Books

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

I Heard the Sirens Scream

Author: Laurie Garrett

Missing from the body of literature about 9/11 and the anthrax scare that followed is a sense of what 2001 felt like for those that experienced the events in a very personal way. This book bridges the divide and offers new insights into the period, presenting its profound implications for public health, mass psychology, governance, scientific integrity, social resilience and cohesion, criminal justice, and America's sense of itself.

See more in United States, Terrorist Attacks

The Next Convergence

Author: A. Michael Spence

A succinct description of how the recent period of growth in developing countries is leading to a convergence with the advanced countries, or developed world.

See more in Emerging Markets, Geoeconomics

The New Arab Revolt

A collection of articles from Foreign Affairs, ForeignAffairs.com, and CFR.org that pulls together what is needed to understand the origins and significance of the new Arab revolt.

See more in Middle East, Political Movements

Weak Links

Author: Stewart M. Patrick

Stewart Patrick contends that assumptions about the threats posed by failing states--or "weak links"--are based on anecdotal arguments and challenges the conventional wisdom through systematic empirical analysis.

See more in International Peace and Security

The Sixth Crisis

Authors: Dana H. Allin and Steven Simon

A balanced, even-handed account of the forces that are driving Iran, Israel, and the United States toward crisis, and what can be done to defuse it.

See more in Iran, Israel, Wars and Warfare

Nigeria: Dancing on the Brink

Author: John Campbell

Former U.S. ambassador to Nigeria John Campbell explores Nigeria's postcolonial history and examines the events and conditions that have carried this troubled giant to the edge.

See more in Nigeria, Diplomacy

Between Threats and War

Author: Micah Zenko

Micah Zenko examines the discrete military operations undertaken by the United States over the past twenty years to discern why they were used, if they achieved their objectives, and what determined their success or failure.

See more in United States, Wars and Warfare

How Enemies Become Friends

Author: Charles A. Kupchan

Through compelling analysis and rich historical examples that span the globe and range from the thirteenth century through the present, How Enemies Become Friends explores how adversaries can transform enmity into amity, and exposes prevalent myths about the causes of peace.

See more in Diplomacy, Peacekeeping

Start-Up Nation

Authors: Daniel Senor and Saul Singer

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.

See more in Israel, Business and Foreign Policy

Forces of Fortune

Author: Vali R. Nasr

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.

See more in Iran, Religion

Guardians of the Revolution

Author: Ray Takeyh

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.

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

Money, Markets, and Sovereignty

Authors: Benn Steil and Manuel Hinds

A fascinating intellectual history of monetary nationalism from the ancient world to the present exploring why, in its modern incarnation, it represents the single greatest threat to globalization.

See more in Economics