Relations Books - Page 5

MagicBeanDip.com

Page 5 of 200 - Go to page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 16

A Path Out of the Desert: A Grand Strategy for America in the Middle East

Kenneth Pollack

A Path Out of the Desert: A Grand Strategy for America in the Middle East Kenneth Pollack Amazon Price: $19.80
List Price: $30.00
Usually ships in 24 hours
By: Random House
Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $14.51

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> History -> Middle East -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> International -> Relations

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

“A persuasive but painful solution for dealing with the mess in the Middle East.” –Kirkus

The greatest danger to America’s peace and prosperity, notes leading Middle East policy analyst Kenneth M. Pollack, lies in the political repression, economic stagnation, and cultural conflict running rampant in Arab and Muslim nations. By inflaming political unrest and empowering terrorists, these forces pose a direct threat to America’s economy and national security. The impulse for America might be to turn its back on the Middle East in frustration over the George W. Bush administration’s mishandling of the Iraq War and other engagements with Arab and Muslim countries. But such a move, Pollack asserts, will only exacerbate problems. He counters with the idea that we must continue to make the Middle East a priority in our policy, but in a humbler, more humane, more realistic, and more cohesive way.

Pollack argues that Washington’s greatest sin in its relations with the Middle East has been its persistent unwillingness to make the sustained and patient effort needed to help the people of the Middle East overcome the crippling societal problems facing their governments and societies. As a result, the United States has never had a workable comprehensive policy in the region, just a skein of half-measures intended either to avoid entanglement or to contain the influence of the Soviet Union.

Beyond identifying the stagnation of civic life in Arab and Muslim states and the cumulative effect of our misguided policies, Pollack offers a long-term strategy to ameliorate the political, economic, and social problems that underlie the region’s many crises. Through his suggested policies, America can engage directly with the governments of the Middle East and indirectly with its people by means of cultural exchange, commerce, and other “soft” approaches. He carefully examines each of the region’s most contested areas, including Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Lebanon, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and explains how the United States can address each through mutually reinforcing policies.

At a time when the nation will be facing critical decisions about our continued presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, A Path Out of the Desert is guaranteed to stimulate debate about America’s humanitarian, diplomatic, and military involvement in the Middle East.

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations One School at a Time

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations One School at a Time Amazon Price: $26.39
List Price: $39.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
By: Tantor Media
Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $22.86

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> General
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Professionals & Academics -> Educators
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Memoirs

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1219 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Required reading 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

gripping from start to finish. An important book for readers of all ages. A lesson in choosing the really important issues and having the guts to follow the righ path.

Boring Title, Great Book 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

When my mother gave me this book to read I was a little scared of what I might find inside. The name, "Three Cups of Tea" didn't sound very exciting. The cover, showing three young girls studying, didn't look very appealing. And the subtitle, "One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time," wasn't the most exciting thing in the world either. It looked like an Oprah book or a chick lit book.

Since my Mom recommended it, I read it...and thoroughly enjoyed "Three Cups of Tea."

The book is about Central Asia Institute director, Greg Mortenson, and how building schools in the highlands of Pakistan and Afghanistan became his passion. Still sounds like an Oprah book, doesn't it? Well it is much, much more. The reader gets the account of how Mortenson's failed attempt to climb K2 nearly led to his death and how that failure gave him the idea of building schools in remote regions of Asia.

The reader is also given a thoughtful look at what it was like for Americans who were in this part of Asia when the planes struck the World Trade Center in 2001. Mortenson's ideas on promoting peace through education seem somewhat idealistic at times, but the man's passion for this cause comes blazing through in every chapter.

"Three Cups of Tea" is an exciting adventure story as well as an inspirational story showing that one man can make a difference.

Editorial Review:

The inspiring account of one man's campaign to build schools in the most dangerous, remote, and anti-American reaches of Asia.

Just And Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument With Historical Illustrations

Michael Walzer

Just And Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument With Historical Illustrations Michael Walzer Amazon Price: $17.95
List Price: $19.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
By: Basic Books
Amazon Marketplace: 91 new & used starting at $9.43

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Reference
Subjects -> History -> Military -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Philosophy -> Ethics & Morality

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

This book is ultimately not very instructive about just war 1 out of 5 stars.
25 of 52 people found this review helpful.

