominated political systems. Using Turkey's recent reforms as a point of departure, Steven Cook offers novel policy prescriptions for encouraging political change in Egypt and Algeria.

The Edge of Disaster

Stephen E. Flynn — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 08:00:33 -0500

Americans are in denial when it comes to facing up to how vulnerable our nation is to disaster, be it terrorist attack or act of God. In this gripping book, leading security expert Stephen Flynn issues a call to action, demanding that we wake up and prepare immediately for a safer future.

Hidden Iran

Ray Takeyh — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0400

A groundbreaking book that reveals how the underappreciated domestic political rivalries within Iran serve to explain the country’s behavior on the world stage. A leading expert explains why we fail to understand Iran and offers a new strategy for redefining this crucial relationship.

War Made New

Max Boot — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0400

A sweeping, epic history that ranges from the defeat of the Spanish Armada to the War on Terrorism, War Made New is a provocative new vision of the rise of the modern world through the lens of warfare.

Playing Monopoly with the Devil

Manuel Hinds — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0400

This comprehensive book explores the currency problems that developing countries face and offers sound, practical advice for policymakers on how to deal with them.

The Shia Revival

Vali R. Nasr — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400

As nations around the world struggle with the threat of militant Islam, Vali Nasr, one of the leading scholars on the Middle East, provides us with the rare opportunity to understand the political and theological antagonisms within Islam itself.

Thicker Than Oil

Rachel Bronson — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0500

The first full history of the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia, revealing why the alliance was formed and what we stand to lose if it collapses.

Friendly Fire

Julia E. Sweig — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500

America quietly sowed the seeds of its own decline in the eyes of the world in its own backyard. In Latin America, under the guise of anti-communism, we sponsored dictatorships, turned a blind eye to killing squads, and tolerated the subversion of democracy. Almost nobody knew, so it didn’t matter, right?

Financial Statecraft

Benn Steil and Robert E. Litan — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Over the past two decades, another form of economic exchange besides imports and exports has risen to a level of vastly greater significance and political concern: the purchase and sale of financial assets across borders.

In Defense of Globalization

Jagdish N. Bhagwati — Mon, 01 Mar 2004 00:00:00 -0500

An internationally renowned economist, Jagdish Bhagwati takes conventional wisdom—that globalization is the cause of several social ills—and turns it on its head. Properly regulated, globalization, he says, is the most powerful force for social good in the world.