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The Dispensable Nation: American Foreign Policy in Retreat Paperback – 14 January 2014
by Vali Nasr (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (84)
A Financial Times Best Book of the Year
Forcefully persuasive, The Dispensable Nation is a game changer for America as it charts a course in the Muslim world, Asia, and beyond. Vali Nasr shows how the Obama administration missed its chance to improve U.S. relations with the Middle East by continuing to pursue its predecessor's questionable strategies there. Nasr takes readers behind the scenes at the State Department and reveals how the specter of terrorism and the new administration's fear of political backlash crippled diplomatic efforts to boost America's foundering credibility with world leaders. Meanwhile, the true economic threats, China and Russia, were quietly expanding their influence in the region. Nasr argues that, as a result of the U.S.'s flawed strategy, a second Arab Spring is brewing--not a hopeful clamor for democracy but rage at the United States for its foreign policy of drones and assassinations.
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Geopolitics
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320 pages
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Review
"A brave book. . . . Nasr delivers a devastating portrait of a first-term foreign policy that shunned the tough choices of real diplomacy. . . . The Dispensable Nation constitutes important reading. . . . It nails the drift away from the art of diplomacy--with its painful give-and-take--toward a U.S. foreign policy driven by the Pentagon, intelligence agencies and short-term political calculus. It holds the president to account for his zigzags from Kabul to Jerusalem. . . . Its core message is: Diplomacy is tough and carries a price, but the price is higher when it is abandoned."
--The New York Times
"An original, powerful, and provocative critique of American foreign policy under President Obama."
--George Packer, author of The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq
"Nasr delivers a sharp, sober, fast-paced and absolutely riveting critique of President Obama's policies in the Middle East and Afghanistan."
--Robert Kagan, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution and author of The World America Made
"An indispensable book. Taking us into the secretive world of high-level American foreign policy, Vali Nasr shares astounding, previously unrevealed details about the Obama administration's dealings with Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. Nasr doesn't just spill secrets--he also charts a path forward, advancing an insightful prescription for how the United States can regain its lost influence. This provocative story is a must-read for anyone who cares about America's role in the world."
--Rajiv Chandrasekaran, author of Little America and Imperial Life in the Emerald City
"A pugnacious book. . . . The Dispensable Nation is strongest when Nasr lays into the Obama administration's policies in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, three countries he knows exceptionally well, and on which he worked day-to-day at the State Department."
--The New York Review of Books
"Vali Nasr was in the room during key moments of the Obama administration's first two years as it faced some of its most important foreign policy challenges. His portrayal of strategic confusion inside Obama's White House is devastating and persuasive. Nasr writes with the dispassion of one of the United States' leading experts on the Middle East and South Asia and with the insider knowledge he gained as a senior adviser to Richard Holbrooke, the legendary diplomat. Nasr asserts that the Obama White House didn't really believe in diplomacy in its dealings with the Afghans and Pakistanis and he makes his case with great cogency and clarity in this indispensable book."
--Peter Bergen, author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for bin Laden, from 9/11 to Abbottabad
"The Dispensable Nation is an important wake-up call by a thoughtful, astute and deeply knowledgeable scholar and policymaker. Anyone interested in the Middle East, China, or the future of American power should read it immediately and think hard about its message."
--Anne-Marie Slaughter, Bert G. Kerstetter '66 University Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University and former Director of Policy Planning, U.S. Department of State, 2009-2011
"An impressive tour d'horizon which includes a personally frank eulogy to Richard Holbrooke's failed efforts to shape U.S. policy in Afghanistan, revealing insights into White House vs. State Department collisions over U.S. strategy, and a sweeping review of the escalating geopolitical challenges the U.S. needs to address more intelligently in the Middle East, the Far East, and especially Iran. Gutsy, intriguing, and challenging."
--Zbigniew Brzezinski
"Vali Nasr is without peer in explaining how and why political order is crumbling across the Middle East, and how and why China may reap the spoils. Along the way, he lays out in never-before-told, granular detail why President Obama's first term was such a disappointment regarding foreign policy."
--Robert D. Kaplan, chief geopolitical analyst, Stratfor, and author of The Revenge of Geography
"[A] vivid firsthand account of White House policymaking...Nasr's shrewd, very readable analyses of byzantine Middle Eastern geo-politics are superb."