At a lecture at West Point United States Military Academy April 6, 2006, Naom Chomsky argued, "Just war theory" literature "deserves special attention but is ultimately not very instructive about just war". "Just war theory" is "declarations of personal preference", which "never tells you anything. It doesn't tell you when it is proper to intervene, what it tells you is 'I think it is proper to intervene'...there is a big gap between assertion and argument, between surmise and evidence." "We learn very little about just war from 'Just war theory'" what we do learn is "mostly about the prevailing moral and intellectual climate in which we live." Walzer's book relies crucially on such premises as "Seems to me entirely justified, or I believe, or no doubt." Chomsky then discusses scientific studies on human behavior which is noticeably absent from Walzer's book.

Walzer uses the term "I think" at least 52 times in the book. "I don't think" 7 times. "I believe" twice, "no doubt" at least 41 times, and "seems to me" 12 times (I write "at least" because the same phrase twice on one page would be counted once.)

Walzer's hypocricy

In a book which suffers from terribly bad organization, on page 62 Walzer finally systematically lays out his arguments, stating that "Once the agressor state has been militarily repulsed, it can also be punished."

On December 29, 2005, in an interview on NPR Morning Edition ('Just and Unjust Wars' Author Critical on Iraq.) Walzer stated that the Iraq war was not a just war:

"If you are going to use military force in someone else's county...There has to be a cause of some urgency, a massacre in progress. A massacre in memory is not a just cause."

Therefore, if you follow Walzer's assertions to its obvious conclusion, the Iraq war was not a just war and therefore "the agressor state", the US, should "be punished."

But Walzer signed and endorsed The Euston Manifesto, which states in part:

"We are also united in the view that, since the day on which this occurred, the proper concern of genuine liberals and members of the Left should have been the battle to put in place in Iraq a democratic political order and to rebuild the country's infrastructure...rather than picking through the rubble of the arguments over intervention."

Therefore in Just and unjust wars, Walzer argues that "agressor states" should be "punished" but yet Walzer signs a document which criticize those who "pick through the rubble of the arguments over intervention."

Although the Iraq War is not covered in this book, Walzer's inconsistent views on the Iraq war should give serious students of International affairs pause before subscribing to his arguments. It is one mans opinion, full of statments such as "Seems to me entirely justified" "I believe" or "no doubt."

Walzer's arguments are unscientific rablings of one intellectual which are "ultimately not very instructive about just war".



Editorial Review:

From the Athenian attack on Melos to the My Lai Massacre, from the wars in the Balkans through the first war in Iraq, Michael Walzer examines the moral issues surrounding military theory, war crimes, and the spoils of war. He studies a variety of conflicts over the course of history, as well as the testimony of those who have been most directly involved--participants, decision makers, and victims. In his introduction to this new edition, Walzer specifically addresses the moral issues surrounding the war in and occupation of Iraq, reminding us once again that "the argument about war and justice is still a political and moral necessity."

International Politics on the World Stage

John T. Rourke

International Politics on the World Stage John T. Rourke Amazon Price: $82.57
Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks
By: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $70.90

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> International -> Relations
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Social Sciences -> Political Science -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

One of the leading texts on the IR market, John Rourke’s International Politics on the World Stage provides a balanced and comprehensive study of international relations that combines theory, history, and current trends and events. The modern international system, a background history of how it evolved in its present form, as well as transformations that are shaping the 21st century are presented in a straightforward, accessible discussion, without undermining the complexity of world political issues. The text lives up to its reputation of including the latest events and developments of the world stage. Rourke discusses political theory, including contemporary approaches such as constructivism and postmodernism, in the opening chapter. He brings theoretical concepts to life with illustrative examples taken from major current world events, so students see how theory plays out in the real world.

The text covers major issues of the twenty-first century, such as the structure of the modern state in the international system, globalization and the political economy, global security, the rise of intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, human rights, and the environment. These topics linked through the chapters in the text give students a grasp of the underlying patterns in world politics, so that they can interpret events they see on the evening news or on the Internet. As in previous editions, the text shows students how politics affects our everyday lives and emphasizes the importance of being politically aware, making informed decisions, and taking responsible action.

Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East: 1776 to the Present

Michael B. Oren

Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East: 1776 to the Present Michael B. Oren Amazon Price: $12.21
List Price: $17.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
By: W. W. Norton
Amazon Marketplace: 56 new & used starting at $10.03

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> History -> Americas -> United States -> General
Subjects -> History -> Americas -> General
Subjects -> History -> Middle East -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 92 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The history of America's political, military, and intellectual involvement in the Middle East from George Washington to George W. Bush. "Will shape our thinking about America and the Middle East for years."—Christopher Dickey, Newsweek

