Rating: 
Summary: Very Good Overview
Review: Reading this book is similar to listening to a Kissinger interview, it is a bit dry, at times hard to understand the first pass over, but in the end a well thought out, accurate and inteligent set of comments. I think the biggest complaint I have with the book is that the title is misleading. The author does not argue if the U.S. needs a foreign policy, but he explains the different regions of the world and what issues effect the U.S. and how our foreign policy should take these issues into account. I took the most out of the chapters on the Middle East and Asia, but was surprised by the chapter on the America's. There was a ton of information that would help any student of American politics and what the country will be facing in the upcoming 10 - 20 years. The only other issue I had with the book was his few attempts to point out errors in American foreign policy and almost always placing the blame with the Clinton administration. Although in certain circles that is the fad thing to do, there have been a number of errors or oversights by the other administrations sense the Nixon administration which could have been used to highlight a point. The most important point in the book is that the government and people of the U.S. need to debate and develop a long term and global set of policies to take us through the next 30 years and stop the reacting to a crisis here and a crisis there. I think this is the overriding point he was making with the book. Overall the book is well written and smart. It provides an excellent introduction to the foreign policy issues in the world today. Just be prepared to work for it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Kissinger, Bad Kissinger
Review: This book left me with the thought of how nice it would have been to have attended a Prof. Kissinger lecture before he became "The Kissinger." That's the one that is always auditioning for a new Republican administration, and who can't stand not having his views followed to the letter. This book gives much of what the former would be like, but he never lets you forget the second part of his self imposed identity. In truth, I wonder if he knows the difference. The "good Kissinger" include historical facts of various diplomatic activities and encounters. He is especially good at relating these events with current policies (written pre-September 11th). His remarks on globalization may come to be seen as prophetic. The "bad Kissinger" is pure party politics. I recall an applicable quote, "To portray only what you want to be true is the first step of censorship." That is what is seen in this book, the Kissinger intolerance for any other view. To this Kissinger, every foreign policy initiated by a Democratic president is ill-advised, ill-conceived, or simply put, non-Kissingerian. In truth, even the learned Kissinger would be hard pressed to give an example of a foreign policy that could not be criticized. His presentation, though, is anti-intellectual because he shamelessly fails to give similar critiques to any Republican president. He makes no mention of Reagan's illegal attempt to sell arms to Iran, or the Lebanon fiasco that led to the deaths of numerous Marines (and no American response unless invading Grenada would some how hurt the feelings of the Middle East terrorists). He most certainly could have found some foreign policy concerns with Reagan's early support for Saddam Hussein and the lack of American response to Iraq's killing of 37 U.S. sailors aboard a Navy ship in 1987. Clinton is specifically criticized for not directly removing the Serbian president in the NATO war against the Serbs, but the failure of Bush Sr. to remove Hussein is barely noted and Bush Sr. escapes specific blame by name. And please don't tell me that Kissinger had no qualms about Bush Jr's. announcing that his administration would begin by keeping it's hands off the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The author, though, makes no mention of this foreign policy debacle. Overall, the book has real value, and it is informative on various levels of government and foreign affairs. However, the reader should accept the book with Kissinger's own warning about the Information Age. That is, having the information is of little value, without the ability to properly interpret the information. Kissinger gives the reader much information, but his unscientific approach prevents an intelligent interpretation.
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