--Publishers Weekly
"An informed, smoothly argued brief that will surely rattle windows at the White House."
--Kirkus Reviews, starred review
About the Author
Vali Nasr is Dean of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and the bestselling author of The Shia Revival and Forces of Fortune. From 2009 to 2011, he served as Senior Advisor to Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. A Nonresident Fellow at the Brookings Institution and a contributor to Bloomberg View, he lives in Washington, D.C.
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The Dispensable Nation: American Foreign Policy in Retreat
The Dispensable Nation: American Foreign Policy in Retreat
Product details
ASIN : 0345802578
Publisher : Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication date : 14 January 2014
Language : English
Print length : 320 pages
==
From other countries
Georges Mokhbat
5.0 out of 5 stars riche et éclairant
Reviewed in France on 27 March 2014
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Ce livre donne une analyse "terrain" de la géostratégie au moyen orient et démontre à quel point la politique militaire et court terme des USA dans la région debl'orient
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MAHMOOD AHMAD
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent informative book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 June 2013
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
An eye-opener, tells somewhat inside story of decision-making fallacies malnourished by power and tact. I would recommend to any reader of international politics.
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Mario P. Simon
3.0 out of 5 stars While this is an interesting read it is too convoluted ...
Reviewed in Canada on 16 September 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
While this is an interesting read it is too convoluted. I just wish the author would get to the point.
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Shamayita Sen
5.0 out of 5 stars Sheer delight! A must read for connoisseurs of American foreign ...
Reviewed in India on 17 May 2016
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
A rollercoaster ride it was!! Sheer delight! A must read for connoisseurs of American foreign policy.
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Walo Berner
4.0 out of 5 stars Lesenswert
Reviewed in Germany on 25 August 2013
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Die Analyse ist in vielen Teilen wahrscheinlich zutreffend und aufschlussreich. Die vielsagende Kritik an Obama ändert nichts an der immer wieder durchscheinenden imperialistischen Denkweise der Amerikaner.
Die Schlussfolgerungen von Vali Nasr sind aber offensichtlich parteiisch. Er geht davon aus, dass die USA den Staat Israel weiterhin vorbehaltlos unterstützen werden. Kein Wunder, denn Nasr arbeitet für die Brookings Institutions, wo der AIPAC-Mann Martin Indyk das Sagen hat.
Das Buch ist interessant für jene Leser, die seit Jahren das Geschehen im Nahen Osten und das Verhalten der Achse USA/Israel in den führenden Medien von Israel, England und den USA verfolgen.
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Christpher Hays
5.0 out of 5 stars The Indispensable Book
Reviewed in the United States on 3 June 2013
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A multi-layered assessment of Obama's Middle East foreign policy from a former State Department insider. Vali Nasr portrays Obama as the prototypical political animal: excelling at speeches and promises, but always with his finger on the pulse of public opinion and using that as a compass to guide his actual policy. Obama appears to have relied mostly on a cabal of white house insiders, holdovers from his political campaign, to direct his foreign policy instead of relying on the sage advice of his State Department specialists, particularly the likes of Richard Holbrooke, whom most of Obama's advisers seemed to have regarded as something of a pariah. (Holbrooke died in 2010). Too bad, since Holbrooke actually seemed to have his finger on the pulse of the Middle East itself, although he struggled to have his voice heard by the President.
Nasr leads us on a tour of the major Middle Eastern players; Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and even China, and then lays out the stakes and the inter-relationships in a nuanced and enlightening display of insight, dire warnings and credible predictions for possible outcomes. China, by the way, enters into the picture by way of our own exit. Obama's policy seems to essentially amount to disengagement from the Middle East, leaving an opening as wide as the Persian Gulf for China to move into and it has wasted no time in doing so.
Not everyone will dissagree with Obama's desire to pack up and leave the Middle East to its own fate. For over ten years now we have spilled blood and treasure without any obvious benefit to our own interests there. Nasr argues that now is not the time to disengage, but instead we should double down and try our hand at actual diplomacy and economic support instead of an over-relaince on drone warfare, something which is more likely to continue to generate hostility towards us than provide us with any real lasting measure of safety. Likewise, he argues that it's short sighted to think that we no longer have any stake in a stable Middle East, simply because we are becoming less dependent on their oil. Our allies are still dependent on their oil and that will eventually come back to bite us if we ignore the longer term consequences.
