Currency Wars
Money is no longer just a measure of value-it is the frontline of global power. From frozen reserves to blocked payment networks, nations today fight wars through banks and balance sheets rather than battlefields. This book exposes how currency wars are reshaping the twenty-first century, showing why the struggle over the world's money matters to governments, corporations, and individuals alike.Readers are taken inside the hidden architecture of dollar dominance, from the Bretton Woods legacy to the petrodollar pact, and shown why every attempt at dedollarisation faces resistance. The narrative uncovers how financial sanctions cripple economies, why Europe's euro remains constrained, and how China's digital yuan is quietly building new rails of influence. Along the way, it explores the rise of central bank digital currencies, the fragile experiments of cryptocurrencies, and the political drama inside institutions like the IMF and World Bank.This book is for business leaders, policymakers, and curious citizens who want to understand how finance has become a weapon-and what that means for their own future. By the end, readers will gain a mental map for interpreting headlines, decoding crises, and anticipating shifts in global monetary power.- Learn why the dollar still dominates and what signals reveal real change- Understand how sanctions, debt, and digital money shape geopolitics- Discover how institutions like the IMF turn lending into politicsUrgent, precise, and deeply researched, it offers clarity in a world where money is no longer neutral but a battlefield-and where knowing the rules can mean the difference between security and vulnerability.
The New Silk Roads
Power is moving from parliaments to ports-and most people are not looking. This book reveals how concrete, code and contracts decide who prospers, who pays and who must ask permission. If you care about Belt and Road Initiative debates, supply chains, or the next map of commerce, this is your field guide.You will learn a simple method to read any corridor. It shows how financing, standards and the fine print turn engineering into leverage. It explains the arguments around the so-called China debt trap debate without slogans, and maps the choices facing Europe, America and India. For investors, policy teams and serious readers of world affairs, it offers practical clarity on global trade routes and the politics of infrastructure diplomacy.Decode how ports, rails and fibre shift bargaining powerSee how contracts, not headlines, create dependence or autonomyUnderstand the real options behind US China rivalry trade and India corridor strategyApply a portable checklist to test projects before they test youWritten in clean, accessible prose, it replaces noise with judgment. Whether you follow geoeconomics of infrastructure, ask what the BRI book crowd is missing, or want a grounded take on the new silk road book, you will finish with a durable mental model. The next decade will be decided by routes. Learn to read them-and act before the map hardens.
Cyber Empires
When power no longer needs boots to cross a border, it arrives through updates, outages, and the quiet recalibration of your daily choices. This book takes you inside the global contest where nations and their proxies fight for control of digital sovereignty, where state hackers explain becomes the language of geopolitics, and where hospitals, schools, and small firms are collateral in a struggle for AI in conflict and influence. It shows how data colonisation works in practice-who extracts value, who bears risk-and why the rise of the surveillance state critique concerns every voter, parent, and owner.You will see how ransomware became foreign policy, how platforms shape elections, and how the coming shift to post-quantum security might break what we trust today. Along the way, you get a clear playbook for protecting citizens online and cybersecurity for small businesses: realistic baselines, smarter procurement, and habits that reduce everyday harm. If you have sensed that the world is moving under your feet but lacked the map, this is it.- Understand the five-layer stack that decides who holds power- Read incidents like an analyst-and policies like a citizen- Act with confidence, without surrendering libertyFor readers who want more than fear or hype, this is a guide to the real battlefield of cyber warfare book stakes: code, clouds, and the choices that protect what matters.
The Great Resource Race
When the world runs hot, power flows to whoever controls the tap. This book shows how governments and companies are quietly competing to command resource geopolitics-the flows of water, food, minerals, and energy that keep societies alive. It explains why headlines about petrostate politics or resource nationalism are really stories about chokepoints, substitutability, and time-to-switch-and how those forces will touch your bills, your job, and your community.Designed for readers who want clarity without complacency, it maps the systems behind water wars, rare earths supply chain shocks, and the fragile routes that feed cities. You will see why energy transition minerals are the new leverage, how semiconductor water use turns permits into power, and why food insecurity and grain corridors now shape elections as much as harvests. More importantly, you'll gain a practical method to assess exposure and build resilient supply chains-at home, at work, and in public life.-Learn to read risk like a strategist, not a spectator-Spot which dependencies matter, and which headlines don't-Use simple tools to reduce vulnerability without panicIf you care about security, prices, or fairness in an age of stress-and if you prefer competence over noise-this is your field guide to the politics of flow, from resource geopolitics to climate migration security.
Private Armies
A war can be fought without a declaration, a uniform, or a vote. It only needs a contract. This book exposes how hired force moves decisions from parliaments to procurement desks, turning sovereignty into something you can rent and responsibility into something you can evade. If you want to understand today's private military companies, the Wagner headlines, and the legacy of Blackwater, start here.Across gripping case studies and clear models, you'll see how mercenaries in modern war operate as businesses, how accountability in private security breaks on purpose, and why the laws of war contractors navigate are built with loopholes. You'll follow the money through "security for resources" deals, track the rise of drone and cyber mercenaries, and learn how markets manufacture deniable warfare. This is for readers who care about democracy, human rights, and hard policy design as much as frontline stories.- What governments really buy when they outsource force- How oversight fails and what a fix with teeth looks like- Where Wagner Group in Africa fits within a global pattern- How to recognise a security for resources deals script before it unfoldsBy the end, you'll carry a practical lens for spotting marketised violence, a language to interrogate it, and a policy playbook to demand change. If you are searching for regulating PMCs that actually works, this book trades buzzwords for tools and gives you a way to read the next conflict before it hits the news.
Shadow Diplomacy
You are not meant to know how history bends-only to feel the jolt when it does. This book opens the door to the rooms where adversaries speak plainly, where secret diplomacy keeps leaders from cornering themselves in public and gives wars an off-ramp before they ignite. If you have ever wondered why official statements and outcomes rarely match, you will find the answer in the choreography of backchannel negotiations.Across gripping narratives-from Cuban Missile Crisis diplomacy to the audacious Nixon China opening, from a kitchen table behind the Oslo Accords secrets to the Muscat line that shaped the Iran nuclear deal backchannel-you will meet spy diplomats, unlikely mediators, and Track II veterans who practise the risky art of trust. Along the way, you will learn how signals are sent without being said, how ambiguity is engineered, and why the role of mediators in peace is both fragile and decisive.- For readers of serious nonfiction who want clarity over myth and method over slogans- For professionals who need a field guide to Track II diplomacy and accountable secrecy- For citizens who wish to judge when hidden talks serve the public good-and when they do notBy the end, you will read crises differently: parsing signals, timing, and leverage with a cool eye-an analyst's lens on international relations realpolitik that is accessible, humane, and immediately useful. If public diplomacy is theatre, this is the backstage map.
