Rating: 
Summary: Prescription for American Foreign Policy
Review: This inciteful book by Joseph Nye explains how international responsibility by the United States is in the best interests of the United States. Nye's book clarifies the future of international relations.
Nye starts by explaining soft power, the ability to persuade others want to do what you want them, as opposed the hard power, the ability to force others to do what you want them to. Nye mentions the information revolution, the spread of information further and faster. Nye also talks about globalization, the growing interconnections of the world, and NGOs, Non Governmental Organizations and their relation to soft power.Nye also examines various domestic factors and points out America's problem with converting power into influence. He also mentions popular indifference toward foreign policy which leaves foreign policy to be made by special interest groups which do not have the same interests as the national interest, which is what the citizens, after proper deliberation, say it is. Nye points out that we should not ignore the interest of the international community in favor of purely national interest, and that the two are not necessarily incompatible.
Nye suggests a strategy based on global public needs, and rules of prudence for humanitarian intervention. He also charts a middle path between unilateralism and multilateralism. Nye finishes by quoting a controversial former Secretary of State, "The test of history for the United States will be whether we can turn our current predominant power into international consensus and our own principles into widely accepted international norms." The problem is that in the 21st century powerful men and women will be less limited than before.
Rating: 
Summary: Stupid book
Review: This is a stupid book. Its premises do not work. I pitty Harvard for wrong-headed teaching...
Rating: 
Summary: Progressive, Innovative, and Levelheaded
Review: This is a truly awe-inspiring book.
The great science-fiction writers George Orwell and Aldous Huxley were the ominous prophets of the 20th century.
Joseph S. Nye Jr. is the ingenious, visionary leader of the 21st century.
As the world becomes more interconnected and interdependent, Professor Nye strongly emphasizes the need to integrate our domestic and foreign policies as well as our national and international interests in order to design broad-based global principles that are economically and politically beneficial to individuals at home and abroad.
To accomplish this, Professor Nye states that it is not only important, but vital for the U.S. to establish cooperative relationships with other countries. The U.S. must learn to develop and use honest, multilateral stategies so that it can collectively solve complex, international issues such as peacekeeping and environmental policies, trade, terrorism, human rights, etc.
The future world leader will not be the arrogant, self-centered, manipulative brute.
Instead, the genuine leader will be the one who can inspire, attract, and resonate positivity(openness, integrity, teamwork, and humility) in those they lead and who will treat others with the highest degree of human dignity and mutual respect.
Thank you Professor Nye for sharing your sharp wit and wisdom with the world!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Very cut and dry, and at times very boring. Nye uses so many quotes that you start to wonder whether he has any ideas of his own. There also seem to be superfluous references to September 11th that seem to be thrown in just for the hell of it. But I'm no critic -- if you're not looking for an exciting read, give it a shot.
Rating:
Summary: Plays Well With Others
Review: When I bought this book I expected it to basically be a review of the first few years of the Bush 2 Presidency as it related to foreign affairs and all the things that the author thought the President did incorrectly. To give the author credit, in today's publishing world where the more partisan and anti whoever your book is the more it sells this author took the high road and just discussed the state of the world and Americans place in it. The author spends the first part of the book talking about the current level of power in the world with some very insightful and interesting reveries of some of the other countries out there vying to replace the U.S. as the top dog. His view of power, both hard and soft, is clearly stated and a nice primer for understanding politics on the world stage.
As you may have guessed by the title of the book, who the author is and the dust jacket, that the author believes that the U.S. needs to stop acting as if we can go it alone and the rest of the world be dammed. He gives a nice overview of the number of treaties and conventions that the Bush administration has chosen to get out of or not enter into, and the possible effects this go it alone attitude will have on issues of importance to America. He ties in the war on terror and how the U.S. needs friends and allies across the globe to help keep us safe. Given the current state of affairs in Iraq and the spread thin nature of American forces, the author was correct in his predictions that it is difficult if not impossible for American to go it alone in any large scale operations without significant sacrifices at home. He also talks about how our economy can be hurt with too much isolationistic actions.