Nasr makes a lot of sense and I find myself wanting to agree with him but not quite finding myself able to do so. It's not that I find his analysis has any major flaws, indeed, it makes a lot of sense. Where I hesitate is with his faith that diplomacy would work where all other efforts have so far failed. Likewise, economic help might actually make a big difference if we actually HAD any money left to help anyone else out with, at least to the degree that would be required in the case of the Middle East. It's just not going to happen. He does argue, not without some legitimate concern, that the outcome of Obama's disengagement policy will likely leave the Middle East with multiple failed states or hostile Islamist States throughout the region, neither of which are in our long term interests. It's hard to generate much of a counter argument to that, but its also not really obvious that continuing to stick our noses in other peoples business is really the answer either. Some call it leadership (the author does); I just disagree.
In the end, Nasr's book is a gem for its breadth and insight and you don't have to buy into everything he says to be educated by this excellent book.
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Miro
4.0 out of 5 stars Eisicht indie innere Struktur der US Executive
Reviewed in Germany on 24 May 2013
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Interessanter Einblick in das Arbeitsverhältnis zwischen White House und State Department.
Excellente Analysis des Versagens in Afganistan und Pakistan. Leider sind zu Ende einige
Klischees geschrieben, die aus US Sicht verständlich sind, doch für nicht- Amerikaner nicht
immer Zustimmung finden.
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Amazon Customer
1.0 out of 5 stars I reordered which was far worse than the previous one
Reviewed in India on 12 January 2017
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The product delivered to me was in very shape. It appeared used, brownish and dusty. I reordered which was far worse than the previous one. It was really disappointing. Not worth the price.
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Z. Ahari
4.0 out of 5 stars Well researched and informative. An education
Reviewed in the United States on 19 May 2013
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
I am a prolific reader with a great appetite for political books and articles. My main areas of interest are the two world wars and the regional political and nation states that these events created especially the Middle East. In order to read as much as I can and cut the reading time, I have developed a system of speed reading to absorb just the gist of the matter discussed.
Reading Vali Nasr's book the Dispensable Nation I applied the same technique and I must admit I was under the impression that I got from one or two of the amateur Amazon reviewers. The first few pages proved to create an impression that perhaps this was the narrative of a discouraged and frustrated academician turned politician. The book started in a manner similar to Paul O'Neil's "Price of Loyalty" and Thomas Ricks"Fiasco" by describing the details of diversion of opinion between the White House and the State Department regarding the Middle East. This impression further was strengthened by coming across Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Richard Holbrook's names mentioned repeatedly in an adulatory fashion in the first chapter on Afghanistan. However further along the style and contents of the book changed so dramatically that I felt forced to start from the beginning and read the book in a conventional and concentrated manner. Now that I have just finished the book I admit that I have enjoyed reading it and have learnt a great deal from it.
I found the book informative and well documented supported by an extensive bibliography for further reading. The description of the history, the the present and the forecasts for the future of various places under consideration were sound, realistic and on occasions alarming. The description of the present political status of West Asia specifically the Middle East is accurate and described with impartially partial alacrity that is refreshing. Mr. Nasr describes clearly the role that the US has played in creating the entangled web in the Middle East and suggests credible solutions. The most important part is the explanation of China's present global role, plans and future ambitions. Mr. Nasr's explanation of China's intentions to get involved in the Middle East was proved right by declaration issued by China regarding the country's position on Israel-Palestine conflict after the publication of the book.
This is a book written probably as swan song addressed to the Obama administration to remind it of the advices given but not heeded. The book also plays another important role; to educate the mostly uninformed and often confused general American public about an area that has played and is still playing a crucial role for the future of their country and the world.
Mr. Nasr lays bare the alternatives that lie ahead for America and the people of the Middle East; American form of Jeffersonian Democracy, Chinese style centrally orchestrated way of governance or the alternative suggested by Javaher Laall Nehru of India, Mohammad Mosaddegh of Iran and Joseph Tito of former Yugoslavia-- The Third Way
In my view addition of of a chapter describing the origins of American Entry in the Middle Eastern political scene starting with the meeting between FDR and ibn Saud the king of Saudi Arabia immediately following the Yalta Conference would make the book complete. FDR correctly foresaw the future, the coming energy demands and the treasure trove that lay under the sands of the area. He laid the grounds for the future of the US foreign policy in the Middle East and Persian Gulf-- until then completely dominated by Britain-- a red thread that has continued irrespective of political choice of the American people.
