Review: Rethinking Civilization: Resolving Conflict in the Human Family

Criminal Pricing in Sharp Contrast to Content January 13, 2010 Majid Tehranian I read a lot, and quite by accident (or courtesy of Dick Cheney who drove people back to books looking for answers) I am the top Amazon reviewer for non-fiction. I would have bought this book, along with the book I did buy …

Reference: Retired CIA officer–Fix the Agency

CNN Editor’s note: Charles S. Faddis is a retired CIA operations officer and the former head of the CIA’s unit focused on fighting terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction. The author of a recently published book about the CIA, “Beyond Repair,” Faddis is also president of Orion Strategic Services, a Maryland-based consulting firm. Phi Beta …

Review: Peace–A History of Movements and Ideas

An Utterly Superb Intellectual Contribution–a Major New Reference January 10, 2010 David Cortright This book is a gift to humanity, a foundational reference of such extraorindary value that I earnestly believe it should be required reading for every single liberal arts program in the world, and used as a core book in all graduate international …

Review: To Lead the World–American Strategy after the Bush Doctrine

Superb From Right of Center–VERY Satisfying Competent Collection January 10, 2010 Melvyn Leffler and Jeffrey Legro Of the three books I bought to explore this particular theme, this was the best by far and the only one to earn five stars. Twelve chapters, twelve authors, not a single runt in this litter. The notes are …

Review: World Out of Balance–International Relations and the Challenge of American Primacy

Erudite, Itself Out of Balance, Secoond Tier Reading January 8, 2010 Stephen Brooks and William Wohlforth This is one of three books I bought to reflect on the same generic topic, the other two are Power & Responsibility: Building International Order in an Era of Transnational Threat and To Lead the World: American Strategy after …

Review: Power & Responsibility–Building International Order in an Era of Transnational Threat

Bubba Book January 6, 2010 Bruce Jones, Carlos Pascual, Stephen John Stedman EDIT of 7 Jan 09.  I got halfway through another book last night and now understand the Princeton-based idea that the US has enough power to demand changes and that earlier “balance of power” constraints might not apply.  On the one hand, this …

Review: Social Change 2.0–A Blueprint for Reinventing Our World

Undeniable Genius Isolated from Other Movements January 4, 2010 David Gershon This book is a work of undeniable genius and to that I would add peseverence–the author and his wife Gail Straub have been on the forefront of the personal empowerment movement from the late 1970’s onward, and in many ways this book is a …