The Great Resource Race
When the world runs hot, power flows to whoever controls the tap. This book shows how governments and companies are quietly competing to command resource geopolitics-the flows of water, food, minerals, and energy that keep societies alive. It explains why headlines about petrostate politics or resource nationalism are really stories about chokepoints, substitutability, and time-to-switch-and how those forces will touch your bills, your job, and your community.Designed for readers who want clarity without complacency, it maps the systems behind water wars, rare earths supply chain shocks, and the fragile routes that feed cities. You will see why energy transition minerals are the new leverage, how semiconductor water use turns permits into power, and why food insecurity and grain corridors now shape elections as much as harvests. More importantly, you'll gain a practical method to assess exposure and build resilient supply chains-at home, at work, and in public life.-Learn to read risk like a strategist, not a spectator-Spot which dependencies matter, and which headlines don't-Use simple tools to reduce vulnerability without panicIf you care about security, prices, or fairness in an age of stress-and if you prefer competence over noise-this is your field guide to the politics of flow, from resource geopolitics to climate migration security.
The Multipolar World
The ground has shifted under your feet - not with a single earthquake, but with thousands of small tremors. Power no longer looks like a flag on a map; it looks like multipolar world logistics, geopolitics of supply chains, and compute capacity booked months in advance. If you have wondered why headlines promise control while prices, delays, and rules say otherwise, this book gives you the missing lens.It is a field guide to global power shifts that actually matter: access to chips and cables, leverage in alliances and minilaterals, and the quiet arithmetic behind dollar dominance and sanctions. You will learn how "systems competition" works - who sets standards, who owns chokepoints, and who pays when rules change mid-voyage. Written for founders, policy professionals, investors, and curious citizens, it translates abstractions into decisions you can make on Monday morning.- See how the rise of China creates scale and friction at once- Understand why Europe strategic autonomy is a constraint and an opportunity- Read India swing state choices as market signals, not mysteries- Spot where Africa demographics growth becomes real bargaining powerBy the final chapter you will think more clearly, plan with fewer blind spots, and act with practical resilience. You will know where to add redundancy, when to hedge, and how to read the world as a stack of systems instead of a tug-of-war between empires. In a century with many centres, clarity is the rarest advantage.
The Invisible Wars
Power today is exercised in quiet rooms and cached files, not on battlefields. If you want to understand why a headline moves markets, why a lawsuit reroutes a supply chain, or why a rumour becomes policy, this is your field guide to the grey zone conflict that shapes your life.This book exposes how states win with economic sanctions, information warfare, lawfare and geopolitics, currency warfare, and cyber operations-then gives you clear tools to read the signals and resist being played.-Learn how narratives are engineered and how to verify before you share-See how payment rails, ratings, and standards become weapons without warning labels-Build practical defences at home, at work, and in your cityWritten for policy professionals, executives, journalists, and curious citizens, it makes the invisible visible with case studies, causal maps, and a no-drama vocabulary for complex systems. You will finish with a dashboard for cyber operations strategy, a checklist for sanctions that punish architects rather than populations, and a civic ethic for non-kinetic deterrence that preserves legitimacy. If you're seeking information warfare explained without hype-and a sober path from alarm to agency-start here.
The Spiritual Power of Russian Imperial Statehood
The population of every more or less large and successful state has a certain spiritual core around which its social activity is built. For Russia, in our opinion, the basic values of such a spiritual core were commitment to the conservative Orthodox tradition and collectivism, supplemented by a third constantly developing value the imperial-Eurasian worldview. The chronological framework of the monograph covers the period from Kievan-Novgorod Rus to the present day. The book will be useful not only for researchers and university teachers, but also for students studying in programs for training lawyers, political scientists, and historians.
Silk Mirage
Silk Mirage is a compelling portrait of Uzbekistan, a country at the heart of the ancient Silk Road and now the centre of a power struggle between reformers and reactionaries for the soul of this strategic land in Central Asia. In 2016, the long-ruling dictator Islam Karimov - one of the last Soviet-era strongmen - died, sparking a period of transformation under his successor, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, which became known as the 'Uzbek Spring'. But, as investigative journalist Joanna Lillis shows, spring has struggled to break through in one of the world's most repressive and totalitarian states. As one of the few western journalists with access to Uzbekistan and with over two decades of experience covering the country, Lillis travels deep into the heart of the Karimov regime, portraying all the excesses and atrocities that made it such a brutal dictatorship. She also penetrates the system that replaced it, exploring how life has changed for Uzbeks under Mirziyoyev's rule - and how it has not. A tale of both reform and repression, this book illustrates the challenges of dragging a country out of dictatorship. Lillis explores Uzbekistan's politics, economics, history, arts and culture - and asks where the country stands nearly a decade after the death of its dictator, and 600 years since its ancient capital Samarkand was the centre of the world's trade network. Lillis weaves in the extraordinary stories of ordinary people: from politicians to former political prisoners, from journalists to human rights crusaders, from entrepreneurs to environmentalists, from artists to architects, from silk makers to carpet weavers. Conjuring up Uzbekistan as a place full of life and loss, Silk Mirage tells the stories of courageous people who probe to find the cracks in an authoritarian regime through which the light gets in.
The Case for American Power
A provocative case for why a better world is only possible with American power by Washington Post columnist Shadi Hamid. From acclaimed author Shadi Hamid comes an urgent and deeply personal argument for why American dominance, despite its many flaws, remains the world's best hope. Hamid traces his journey from opposing America's role in the world to reluctantly embracing it--while grappling with how recent events, from Russia's invasion of Ukraine to Israel's devastating war in Gaza, have challenged his convictions. Drawing on his unique perspective as both an American and a Muslim who came of age in the shadow of the September 11 attacks, Hamid contends with the contradictions of American power: how a nation founded on moral purpose so often fails to live up to its ideals. Hamid confronts head-on America's failures, from the war in Iraq to support for authoritarian regimes across the Middle East. Yet, he argues that in a world where power is a fact and someone must wield it, the alternative to American leadership isn't a morally perfect superpower--it's the brutal authoritarianism of countries like China and Russia. At once idealistic and pragmatic, this is a book about embracing our power as the only moral option in a world beset by tragedy. Because America is a democracy, it retains the potential to correct past mistakes and change for the better. That part is up to us. Bracing and timely, The Case for American Power is an ambitious work on what may be the most fundamental question facing America today: How should we think about the power we have--while we still have it?