From the first cannonballs fired by American warships at North African pirates to the conquest of Falluja by the Marines—from the early American explorers who probed the sources of the Nile to the diplomats who strove for Arab-Israeli peace—the United States has been dramatically involved in the Middle East. For well over two centuries, American statesmen, merchants, and missionaries, both men and women, have had a profound impact on the shaping of this crucial region. Yet their story has never been told until now. Drawing on thousands of government documents and personal letters, featuring original maps and over sixty photographs, this book reconstructs the diverse and remarkable ways in which Americans have interacted with this alluring yet often hostile land stretching from Morocco to Iran, from the Persian Gulf to the Bosporus. Covering over 230 years of history, Power, Faith, and Fantasy is an indispensable work for anyone interested in understanding the roots of America's Middle East involvement today. As Niall Ferguson writes, "If you think America's entanglement in the Middle East began with Roosevelt and Truman, Michael Oren's deeply researched and brilliantly written history will be a revelation to you, as it was to me. With its cast of fascinating characters—earnest missionaries, maverick converts, wide-eyed tourists, and even a nineteenth-century George Bush—Power, Faith, and Fantasy is not only a terrific read, it is also proof that you don't really understand an issue until you know its history." 68 illustrations; 4 maps. With a new afterword for the paperback.

The Brief McGraw-Hill Handbook

Elaine Maimon, Janice Peritz, Kathleen Yancey

The Brief McGraw-Hill Handbook Elaine Maimon, Janice Peritz, Kathleen Yancey Amazon Price: $30.37
Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks
By: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
Amazon Marketplace: 27 new & used starting at $28.12

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> International -> Relations
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Social Sciences -> Sociology -> General
Subjects -> Reference -> Words & Language -> Rhetoric

Editorial Review:

Drawing on its authors’ more than twenty years of research into writing in college, this economy handbook offers extensive technological support and an indispensable resource for learning, writing, researching, and editing. The Brief McGraw-Hill Handbook features practice exercises throughout, a focus on visual rhetoric, content tied to outcomes, grammar diagnostic quizzes, strong coverage of research and plagiarism, extensive support for multilingual writers, a fully integrated online component, and much more.

Reinventing Collapse: The Soviet Example and American Prospects

Dmitry Orlov

Reinventing Collapse: The Soviet Example and American Prospects Dmitry Orlov Amazon Price: $12.21
List Price: $17.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
By: New Society Publishers
Amazon Marketplace: 29 new & used starting at $10.73

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Economics -> Economic Conditions
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Current Events -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In the waning days of the American empire, we find ourselves mired in political crisis, with our foreign policy coming under sharp criticism and our economy in steep decline. These trends mirror the experience of the Soviet Union in the early 1980s. Reinventing Collapse examines the circumstances of the demise of the Soviet superpower and offers clear insights into how we might prepare for coming events.

Rather than focusing on doom and gloom, Reinventing Collapse suggests that there is room for optimism if we focus our efforts on personal and cultural transformation. With characteristic dry humor, Dmitry Orlov identifies three progressive stages of response to the looming crisis:

  • Mitigation-alleviating the impact of the coming upheaval
  • Adaptation-adjusting to the reality of changed conditions
  • Opportunity-flourishing after the collapse

He argues that by examining maladaptive parts of our common cultural baggage, we can survive, thrive, and discover more meaningful and fulfilling lives, in spite of steadily deteriorating circumstances.

This challenging yet inspiring work is a must-read for anyone concerned about energy, geopolitics, international relations, and life in a post-Peak Oil world.

Dmitry Orlov was born in Leningrad and immigrated to the United States at the age of twelve. He was an eyewitness to the Soviet collapse over several extended visits to his Russian homeland between the late eighties and mid-nineties. He is an engineer and a leading Peak Oil theorist whose writing is featured on such sites as www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net and www.powerswitch.org.uk.

While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within

Bruce Bawer

While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within Bruce Bawer Amazon Price: $11.20
List Price: $14.00
Usually ships in 24 hours
By: Broadway
Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $7.98

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Government -> Social Policy
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> International -> Relations

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 213 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The struggle for the soul of Europe today is every bit as dire and consequential as it was in the 1930s. Then, in Weimar, Germany, the center did not hold, and the light of civilization nearly went out. Today, the continent has entered yet another “Weimar moment.” Will Europeans rise to the challenge posed by radical Islam, or will they cave in once again to the extremists?

As an American living in Europe since 1998, Bruce Bawer has seen this problem up close. Across the continent—in Amsterdam, Oslo, Copenhagen, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, and Stockholm—he encountered large, rapidly expanding Muslim enclaves in which women were oppressed and abused, homosexuals persecuted and killed, “infidels” threatened and vilified, Jews demonized and attacked, barbaric traditions (such as honor killing and forced marriage) widely practiced, and freedom of speech and religion firmly repudiated.