Overall this is a solid book that gives the reader a nice overview of the current world situation from a more moderate point of view. I did not get the impression the author was all that liberal, just that the current administration policies are so conservative that moderate views seem liberal in comparison. My only complaint about the book is that the author is a college professor and to be fair he does seem to write like one. This is not a book meant for half attention or someone that wants a light diversion. If you are interested in world politics then this is an interesting book that you can learn something from.
Rating:
Summary: Stupid book
Review: With a solid background in international relations, Nye argues for stronger multilateral policies for the USA. He cautions that America must not let its strength in military power overshadow needs to be met through other means. Military might, he argues, is not enough to keep his nation paramount. Other forms of power are available to retain the US as a strong nation without the cost of alienating others. Excessive unilateralism, he contends, only builds resentments. While those resentments may be kept in check by military or even economic might, that kind of supremacy cannot be expected to continue. New, powerful alliances can be
cemented by those with a common cause. The "paradox", then, is that the US must maintain military strength while building up ways of avoiding the need to use it. Otherwise, superiority will be simply self-eroding. Nye terms other forms of meaningful strength, "soft" power. Some of these are use of NGOs [non-governmental organisations], health care and education support, and information distribution. He takes seriously the growth of the Internet as a major force in imparting and applying soft power ideas. It's not a simplistic "pen mightier than the sword" proposal, but stops little short of that cliche. In Nye's view, "soft power" is an attractor - it helps people feel comfortable and allows viewpoints to relax and reduces confrontation. The best foreign policy is to encourage people to want to do what you want them to do. Soft power can accomplish this end without alienating others nor eroding your own position, he explains. Nye's thesis is well thought out and ably presented. It's not a sermon about what is wrong with present or past US administrations. In fact, it's a book that could be read profitably by any number and styles of government. Every nation has some form of foreign policy, quite apart from whatever military or economic power it maintains. Helping others to agree on what is mutually beneficial is the ultimate zero-sum game. Getting the negotiators to achieve that end means applying the process Nye outlines here. That his proposals have been ignored by the current US administration doesn't invalidate this book. Indeed, it merely shows how more people should be reading this and urging their governments to give it heed. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
Rating:
Summary: The strength of soft power
Review: With a solid background in international relations, Nye argues for stronger multilateral policies for the USA. He cautions that America must not let its strength in military power overshadow needs to be met through other means. Military might, he argues, is not enough to keep his nation paramount. Other forms of power are available to retain the US as a strong nation without the cost of alienating others. Excessive unilateralism, he contends, only builds resentments. While those resentments may be kept in check by military or even economic might, that kind of supremacy cannot be expected to continue. New, powerful alliances can be
cemented by those with a common cause. The "paradox", then, is that the US must maintain military strength while building up ways of avoiding the need to use it. Otherwise, superiority will be simply self-eroding. Nye terms other forms of meaningful strength, "soft" power. Some of these are use of NGOs [non-governmental organisations], health care and education support, and information distribution. He takes seriously the growth of the Internet as a major force in imparting and applying soft power ideas. It's not a simplistic "pen mightier than the sword" proposal, but stops little short of that cliche. In Nye's view, "soft power" is an attractor - it helps people feel comfortable and allows viewpoints to relax and reduces confrontation. The best foreign policy is to encourage people to want to do what you want them to do. Soft power can accomplish this end without alienating others nor eroding your own position, he explains. Nye's thesis is well thought out and ably presented. It's not a sermon about what is wrong with present or past US administrations. In fact, it's a book that could be read profitably by any number and styles of government. Every nation has some form of foreign policy, quite apart from whatever military or economic power it maintains. Helping others to agree on what is mutually beneficial is the ultimate zero-sum game. Getting the negotiators to achieve that end means applying the process Nye outlines here. That his proposals have been ignored by the current US administration doesn't invalidate this book. Indeed, it merely shows how more people should be reading this and urging their governments to give it heed. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
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