Alexandre Koj癡ve
Unravelling the mystery of Alexandre Koj癡ve In this intellectual biography, critic and philosopher Boris Groys turns to the Arthur Rimbaud of modern bureaucracy, Alexandre Koj癡ve, a philosopher of little-known writings and profound influence. Koj癡ve was fascinated with Hegel's dialectics and with communism and envisioned a universal empire as the end of history. Koj癡ve drew on Buddhism and also proclaimed himself a Stalinist. At the same time, he was one of the creators of a nascent European Union. His concept of the human as something defined by negation and unique among animals in being separated from nature is highly political. It explains why humans can never be fully satisfied by a political system based on their allegedly 'natural' rights. Groys reveals a Koj癡ve with a unique perspective on our political capacities and human condition.
Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy (III)
Track II Diplomacy: Informal Paths To Peace concludes the authoritative trilogy "Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy" with an in-depth exploration of diplomacy's most discreet yet effective approach. This scholarly work illuminates a diplomatic methodology that deliberately shuns publicity, considering anonymity one of its fundamental conditions for success.The volume offers a comprehensive and detailed analysis of Track II diplomacy's historical development, systematically comparing it with traditional first-track approaches whilst highlighting essential differences, benefits, operational roles, and action mechanisms. Through meticulous research, the book traces Track II's evolution from classical diplomatic traditions through to contemporary digital-age applications, emphasising both distinctions and synergies between formal and informal diplomatic tracks.Readers will discover practical models, real-world examples, and sophisticated analysis of strategies, methodologies, and the political and social contexts that define successful Track II operations. The work extensively reviews elements contributing to second-track diplomacy's effectiveness, particularly examining scenarios where conventional diplomatic efforts have reached an impasse.Drawing from extensive case studies and practical lessons, the analysis provides evidence-based insights into what makes Track II diplomacy successful. The book concludes with actionable recommendations for addressing contemporary global challenges through informal diplomatic channels.Published under the auspices of the Diplomatic Institute of Qatar, this work represents a significant contribution to diplomatic literature. Designed to support professional diplomatic training and international relations education, it serves practitioners, academics, and policymakers seeking to understand and implement the informal mechanisms that often prove decisive when formal diplomacy fails.
Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy (III)
Track II Diplomacy: Informal Paths To Peace concludes the authoritative trilogy "Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy" with an in-depth exploration of diplomacy's most discreet yet effective approach. This scholarly work illuminates a diplomatic methodology that deliberately shuns publicity, considering anonymity one of its fundamental conditions for success.The volume offers a comprehensive and detailed analysis of Track II diplomacy's historical development, systematically comparing it with traditional first-track approaches whilst highlighting essential differences, benefits, operational roles, and action mechanisms. Through meticulous research, the book traces Track II's evolution from classical diplomatic traditions through to contemporary digital-age applications, emphasising both distinctions and synergies between formal and informal diplomatic tracks.Readers will discover practical models, real-world examples, and sophisticated analysis of strategies, methodologies, and the political and social contexts that define successful Track II operations. The work extensively reviews elements contributing to second-track diplomacy's effectiveness, particularly examining scenarios where conventional diplomatic efforts have reached an impasse.Drawing from extensive case studies and practical lessons, the analysis provides evidence-based insights into what makes Track II diplomacy successful. The book concludes with actionable recommendations for addressing contemporary global challenges through informal diplomatic channels.Published under the auspices of the Diplomatic Institute of Qatar, this work represents a significant contribution to diplomatic literature. Designed to support professional diplomatic training and international relations education, it serves practitioners, academics, and policymakers seeking to understand and implement the informal mechanisms that often prove decisive when formal diplomacy fails.
What Are Nuclear Weapons For?
Peacekeepers, effective deterrent or potential cause of ultimate disaster? Understanding what nuclear weapons are for has never been more essential. This book traces the history of nuclear weapons from their first use in 1945 when they brought the Second World War to an end, through the Cold War when they gave rise to peace movements and disarmament efforts to the ominous nuclear landscape today. Shamai shows how nuclear weapons have, to date, been a deterrent by raising the stakes of war and thereby reducing the chances of certain kinds of conflict. But, she warns, this is not a permanent situation - its continuation depends on the world's reaction to this threat and ongoing vigilance.
The Good Fight
The 100th issue of Australia's leading agenda-setting journal of politics, culture and debateIn Quarterly Essay 100, Sean Kelly considers the enigma of the Albanese government. With wide yet shallow support, will it change the country? Does it have big ideas, or is it content just to become "the natural party of government"?Kelly gives a definitive account of Albanese's political style and asks what lies behind it. In speaking to a fragmented, disengaged electorate, the Prime Minister places a high value on moderation. Often that means ducking fights with entrenched interests. But this runs the risk of embedding an ever more unequal nation, led by a government that can seem gutless.In this subtle and brilliant essay, Kelly explores whether Labor is still up for the good fight."Labor has cast itself as a version of what the conservatives once were: the defender of the way things are. This may well appeal to large numbers of Australians, as it did in this last election. [But] Labor's task, historically, has been to change things on behalf of those who desperately need them to change." -Sean Kelly, The Good Fight
The EU's Limited Leverage
The EU's Limited Leverage: Normative Power vs. Gulf Realpolitik offers a rigorous and timely analysis of one of the most significant challenges in contemporary international relations. The European Union has long defined its global role through the lens of "normative power", seeking to promote democracy, human rights, and the rule of law as universal standards. This ambition, however, faces a formidable test in its relationship with the energy-rich Gulf states, whose policies are driven by a pragmatic and often contradictory realpolitik.Edited by Hichem Karoui, this scholarly volume systematically unpacks the inherent tensions in EU foreign policy. It starts by explaining the basic ideas of normative and soft power, then looks at the power relationships in the Gulf region and the complicated history between the EU and the Gulf states. The book exposes the frequent disconnect between the Union's ideals and the on-the-ground demands of geopolitics, where the need for energy security often compels compromises that challenge the EU's moral credibility.Featuring in-depth case studies and a critical examination of the "paradox of dependence," the book explores how the strategic and economic interests of key member states can fragment the EU's collective foreign policy. More than just a diagnosis of the problem, the book concludes by offering "Practical Strategies for the EU to Enhance Normative Leverage" and a forward-looking perspective on the future of this critical relationship. This is an indispensable resource for students, academics, and policymakers in the fields of European studies, international relations, Middle Eastern politics, and foreign policy analysis.
Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy (I)
Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy (I): The Art of Diplomacy - Its Development and Modern Forms represents a scholarly examination of diplomatic evolution, published by Global East-West London in collaboration with The Diplomatic Institute, Doha. Author Hichem Karoui delivers a meticulously researched analysis of how diplomatic practices have developed from ancient times through contemporary digital transformation. This authoritative text traces diplomacy's journey through pivotal historical periods, examining how the Middle Ages, European Renaissance, Industrial Revolution, and 20th-century conflicts have shaped modern diplomatic methodology. The volume systematically explores diverse diplomatic forms: traditional protocols, public diplomacy's role in shaping global opinion, economic negotiations between major powers, cultural diplomacy's impact on international relations, and the revolutionary effects of digital technology on diplomatic communication.Particularly valuable for academic institutions and professional development programmes, the book addresses emerging diplomatic players, including NGOs and multinational corporations, whilst examining multilateral diplomacy within international organisations. Each chapter concludes with comprehensive notes and references, ensuring scholarly rigour.Ambassador Dr Abdulaziz Al-Hurr's foreword emphasises the work's significance for diplomatic training, specifically designed to support Ministry of Foreign Affairs personnel and international relations students. The Diplomatic Institute's commitment to building specialised diplomatic literature makes this volume essential for professional libraries and academic collections.From environmental diplomacy addressing contemporary challenges to crisis management strategies, the book provides practical insights into diplomatic successes and failures. This comprehensive resource bridges historical understanding with modern application, making complex diplomatic concepts accessible to both practitioners and scholars. As the first volume in a trilogy, it establishes the foundation for understanding contemporary diplomatic challenges and opportunities in our interconnected world.
The EU's Limited Leverage
The EU's Limited Leverage: Normative Power vs. Gulf Realpolitik offers a rigorous and timely analysis of one of the most significant challenges in contemporary international relations. The European Union has long defined its global role through the lens of "normative power", seeking to promote democracy, human rights, and the rule of law as universal standards. This ambition, however, faces a formidable test in its relationship with the energy-rich Gulf states, whose policies are driven by a pragmatic and often contradictory realpolitik.Edited by Hichem Karoui, this scholarly volume systematically unpacks the inherent tensions in EU foreign policy. It starts by explaining the basic ideas of normative and soft power, then looks at the power relationships in the Gulf region and the complicated history between the EU and the Gulf states. The book exposes the frequent disconnect between the Union's ideals and the on-the-ground demands of geopolitics, where the need for energy security often compels compromises that challenge the EU's moral credibility.Featuring in-depth case studies and a critical examination of the "paradox of dependence," the book explores how the strategic and economic interests of key member states can fragment the EU's collective foreign policy. More than just a diagnosis of the problem, the book concludes by offering "Practical Strategies for the EU to Enhance Normative Leverage" and a forward-looking perspective on the future of this critical relationship. This is an indispensable resource for students, academics, and policymakers in the fields of European studies, international relations, Middle Eastern politics, and foreign policy analysis.
Killing Machines
What causes a Western democratic leader to stop even feigning to value the law of war? Unlike past US presidents, who at least paid lip service to the law of armed conflict, Donald Trump has openly flouted it: pardoning war criminals; denigrating the Geneva Conventions; praising torture; and discarding military norms of restraint. This gripping account depicts how Trump has upended assumptions about America's outward commitment to the law of war, exposing the conditions that make such defiance possible. Drawing on in-depth case studies and original survey analysis, Thomas Gift explains how Trump has relied on right-wing media and allies in Congress to attack the law of war - not in the shadows, but in broad daylight. Killing Machines cautions that Trump's approach is not an aberration - it's a playbook other leaders could follow. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
The Art of Diplomacy
Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy (I): The Art of Diplomacy - Its Development and Modern Forms represents a scholarly examination of diplomatic evolution, published by Global East-West London in collaboration with The Diplomatic Institute, Doha. Author Hichem Karoui delivers a meticulously researched analysis of how diplomatic practices have developed from ancient times through contemporary digital transformation. This authoritative text traces diplomacy's journey through pivotal historical periods, examining how the Middle Ages, European Renaissance, Industrial Revolution, and 20th-century conflicts have shaped modern diplomatic methodology. The volume systematically explores diverse diplomatic forms: traditional protocols, public diplomacy's role in shaping global opinion, economic negotiations between major powers, cultural diplomacy's impact on international relations, and the revolutionary effects of digital technology on diplomatic communication.Particularly valuable for academic institutions and professional development programmes, the book addresses emerging diplomatic players, including NGOs and multinational corporations, whilst examining multilateral diplomacy within international organisations. Each chapter concludes with comprehensive notes and references, ensuring scholarly rigour.Ambassador Dr Abdulaziz Al-Hurr's foreword emphasises the work's significance for diplomatic training, specifically designed to support Ministry of Foreign Affairs personnel and international relations students. The Diplomatic Institute's commitment to building specialised diplomatic literature makes this volume essential for professional libraries and academic collections.From environmental diplomacy addressing contemporary challenges to crisis management strategies, the book provides practical insights into diplomatic successes and failures. This comprehensive resource bridges historical understanding with modern application, making complex diplomatic concepts accessible to both practitioners and scholars. As the first volume in a trilogy, it establishes the foundation for understanding contemporary diplomatic challenges and opportunities in our interconnected world.
The Finest Hotel in Kabul
A NATIONAL BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE The story of a hotel. The story of a nation. When the Inter-Continental Kabul opened in 1969, Afghanistan's first luxury hotel symbolised a dream of a modernising country connected to the world. More than fifty years on, the Inter-Continental is still standing. It has endured Soviet occupation, multiple coups, a grievous civil war, a US invasion and the rise, fall and rise of the Taliban. History lives within its scarred windows and walls. Lyse Doucet, the BBC's Chief International Correspondent, has been checking into the Inter-Continental since 1988. And here, she uses its story to craft a richly immersive history of modern Afghanistan. It is the story of Hazrat, the septuagenarian housekeeper who still holds fast to his Inter-Continental training from the hotel's 1970s glory days--an era of haute cuisine and high fashion, when Afghanistan was a kingdom and Kabul was the 'Paris of Asia'. It is the story of Abida, who became the first female chef to cook in the Inter-Con's famous kitchen after the fall of the Taliban in 2001. And it is the story of Malalai and Sadeq, the twenty-something staff who seized every opportunity offered by two decades of fragile democracy--only to witness the Taliban roaring back in 2021. The result is a remarkably vivid history of how Afghans have survived a half century of destruction and disruption. It is the story of a hotel but also the story of a people.