The European political and media establishment turned a blind eye to all this, selling out women, Jews, gays, and democratic principles generally—even criminalizing free speech—in order to pacify the radical Islamists and preserve the illusion of multicultural harmony. The few heroic figures who dared to criticize Muslim extremists and speak up for true liberal values were systematically slandered as fascist bigots. Witnessing the disgraceful reaction of Europe’s elites to 9/11, to the terrorist attacks on Madrid, Beslan, and London, and to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Bawer concluded that Europe was heading inexorably down a path to cultural suicide.

Europe's Muslim communities are powder kegs, brimming with an alienation born of the immigrants’ deep antagonism toward an infidel society that rejects them and compounded by misguided immigration policies that enforce their segregation and empower the extremists in their midst. The mounting crisis produced by these deeply perverse and irresponsible policies finally burst onto our television screens in October 2005, as Paris and other European cities erupted in flames.

WHILE EUROPE SLEPT is the story of one American’s experience in Europe before and after 9/11, and of his many arguments with Europeans about the dangers of militant Islam and America’s role in combating it. This brave and invaluable book—with its riveting combination of eye-opening reportage and blunt, incisive analysis—is essential reading for anyone concerned about the fate of Europe and what it portends for the United States.

The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy And Its Geostrategic Imperatives

Zbigniew Brzezinski

The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy And Its Geostrategic Imperatives Zbigniew Brzezinski Amazon Price: $11.90
List Price: $17.50
By: Basic Books
Amazon Marketplace: 29 new & used starting at $9.87

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> International -> Relations
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> Globalization

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

As the twentieth century draws to a close, the United States has emerged as the world’s only superpower: no other nation possesses comparable military and economic power or has interests that bestride the globe. Yet the critical question facing America remains unanswered: What should be the nation’s global strategy for maintaining its exceptional position in the world? Zbigniew Brzezinski tackles this question head-on in this incisive and pathbreaking book.The Grand Chessboard presents Brzezinski’s bold and provocative geostrategic vision for American preeminence in the twenty-first century. Central to his analysis is the exercise of power on the Eurasian landmass, which is home to the greatest part of the globe’s population, natural resources, and economic activity. Stretching from Portugal to the Bering Strait, from Lapland to Malaysia, Eurasia is the ”grand chessboard” on which America’s supremacy will be ratified and challenged in the years to come. The task facing the United States, he argues, is to manage the conflicts and relationships in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East so that no rival superpower arises to threaten our interests or our well-being.The heart of The Grand Chessboard is Brzezinski’s analysis of the four critical regions of Eurasia and of the stakes for America in each arena—Europe, Russia, Central Asia, and East Asia. The crucial fault lines may seem familiar, but the implosion of the Soviet Union has created new rivalries and new relationships, and Brzezinski maps out the strategic ramifications of the new geopolitical realities. He explains, for example: Why France and Germany will play pivotal geostrategic roles, whereas Britain and Japan will not. Why NATO expansion offers Russia the chance to undo the mistakes of the past, and why Russia cannot afford to toss this opportunity aside. Why the fate of Ukraine and Azerbaijan are so important to America. Why viewing China as a menace is likely to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Why America is not only the first truly global superpower but also the last—and what the implications are for America’s legacy. Brzezinski’s surprising and original conclusions often turn conventional wisdom on its head as he lays the groundwork for a new and compelling vision of America’s vital interests. Once, again, Zbigniew Brzezinski provides our nation with a philosophical and practical guide for maintaining and managing our hard-won global power.

Comparative Politics

Michael J Sodaro

Comparative Politics Michael J Sodaro Amazon Price: $95.17
Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks
By: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
Amazon Marketplace: 61 new & used starting at $63.55

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> International -> Relations
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> Reference

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great learning tool 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is one of the best textbooks I have read for a while. It's informative, but easy to understand and to study from.

Editorial Review:

Comparative Politics: A Global Introduction presents a uniquely comprehensive approach to the study of politics in a variety of countries. Part I surveys the core topics of comparative politics and equips students with the concepts and analytical methods they need to understand the complexities of today’s political world. Part I enhances critical thinking skills by explaining in a step-by-step fashion how the basic techniques of the scientific method, such as qualitative hypothesis testing, can be used to understand political realities. Part II provides in-depth studies of many major countries, using the concepts and analytical techniques introduced in Part I. By combining rich conceptualization, analytical methods, and extensive coverage of a diversity of countries, this engaging text teaches introductory-level students how to think about politics for themselves, logically and systematically.

Page 5 of 200 - Go to page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 16

Return to MagicBeanDip.com

This page was created in 1.6626 seconds.