Books offers critique and commentary of recently published books in the field of international affairs. Contributions to Books provide context, arguments, and critical thought that help clarify recent scholarly work. While publications on any aspect of global affairs can be reviewed in the Journal, books examined in this section frequently address challenges in politics, diplomacy, or contemporary societal issues.

Reorienting Indian Foreign Policy

Review by Sumit Ganguly

The transformation of India’s foreign and security policies at the end of the Cold War was nothing less than revolutionary. The country’s leadership had to re-examine the fundamental tenets of its policies, as the pillars on which they had rested crumbled. more...

Staying Competitive:
U.S. Economic Policy

Review by Ronald McKinnon

The United States and the World Economy: Foreign Economic Policy for the Next Decade suggests policy changes to resolve the economic problems of the United States and the implications of these suggested policies for the rest of the world. The authors are drawn from the Institute for International Economics (IIE). C. Fred Bergsten, director of the IIE, leads with a 50-page essay entitled “A New Foreign Economic Policy for the United States,” whose title aptly explains its content. more...

Washington’s Missing Piece

Review by Roger Howard

It is a curious paradox that a foreign government should play a starring role on the political stage of a country with which it has no formal relations. Nevertheless, in the past quarter century, Iran has haunted successive U.S. administrations like a sinister eminence grise. more...