Blaming China
American society is angrier, more fragmented, and more polarized than at any time since the Civil War. We harbor deep insecurities about our economic future, our place in the world, our response to terrorism, and our deeply dysfunctional government. Over the next several years, Benjamin Shobert says, these four insecurities will be perverted and projected onto China in an attempt to shift blame for errors entirely of our own making. These misdirections will be satisfying in the short term but will eventually destabilize the global world that businesses, consumers, and governments have taken for granted for the last forty years and will usher in an age of geopolitical uncertainty characterized by regional conflict and increasing economic dislocation. Shobert, a senior associate at the National Bureau of Asian Research, explores how America's attitudes toward China have changed and how our economic anxieties and political dysfunction have laid the foundation for turning our collective frustrations away from acknowledging the consequences of our own poor decisions. Shobert argues that unless we address these problems, a disastrous chapter in American life is right around the corner, one in which Americans will decide that conflict with China is the only sensible option. After framing how the American public thinks about China, Shobert offers two alternative paths forward. He proposes steps that businesses, governments, and individuals can take to potentially stop and reverse America's path to a dystopian future.
The Mango Flavour
"This book captures the essence of India-ASEAN partnership and reflects the values Ambassador Singh has long championed-dialogue, mutual respect and a commitment to peace and shared prosperity. I am confident that readers will find valuable insights and enduring lessons from one of India's foremost diplomatic voices in these pages."-Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, Second Minister of Foreign Affairs, Brunei DarussalamAmbassador Gurjit Singh was India's Ambassador to ASEAN during my tenure as ASEAN Secretary General. This book provides a profound insight into how the India-ASEAN relationship has evolved and how it may further develop in the new phase of a comprehensive strategic partnership.-L礙 Luong Minh, Former ASEAN Secretary General (2013-17)"Ambassador Gurjit Singh has written an accessible and analytical account of the India-ASEAN relationship and its recent evolution. With his personal experience of shepherding this relationship, which has the potential to be one of India's most significant external engagements, his account and insights deserve a close reading. This is a book that I would highly recommend to all those interested in the course of this rapidly evolving and increasingly significant part of the world."-Shankar Menon, Former National Security Advisor of India"The Act East Policy, which evolves from an economic to a multi-dimensional partnership, revitalized India's ties with ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific. Using his personal experience in the region, Ambassador Gurjit Singh offers a readable and insightful analysis of this evolving relationship and explores its growth and future potential in a shifting global landscape."-Amitabh Kant, India's G20 Sherpa 2022-25
Breaking Point
From the authors of The Big Shift and Empty Planet, a timely and provocative exploration of the seismic forces reshaping Canada's political, cultural, and economic landscape. Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson's explosive new polemic, arrives in the midst of the greatest political crisis Canada has ever faced. The country stands at risk. Even before Donald Trump returned to the U.S. presidency, brandishing tariffs and threats of annexation, Canada had started to crack. Year after year of decisions deferred, problems ignored, and cans kicked carelessly down the road have created dangerous fissures. Stifling regulations drag down the economy. Younger people feel angry and alienated by dizzying housing prices and gig jobs. Regional tensions threaten unity in both Quebec and the Prairies. The immigration system is broken. And Canada stands alone, having failed to pay the cost of defending itself. Canadians elected a former bank governor to fix all this. But can the Liberals get us out of the mess they helped get us into? What future awaits the progressive and conservative coalitions? Will the Laurentian elites continue to misgovern, or are there alternatives? The country is at a breaking point. Canadians must act to save it before they lose it. Provocative, urgent, and unapologetically candid, Breaking Point will ignite debate, dominate political discourse, and become the definitive guide to understanding what is shaping up to be one of the most turbulent eras in Canadian history.
Blue Destiny - Why India and the World's Future Converge in the Indian Ocean
The waters stretching from the Strait of Hormuz to the Strait of Malacca are more than trade routes-they are the arteries of the modern world. Whoever secures these sea lanes decides the flow of energy, commerce, and influence in the century ahead. This is the story of how the Indian Ocean geopolitics is reshaping global power, and why nations from Beijing to Washington anxiously watch every move made in Delhi.For centuries, the Indian Ocean carried spices, ideas, and empires. Today, it carries nearly all of Asia's oil, trillions in goods, and the fragile lifelines of globalization. But these waters are also crowded with threats: piracy off Somalia, great-power rivalry, climate shocks, and battles over undersea infrastructure. At the heart of it lies a question: can India transform from a land-focused state into a true maritime power, or will it surrender the stage to others?This book is for readers who want to understand the world's future through the prism of its most contested waters. It speaks to those curious about India's maritime strategy, the stakes of the Indo-Pacific sea power race, and why oil routes through Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb are as critical as nuclear weapons. It brings alive China's String of Pearls ports, the vulnerabilities of global shipping, and the hidden role of undersea cables security in the Indian Ocean.By the final page, you'll see the ocean not as blue space on a map but as a circulatory system of modern life. You will gain a sharper mental map of the Indian Ocean trade routes, the fragile balance of Quad maritime strategy, and the vulnerabilities that can upend economies overnight. The future is already moving on these waters-the question is whether we are ready to navigate it.
Blood in the Cloud
The most decisive shift in modern conflict is invisible. Battles now run on rented servers, predictive models, and global data pipes owned by private entities-turning code, contracts, and uptime into instruments of power. This is a clear-eyed, accessible investigation of cloud warfare and how it is quietly redefining who commands force, who is accountable, and what citizens must guard to preserve digital sovereignty.Grounded in history, policy, and systems thinking, it reveals how states increasingly lean on private military infrastructure to run logistics, intelligence, and targeting; how algorithmic command shapes decisions at speed and scale; and how everyday platforms double as surveillance infrastructure. Instead of hype or alarmism, it offers a rigorous map of incentives, dependencies, and risks-the first practical lens on the emerging cloud-military complex and the wider geopolitics of the cloud that now binds allies, adversaries, and civilians alike.Built for thoughtful readers-policy professionals, journalists, technologists, and engaged citizens-it delivers concrete clarity without jargon. Inside, you'll encounter: - How subscription models and service-level agreements make outsourced defense both irresistibly convenient and dangerously sticky; - Why jurisdiction, data location, and vendor lock-in complicate oversight, deterrence, and democratic control; - What new checks, disclosures, and procurement norms can restore balance between security and rights.By the end, you'll have a durable mental model for navigating technology and war today: how infrastructure decides outcomes, how incentives shape strategy, and which questions to ask whenever a system claims to make us safer. A cyberwar analysis book for real-world decision-makers, it replaces noise with understanding-so readers can see the levers of power hidden in plain sight and act with foresight, not fear.