I enjoyed reading this book. I believe it should be an essential reading for the people involved in making decisions in the American foreign policy arena involved in matters related to West Asia and the people of the United States to find out where all the blood is shed and the fortunes that are squandered. I also hope that in some form or another it is translated and offered in the West Asian countries to make them aware of their choices and what lies ahead.
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Dan Kiesey
5.0 out of 5 stars Written in a very impartial tone
Reviewed in the United States on 5 June 2013
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I've worked hard during the recent years trying to access as many impartial articles, books and media reports as I could find. As you might suspect, "impartial" reporting is getting difficult to find, but I felt Mr. Nasr does just that. Additionally, I discovered a number of our government's lapses and misjudgments I was not aware....with the summary being, none of the recent administrations appear to be very professional. My summary would be that our recent administration's (not just Obama or just Bush) foreign affairs policies are the result of inexperienced leadership from the White House and "what plays to the public's emotions, with insufficient input from the foreign affairs professional experts....and we have missed numerous opportunities for negotiated results putting us and the world in a better position.
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Dr.Charles Dusenbury
3.0 out of 5 stars Middle East Policy; To Be, or Not To Be, Perhaps
Reviewed in the United States on 9 May 2013
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Wow. Before reading this well written book, I had always assumed that the old saying, "Great minds and fools think alike," was about two separate groups of individuals; now I'm not so sure.
Mr. Nasr is very lucid and states in very clear terms the range of challenges that the Middle East presents to any American presidential administration. He gives the reader an inside-baseball look at the process and pain of deciding on what American policy should be and how it is to be implemented, vis-a-vis the Middle East. Working as the senior advisor to Mr. Obama's special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, Vali Nasr was party to the process of decision making/not making that is currently manifest in the region.
This reviewer initially highlighted many passages which validated a "Well, there you go again" view of a presidency less attuned to leading the community of nations than being a community organizer. As an example, "In the cocoon of our public debate Obama gets high marks on foreign policy. That is because his policies' principal aim is not to make strategic decisions but to satisfy public opinion...he has done more of the things that people want and fewer of the things we have to do that may be unpopular." and, "To our allies, however, our constant tactical maneuvers don't add up to a coherent strategy or a vision of global leadership." Ouch! Painful on several fronts.
Painful because this and many passages point to a seemingly rudderless ship of state on a turbulent global sea; painful because it would be more comforting to know that the good of the nation and its leadership in the world would be placed above local electoral politics; and painful because, well, are there actually any good policies that might insure a sense of peace and security in a global environment of stateless entities with an increasing lethality?
The author presents a basket load of problems and possible approaches for the Middle East, particularly Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, and ties it up with a global bow of China as our main challenge for the future. This reviewer was left with feeling that it's no picnic to be charged with the responsibility for dealing with the problems of this nation or the world. I'm sure glad this basket was not left on my door step.
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Felix De La Torre
5.0 out of 5 stars Vali Nasr's "Dispensable Nation" is a must read.
Reviewed in the United States on 20 May 2014
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This is an excellent read for anyone interested in deciphering the dynamics of US foreign policy. Vali Nasr's "Dispensable Nation" is an engrossing and highly informative tour of the inner workings of our government's formulation of foreign policy, as it pertains to the political and cultural complexities in the Middle-East.
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Ali Salehian
4.0 out of 5 stars Dispensable Nation
Reviewed in the United States on 10 May 2013
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For those who are interested in world affair and especially the politics of the Middle East this is a good book to read. It tells us the foreign policy of the United States in general and President Obama's views in particular towards the Middle East and Asia.
The author Mr. Nasr gives a detail of what has been going on in the Obama administration during his first four years of presidency and his way of handling the Middle East affair since he has been in office. He also criticize this administration for most of the actions regarding the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and the hasty withdrawal of troops from these two countries. In particular he advocates that the United States should be more engaged in the Arab Spring and should have done more to prevent the rising of the extremists in these countries.
Blaming this administration for all the mishaps in the Middle East and problems in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan etc. is unfair because Mr. Obama did inherit these two wars from the previous administration and all he wants to do is to wrap up and get out of these mess as the American people want badly.
The writer should have known that in any of these Moslem countries any free and democratic election the extremist Islamist group will win, not because they are good, but they are the only alternative to the corrupt governments of these regimes.
