Books

Foreign policy analyses written by CFR fellows and published by trade presses, academic presses, or the Council on Foreign Relations Press.

Power Rules

Author: Leslie H. Gelb

Inspired by Machiavelli's classic The Prince, Power Rules offers illuminating guidelines on how American power actually works and should be wielded in today's tumultuous world. Leslie H. Gelb writes with the perspective of four decades of extraordinary access and influence in government, think tanks, and journalism.

See more in United States, U.S. Strategy and Politics

Russian Foreign Policy

Author: Jeffrey Mankoff

Jeffrey Mankoff 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.

See more in Russian Fed.

China's Rise and the Two Koreas

Author: Scott A. Snyder

With China now South Korea's number-one trading partner and destination for foreign investment and tourism, what are the implications for politics and security in East Asia? Scott Snyder explores the transformation of the Sino–South Korean relationship since the early 1990s.

See more in China, North Korea, South Korea

Restoring the Balance

Authors: Richard N. Haass, Stephen Biddle, Ray Takeyh, Gary Samore, Steven A. Cook, Isobel Coleman, Steven Simon, Martin S. Indyk, Michael O’Hanlon, Kenneth M. Pollack, Suzanne Maloney, Bruce O. Riedel, Shibley Telhami, Tamara Cofman Wittes, and Daniel L. Byman

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- and long-term challenges to U.S. interests.

See more in Middle East, Diplomacy

Termites in the Trading System

Author: Jagdish N. Bhagwati

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.

See more in International Finance

Regional Monetary Integration

Authors: Peter B. Kenen and Ellen E. Meade

An explanation of why governments contemplate regional monetary integration and why some country groups are more likely than others to exercise that option.

See more in International Finance

Heroic Conservatism

Author: Michael J. Gerson

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.

See more in United States, Political Movements

God and Gold

Author: Walter Russell Mead

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.

See more in United States, U.K., Religion and Politics

Beyond Humanitarianism

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.

See more in Africa, U.S. Strategy and Politics

Winners without Losers

Author: Edward J. Lincoln

Lincoln contends that the best chance the United States has of ensuring peace and prosperity—for itself and for the rest of the world—will be found at conference tables rather than on the battlefield.

See more in United States, Economics

The Forgotten Man

Author: Amity Shlaes

A striking reinterpretation of the Great Depression, tracing 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.

See more in United States, Financial Crises

The Edge of Disaster

Author: Stephen E. Flynn

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.

See more in United States, Preparedness, Energy/Environment, Terrorist Attacks

Hidden Iran

Author: Ray Takeyh

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.

See more in Iran, Iraq, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Public Diplomacy