Blood in the Cloud
The most decisive shift in modern conflict is invisible. Battles now run on rented servers, predictive models, and global data pipes owned by private entities-turning code, contracts, and uptime into instruments of power. This is a clear-eyed, accessible investigation of cloud warfare and how it is quietly redefining who commands force, who is accountable, and what citizens must guard to preserve digital sovereignty.Grounded in history, policy, and systems thinking, it reveals how states increasingly lean on private military infrastructure to run logistics, intelligence, and targeting; how algorithmic command shapes decisions at speed and scale; and how everyday platforms double as surveillance infrastructure. Instead of hype or alarmism, it offers a rigorous map of incentives, dependencies, and risks-the first practical lens on the emerging cloud-military complex and the wider geopolitics of the cloud that now binds allies, adversaries, and civilians alike.Built for thoughtful readers-policy professionals, journalists, technologists, and engaged citizens-it delivers concrete clarity without jargon. Inside, you'll encounter: - How subscription models and service-level agreements make outsourced defense both irresistibly convenient and dangerously sticky; - Why jurisdiction, data location, and vendor lock-in complicate oversight, deterrence, and democratic control; - What new checks, disclosures, and procurement norms can restore balance between security and rights.By the end, you'll have a durable mental model for navigating technology and war today: how infrastructure decides outcomes, how incentives shape strategy, and which questions to ask whenever a system claims to make us safer. A cyberwar analysis book for real-world decision-makers, it replaces noise with understanding-so readers can see the levers of power hidden in plain sight and act with foresight, not fear.
Agent of Change
In Agent of Change Huda Mukbil takes us behind the curtain of a leading spy agency during a fraught time, recounting her experiences as an intelligence officer for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Mukbil was the first Black Arab-Canadian Muslim woman to join CSIS and was at the forefront of the fight against terrorism after 9/11. Mukbil's mastery of four languages quickly made her a counterterrorism expert and a uniquely valuable asset to the organization. But as she worked with colleagues to confront new international threats, she also struggled for acceptance and recognition at the agency. Following the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the rise of homegrown extremism, Mukbil was framed as an inside threat. Determined to prove her loyalty, while equally concerned about the surveillance and profiling of Muslims and revelations of Western agencies' torture and torture by proxy, Mukbil started to question CSIS's fluctuating ethical stance in relation to its mandate. Her stellar work on a secondment to MI5, the British Security Service, earned commendation; this shielded her, but only temporarily, from the hostile workplace culture at CSIS. Ultimately, Mukbil and a group of colleagues went public about the pervasive institutional discrimination undermining CSIS and national security from within. Mukbil's expertise in international security and her commitment to workplace transparency drove important changes at CSIS. Dazzlingly written, her account is an eye-opener for anyone wanting to understand how racism, misogyny, and Islamophobia undermine not only individuals, but institutions and the national interest - and how addressing this openly can tackle populism and misinformation.
Slow Poison
A leading public intellectual gives his authoritative and personal account of the tragic postcolonial fate of Uganda, his homeland. In 1972, when Mahmood Mamdani came home to Uganda, he found a country transformed by "an orgy of violence." Two years earlier, with support from the colonial powers of Great Britain and Israel, Idi Amin had forcefully cemented his rule. He soon expelled Uganda's Indian minority in hopes of fostering a nation for Black Ugandans. The plan backfired. Amin was followed by Yoweri Museveni, who has now ruled for nearly four decades. Whereas Amin tried to create a Black nation out of the majority, Museveni sought to fragment this majority into multiple ethnic minorities, re-creating a version of colonial indirect rule. Slow Poison is Mamdani's firsthand report on the tragic unraveling of his country's struggle for decolonialization. A witness to East Africa's endlessly intricate power plays, and one of the most insightful political philosophers of his generation, Mamdani casts a learned and wary eye on Amin, internationally depicted as a buffoon; the radical scholar Museveni; and the global heavyweights that exploited and manipulated Uganda before and after its independence. Each leader made violence central to his project, but Mamdani sees a signal difference between Amin, who retained popular support to the end, and Museveni, who has not. The Asian expulsion made Amin a monster in the eyes of the West. In contrast, Museveni was hailed as standard bearer of the "war on terror" in Africa and was protected from accountability for far greater crimes. In exchange for adopting the package of neoliberal reforms known as the Washington Consensus, he became Africa's poster child. Amin, who aimed to create a nation of Black millionaires, never became one himself. Meanwhile, Uganda's surrender to privatization has brought Museveni's family immense wealth, even as the country remains one of the world's poorest.
GOD is ONE
GOD is ONE: The Extension of the Gaza Operation (2023) into the Iran War (2025)Several aspects of the Gaza war, described in three previous volumes by this author, have been slowly dragging toward their conclusion due to the insolubility of the 50 Israeli hostages that Hamas refuses to release.Both the U.S. and Israel considered the time had dawned to arrest forcibly the dangerous Iranian determination to develop nuclear and ballistic weapons, and jointly decided to interfere militarily to harm it in June 2025.But much more has yet to be done, either by force or by negotiation.(About the Author)Raphael Israeli has taught Islamic, Chinese, and Middle Eastern history at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. A graduate of Hebrew University in history and Arabic literature, he earned a Ph.D. in Chinese and Islamic history from the University of California, Berkeley. Now retired, he has been a Fellow of the Harry Truman Research Institute at Hebrew University and the Jerusalem Center since the1970s. He is the author of more than 110 books and 100 articles.