We cannot inject democracy in a country that has been ruled by dictators for such a long time and this is too much to expect. It will take a long time to build up a nation and transform it from a dictatorship to a democracy .
Ali Salehian
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M.A. Oaks
5.0 out of 5 stars Diplomacy, or lack thereof
Reviewed in the United States on 1 December 2015
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Mr. Nasr's book, The Dispensable Nation, gives a first-hand look at diplomacy and foreign relations during the first term of the Obama Administration. His insights elaborate on many of the events that have occurred throughout the Middle East in the past decades, the longtime work of Richard Holbrooke, the admirable goals of the Clinton State Department, and the President's White House staff members' failures in promoting diplomatic, versus military, intervention in the tinderbox that is the Middle East. I find Mr. Nasr's insights both reputable and valuable. Mr. Nasr is well regarded in his industry, and was a member of the Clinton State Department, which lends credence to his assertions, as well as giving the impression that his biases are limited in his retelling of the events of the time. Given the rise of tensions in the Middle East, this is a must read to have a background in current, foreign affairs.
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Todd Thompson
5.0 out of 5 stars No time to blink
Reviewed in the United States on 26 January 2014
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This is an excellent lesson on the state of international interdependence and the critical role of sustained and principled diplomacy. As critical of Bush's military chauvinism is Nasr's clear-eyed critique of Obama's indecisive and duplicitous default to laissez-faire in the Middle East, opening wide the gates to the Persian Gulf for China's grand entry and future dominance of the region.
The book is a heavy trudge through painful, almost embarrassing, moments in the last five years of diplomatic and political history in which the Obama administration comes off as incredibly weak when enormous strength was called for. However, much more important than Nasr's critique of Obama is his understanding and explanation of the critical path to the U.S. becoming what Bill Clinton called "The Indispensable Nation."
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G M. Stathis
3.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps an "Indispensable" Nation
Reviewed in the United States on 13 January 2015
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The strength of Vali Nasr's book is attention to detail based on his experiences with the Obama Administration regarding the Arab-Israeli Conflict, but the weakness comes from the same topic...was he too close to the experience, and too frustrated, to view the problem from a larger point of view? He protests greatly about Obama, but says precious little about the two great obstacles to resurrecting the peace process for this conflict: divisions between Hamas and Fatah, and most importantly the virtual intransigence of the Netanyahu government in Israel. Former President Jimmy Carter was quite correct last night with John Stuart that the United States is the only power that can urge the Palestinians and Israel back to the peace table, a point Mr. Nasr would agree with, but now is obviously not the time. Great as the United States is there is only so much it can do given the current reality. But this hardly makes the United States a "dispensable" power. Indeed, the logic here is rather backward. The fact is the United States is an "indispensable power," a conclusion that seems to hide between the lines in Nasr's work; recent frustrations in isolated cases does not change that. Nasr's importance to scholarship remains his focused commentary on the Middle East, but that area is not the alpha and omega regarding American foreign policy. On the other hand, yes, solving the Arab-Israeli Conflict is the single most important issue in the region, that is a point that can be agreed upon; Obama has not been the source of failure in solving this Gordian knot, the main players are.
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William R. Cohen
4.0 out of 5 stars An well written book for those interested in US foreign policy
Reviewed in the United States on 19 May 2013
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I believe that he is correctly suggesting the future Chinese influence in the Middle East. I can already see it. Even here in Israel, the Chinese are building major tunnels and doing their best to obtain the construction of the railroad to Eilat. I agree that the smaller foot print of the US in our area will not be desirable. A good example today is Russia attempting to control Syria's future. Even though I am not an Obama fan, Nasr did not convince me that all was so bad. He suggests that diplomacy is that which is important and not military activity. This is not always so.If we in Israel relied only on diplomacy, we would not be here. All in all it is a good book that should be read by anyone interested in international affairs.
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S. Kohn
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, but
Reviewed in the United States on 20 April 2014
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The book presents an excellent discussion of foreign policy issues facing the United States and the world. It has far more than a critique of the Obama administration – which is the way several of reviews described it.
However, as the book droned on it became far too easy to skip everything except the first sentence or two in each paragraph.
In short, a fine book for a foreign-policy junkie, but a bit tedious for the lay reader.
.