From the Classroom to Congress
"From the polluted streets of California's Inland Empire to the halls of Congress, Melissa May's journey is a testament to the power of community, resilience, and the pursuit of justice. In her gripping memoir, May chronicles her evolution from classroom teacher to political leader, igniting a movement that would forever change her community."In From the Classroom to Congress, Melissa May takes readers on an unforgettable journey of passion, struggle, and triumph. Born and raised in the environmental battleground of the Inland Empire, May's childhood was defined by pollution and injustice, but it was in these very struggles that her spirit of activism was born.From local grassroots organizing to founding LULAC de Ontario, May's fight for environmental justice is woven through every chapter. In this candid memoir, she reflects on the battles fought against powerful industries, the personal sacrifices made, and the victories that shaped not only her career but a movement that would echo across generations.Through personal anecdotes and powerful calls to action, May challenges readers to consider their role in social change. Whether you are a political enthusiast, an activist at heart, or someone who believes in the power of community, this book will inspire you to never stop fighting for what's right.This memoir is more than just a story-it's a blueprint for anyone who believes that one voice can change the world. Join Melissa May in this powerful call for action and discover the transformative power of resilience and activism.
Against All Odds
As part of a wider democracy promotion effort, political parties in Georgia and Ukraine, as in most other post-communist states, have received assistance from a number of non-governmental but governmentfunded western organizations for most of the post-communist period. This assistance, however, has persistently failed to contribute to making parties in the two former Soviet republics substantially more stable, democratic, and representative. In searching for an answer to why the assistance has not been more effective, this thesis looks both at the nature of the assistance and the particularities of party politics in Georgia and Ukraine. The thesis argues that, as a consequence of domestic constraints on party development, political parties in Georgia and Ukraine were essentially unsuitable as recipients of party assistance and that, therefore, party assistance was poorly positioned to make an impact.
Shadow Exchanges Along the New Silk Roads
This volume offers a bottom-up view of the transborder informal exchanges across Asia and Eurasia, and analyses its clash and mesh with the state-orchestrated Belt and Road cooperation.
No Lost Generation
In ""No Lost Generation: Syrian Refugee Children's Social Integration, Ecology, and Resiliency,"" the lively streets of Paris serve as a backdrop for hope, resilience, and the quest for belonging. This poignant exploration examines the lives of Syrian refugee children as they navigate the complexities of displacement in a foreign land. In times of upheaval, creating an environment where individuals can establish new connections and form new identities is crucial. Focusing on social integration, the book emphasizes their struggles and triumphs in forging new identities amid adversity. Readers will encounter inspiring stories of creativity, community support, and environmental stewardship as these young individuals contribute to their new home. Through personal narratives, expert insights, and an in-depth examination of the ecology of urban life, this work highlights the power of resilience and the significance of nurturing the next generation. Join us on a journey that challenges perceptions and celebrates the strength of the human spirit.
Bloodless Battles
Wars no longer begin with gunfire-they begin with a blockade, a cyberattack, or a single missing shipment of chips. In a world where nations are tied together by fragile supply lines, the real weapons of power are no longer tanks and missiles but supply chain warfare, energy as a weapon, and the deliberate use of scarcity to bend rivals into submission.This book reveals how weaponized interdependence has become the defining feature of modern conflict. From semiconductor geopolitics in Taiwan to gas pipelines in Europe, from food blockades in the Black Sea to cyberattacks on infrastructure, it uncovers how ordinary resources-fuel, food, chips-are now strategic chokepoints. The story is global, urgent, and deeply personal: the wars of tomorrow are already shaping the prices we pay, the devices we use, and the stability of the societies we live in.For readers of geopolitics, economics, and international affairs, this is a gripping and clarifying guide to the hidden front lines of 21st-century power. It is for business leaders navigating fragile supply chains, citizens questioning rising prices, and anyone trying to understand the headlines about sanctions, shortages, or the US-China tech war.By the final page, you will see conflict differently-not as distant battles, but as a pattern of control over movement, energy, and access. You'll gain a sharper framework for recognizing the logic behind sanctions, the vulnerabilities inside global trade, and the strategies nations use to fight economic statecraft without spilling blood. These blockade strategies in modern wars will define the century-and this book gives you the tools to understand them before they reshape your world.
Bloodless Battles
Wars no longer begin with gunfire-they begin with a blockade, a cyberattack, or a single missing shipment of chips. In a world where nations are tied together by fragile supply lines, the real weapons of power are no longer tanks and missiles but supply chain warfare, energy as a weapon, and the deliberate use of scarcity to bend rivals into submission.This book reveals how weaponized interdependence has become the defining feature of modern conflict. From semiconductor geopolitics in Taiwan to gas pipelines in Europe, from food blockades in the Black Sea to cyberattacks on infrastructure, it uncovers how ordinary resources-fuel, food, chips-are now strategic chokepoints. The story is global, urgent, and deeply personal: the wars of tomorrow are already shaping the prices we pay, the devices we use, and the stability of the societies we live in.For readers of geopolitics, economics, and international affairs, this is a gripping and clarifying guide to the hidden front lines of 21st-century power. It is for business leaders navigating fragile supply chains, citizens questioning rising prices, and anyone trying to understand the headlines about sanctions, shortages, or the US-China tech war.By the final page, you will see conflict differently-not as distant battles, but as a pattern of control over movement, energy, and access. You'll gain a sharper framework for recognizing the logic behind sanctions, the vulnerabilities inside global trade, and the strategies nations use to fight economic statecraft without spilling blood. These blockade strategies in modern wars will define the century-and this book gives you the tools to understand them before they reshape your world.
Empire of Algorithms
The next world war won't be fought with tanks or missiles-it will be fought with algorithms. As artificial intelligence spreads into finance, defense, and governance, it is quietly reshaping the global balance of power. The nations that control code, data, and chips will decide the winners and losers of the 21st century, leaving others trapped in dependence.This book reveals how AI geopolitics has become the defining contest of our age, from the chip wars and compute power race between the U.S. and China to the rise of data colonialism and sovereignty struggles in smaller states. It shows how algorithms are already weaponized for disinformation, economic coercion, and surveillance-altering elections, shaping beliefs, and challenging what it means to govern.Drawing on history, international strategy, and cutting-edge technology debates, it offers a framework to understand why AI functions like a silent bomb: an arsenal that doesn't explode but manipulates markets, societies, and even identities. For policymakers, business leaders, and globally minded readers, it explains not just how technology works, but how it redistributes power.Inside, you'll discover: - Why algorithmic statecraft is replacing traditional diplomacy; - How generative AI policy and governance debates decide who leads and who follows; - What computational sovereignty frameworks reveal about the future of independence; - How disinformation and deepfakes in geopolitics will challenge democracies and empower authoritarian statesBy the final page, you'll have a new lens to read the headlines, anticipate global shifts, and understand the hidden mechanics of a future already unfolding. Clear, urgent, and provocative, this book equips you with the insight to see how power itself is being rewritten by artificial intelligence.