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Michael E. Murray MD
2.0 out of 5 stars An Intemperate Self-Centered Rant
Reviewed in the United States on 29 April 2013
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Vali Nasr begins this book with fifty nine pages of personal pique at "The White House" for ignoring the recomendations of his boss, Richard Holbrooke. It may be worse than he states. Holbrooke, a difficult man, may have been shunted into the position of AfPak chief just to get him out of the way of Nasr's real hero, Hillary Clinton. It is possible that Obama's security advisors never expected much from an AfPak initiative.
The rest of the book concerns Mr. Nasr's argument for maintaining a strong presence in the Middle East. Despite recent military and diplomatic history he seem to think that we can control major outcomes in this exploding area. He advocates a strong intervention in Syria while neglecting to explain how that is to be carried out successsfully.
The first section of the book is a self-centered and intemperate rant which may keep Mr Nasr from being asked to join any future administration.
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vic la madrid
3.0 out of 5 stars Water logged book...
Reviewed in the United States on 24 August 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Book was not as described, looks like was dropped in some kind of liquid. Shows signs of water damages and smelled. I didn't return it as I wanted to read it, but could not stand the smell. I sprayed it with freebreeze between the waterlogged pages and ziplocked in a plastic bag. Hoping tthat the smell would go away, No avail so I ordered another book but hardcover this time. Btw the smell didn't go away, Still waiting for the replacement book, They said "Next month on 5th Sept.
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Dan B
3.0 out of 5 stars Great, informative read. But.....
Reviewed in the United States on 17 March 2014
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The vast majority of this book is informative and very well articulated. But I have an issue with a member (current or former) of this Administration blaming Benghazi on the release of "The Innocent Prophet". The timing of its release was very advantageous to Obama and his Admin who still to this day claim it as fact. It had nothing to do with the video, and you all know it.
But over all, this is a good read.
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Steven F. Elliott
4.0 out of 5 stars Timely and informative read
Reviewed in the United States on 3 November 2013
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Excelllent synthesis of Middle Eastern situation from a direct participant. Will give you a much more nuanced view of the Iranian situation. He definitely has his point of view, but the analysis and synthesis is not overly jaded by it at all. Thoroughly enjoyed this expansion of my understanding in this area.
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Bluenova
1.0 out of 5 stars Hillary Shill
Reviewed in the United States on 30 April 2013
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Aftr a few pages of reading this, I'm sure that this guy is shilling for hillary to remake her legacy as SOS. She lied about Benghazi on two counts to-date 1) she denied more protection; and, 2) she omitted the fact that there was a quick response team training in Croatia that could have saved lives. And to paraphrase the event that caused the death of four Americans, she testily shouted before a congressional hearing, "It happened; let's move on." With no Signature Accomplishment as SOS (except racking up frequent flier miles), the BS campaigning begins with this book. I've been had! I'm going to ask Amazon for my money back. [Amazon was gracious enough to refund this kindle book.] BTW, if you want a real assessment of how this administration operates the country, read "Clueless." If you want the real intent of this administration read the article "Obama and the Cloward Pivin Strategy."
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rikster
4.0 out of 5 stars A Nation in Decline
Reviewed in the United States on 8 June 2013
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This is not some right wing rant against all things Obama. The book is written with an Obama insider's view of the disaster Obama's foreign policy is having on the stability of the world. Guaranteed Iran will have nuclear capabilities without any significant consequences...chilling.
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Michael Amir Heidari
3.0 out of 5 stars Good Read but Outdated
Reviewed in the United States on 16 March 2016
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Mr. Nasr has a lot of good ideas and he is insightful. Also, he has some interesting thoughts about the rise of China and the rest of the developed world. And his perspective on Iran and other Middle Eastern powers was enlightening. However, he is incredibly critical of the Obama administration and parts seem to be more emotional than academic.
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Senior consumer
4.0 out of 5 stars Nasr's Dispensable Nation
Reviewed in the United States on 9 June 2013
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It is somewhat less comprehensive than Obama and the Middle East and a bit too focused on Nasr's work with Richard Holbrooke who, although brilliant in Yugoslavia, failed to gain traction in Afghanistan because of his relationship with Obama.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Very informative about the back stage of Obama's foreign policy
Reviewed in the United States on 10 July 2013
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Written in a personal mood by a former advisor of Secretary Clinton the book reveals important features of the coflicts between the White House and the State Department.
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elsasol
5.0 out of 5 stars How Politics Trumps Policy
Reviewed in the United States on 25 May 2013
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Important analysis by knowledgeable expert faulting U.S. foreign policy for failing to utilize diplomatic skills, channels and options.
How politics and ignorance trumps experience in U.S. policy -- over and over. Perhaps a tad too optimistic about the effectiveness of diplomacy in this world, but persuasive arguments based on inside info.
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Danny Alonzo
5.0 out of 5 stars This novel gives a better insight on what truly happens behind the scene
Reviewed in the United States on 9 September 2014
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
A must read for all. Nasr,nails it.This novel gives a better insight on what truly happens behind the scene.I have a better understanding on how different nations operate and what is involved in making a decision on going to war.The last chapter was epic!
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John Hemphill
5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting but deeply worrying
Reviewed in the United States on 19 April 2013
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Nasr, who is in a position to do so, has written a chilling analysis of clumsiness and shortsightedness in US foreigpolicy towards the Middle East. Well told, well argued, and well demonstrated with lots of topical examples including discussions with senior players. Highly recommended.
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Jim T
5.0 out of 5 stars Nasr's defense of diplomacy over militarism
Reviewed in the United States on 30 July 2013
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
In this review of American foreign policy (and the lack thereof), Nasr paints a frightening portrait of the dominance of military-security state apparatchiks' dominance of American decision making, all the while accompanied by the steady erosion of American influence.
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A retired Economist
5.0 out of 5 stars A one-of-a-kind book!!
Reviewed in the United States on 13 May 2013
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
An excellent book. A MUST READ for anybody interested in Middle East politics & things to come. In other words, all book-lovers should be reading it. I wish the author produces an up-to-date revised edition in 2014
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William D. Jackson
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 11 April 2016
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
somewhat slanted view on FP
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Torey P
5.0 out of 5 stars An Insider View of Foreign Policy In Distress
Reviewed in the United States on 29 April 2013
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Nasr presents an organized and compelling case for diplomacy in the middle east and a return to form for balanced, well informed, American foreign policy. An intriguing and informative read. Would highly recommend.
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Yuriy Pochta
5.0 out of 5 stars Deep vision of the American foreign policy
Reviewed in the United States on 12 August 2013
Verified Purchase
The book is very informative, critical and analytical. I learned a lot about Washington's policy in the Middle East. I may recommend it to those interested in world politics.
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J. R. Caratozzolo
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellant Book
Reviewed in the United States on 6 June 2013
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
The authors unique insight into the history and thinking of people in the various regions of the world that impact our foreign policy success is evident and very informative.
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SIT
5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting
Reviewed in the United States on 13 August 2013
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
This book helped me realize how little I knew about our country's international policies, or arguably the lack thereof. This is a contemporaneous and riveting read.
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RGK
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 22 December 2016
Format: Audio CDVerified Purchase
Excellent and in-depth review of the U.S. foreign policy under the Obama administration.
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Mic Sherwood
5.0 out of 5 stars Vali does it again!
Reviewed in the United States on 26 October 2014
Format: Audio CDVerified Purchase
since i think Dinesh D'Souza is Superman, Vali Nasr must be Ironman! He continues to bring out top notch information.
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Albert Tadros
5.0 out of 5 stars Great insider view
Reviewed in the United States on 29 May 2013
Verified Purchase
Just as predicted. Vali Nasr is a great writer and trusted insider..Still in the middle of teh book but I love it so far.
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S. Nasiri
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 19 April 2015
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed reading the book. Very insightful and great analysis of the political reality in mideast
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Pamela McLeod
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 29 September 2015
Verified Purchase
If u r interest in what is going on read this book.
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os
5.0 out of 5 stars Middle East Politics in a Nut Shell
Reviewed in the United States on 9 June 2015
Verified Purchase
Very well presented lots of unknown facts are clearer now
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Mir A. Rahim Aziz
5.0 out of 5 stars This a great analytical book that explains lots of historical facts
Reviewed in the United States on 21 August 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
This a great analytical book that explains lots of historical facts.
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S. B. Dirksen
5.0 out of 5 stars timely
Reviewed in the United States on 6 August 2015
Verified Purchase
Excellent and informative book !
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Williams J Suarez M
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on 6 October 2015
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Ok
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