Empire of Algorithms
The next world war won't be fought with tanks or missiles-it will be fought with algorithms. As artificial intelligence spreads into finance, defense, and governance, it is quietly reshaping the global balance of power. The nations that control code, data, and chips will decide the winners and losers of the 21st century, leaving others trapped in dependence.This book reveals how AI geopolitics has become the defining contest of our age, from the chip wars and compute power race between the U.S. and China to the rise of data colonialism and sovereignty struggles in smaller states. It shows how algorithms are already weaponized for disinformation, economic coercion, and surveillance-altering elections, shaping beliefs, and challenging what it means to govern.Drawing on history, international strategy, and cutting-edge technology debates, it offers a framework to understand why AI functions like a silent bomb: an arsenal that doesn't explode but manipulates markets, societies, and even identities. For policymakers, business leaders, and globally minded readers, it explains not just how technology works, but how it redistributes power.Inside, you'll discover: - Why algorithmic statecraft is replacing traditional diplomacy; - How generative AI policy and governance debates decide who leads and who follows; - What computational sovereignty frameworks reveal about the future of independence; - How disinformation and deepfakes in geopolitics will challenge democracies and empower authoritarian statesBy the final page, you'll have a new lens to read the headlines, anticipate global shifts, and understand the hidden mechanics of a future already unfolding. Clear, urgent, and provocative, this book equips you with the insight to see how power itself is being rewritten by artificial intelligence.
The Voiceless in Between
The global immigration crisis has brought the challenges of refugee and migrant populations to the forefront of contemporary issues. This thesis explores the situation of refugees in France, contextualizing it within theoretical frameworks that examine identity, citizenship, and the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in a sovereign state. By engaging with contemporary theories on the citizenship dichotomy-legality versus illegality-this work evaluates the perspectives of civil society, governmental entities, and NGOs on humanitarianism and the concept of "fearism." Focusing on refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers in the northern French camps of Sangatte and the surrounding "jungles," the study begins with an analysis of French immigration policies and the portrayal of the ""Other."" Utilizing theoretical perspectives and case studies from camp volunteers and researchers, this thesis scrutinizes the refugee crisis in France and how social movements are empowering refugees and detained migrants to challenge imposed labels and restrictive legal and physical boundaries. Finally, this research considers the potential for reconciling dichotomies, such as the identity of "victim" versus "agent," and explores how social movements are creating spaces for refugees to assert agency. By amplifying marginalized voices and questioning fixed identities, this study aims to contribute to a broader and more functional concept of citizenship.
The Myth of American Idealism
"For anyone wanting to find out more about the world we live in . . . there is one simple answer: read Noam Chomsky." --The New Statesman A sharp indictment of both American foreign policy and the national myths that support it, and an urgent warning of the threat that U.S. power poses to humanity's future The Myth of American Idealism offers a timely and comprehensive introduction to the incisive critiques of U.S. power that have made Noam Chomsky one of the most widely known public intellectuals of all time. Surveying the history of U.S. military and economic activity around the world, Chomsky and coauthor Nathan J. Robinson vividly trace the way the American pursuit of global domination has wrought havoc in country after country. Chomsky and Robinson offer penetrating accounts of Washington's relationship with the Global South, its role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan--all justified with noble stories about humanitarian missions and the benevolent intentions of American policymakers. The same myths that have led to repeated disastrous wars, they argue, are now imperiling humanity's future. Examining nuclear proliferation and climate change, they show how U.S. policies are continuing to exacerbate global threats. For well over half a century, Noam Chomsky has committed himself to exposing governing ideologies and criticizing his country's unchecked power. At once thorough and devastating, urgent and provocative, The Myth of American Idealism offers a highly readable entry to a lifetime of thought and activism.
The American Edge
To regain its capacity to effectively deter China and retain its unmatched global status, the United States must deepen its partnership with the nation's most innovative tech companies. In The American Edge, Seth G. Jones explains how the industrial bases of the world's great military powers have risen, fallen, and evolved relative to each other over the past century, from Imperial Germany and Japan during World War II, to the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War, to the recent rise of China. In doing so, Jones reveals how the US is on a trajectory toward failure-a failure to effectively deter major adversaries, and to fight and win a great power war if necessary. China is on a wartime footing. It is rapidly building its defense industrial base to deter and-if deterrence fails-to fight the United States. During periods of wartime, the US defense industrial base has always needed to maximize production capacity, minimize excessive regulations, and provide incentives to the private sector for innovation. Today, though, the US military industrial base is operating on a peacetime footing despite China's massive military buildup and Russia's total war in Ukraine. Set in its ways and trapped in outdated procurement systems, it lacks the capacity, responsiveness, flexibility, and surge capability to meet the military requirements to deter China. However, the US does have a tremendously innovative private sector, from companies like SpaceX to Microsoft and Anduril, and this private sector can be leveraged. If the US can regain its capacity to respond flexibly and deter China in the current struggle for global power, it will need to come through the partnership with and utilization of these private companies. Along with providing a deep history of the economic foundations of how America's ascent to military superpower, this book shows how these innovative firms are helping the US military regain its edge and thereby retain its status as the world's paramount military force.
Statecraft 3.0
What happens when diplomacy is no longer human?Statecraft 3.0: The Age of AI Diplomacy by Rui Duarte is a groundbreaking book on artificial intelligence that explores how real AI is transforming global politics, foreign policy, and international law. Blending insights from political science, history, and cutting-edge AI technology, this book offers a bold vision for the future of diplomacy.From the legacy of Westphalian sovereignty to the rise of autonomous decision-making, Duarte examines the evolution of statecraft and introduces a new paradigm: Quantum Diplomacy. In this emerging landscape, nation-states, global corporations, and AI systems must learn to govern together-negotiating treaties, resolving conflicts, and shaping the future of international relations.This book is for readers of: Artificial intelligence books that go beyond science fiction and into real-world impact.Political science books that examine how AI is changing leadership and power.Books on artificial intelligence and foreign policy that explore global risk and digital sovereignty.International law readers seeking to understand algorithmic governance and AI treaties.Political books, political history books, and politics books connecting the past to the future.Fans of Malcolm Shaw's International Law who want to explore its intersection with AI.Whether you're a policymaker, strategist, student, or citizen trying to make sense of the artificial intelligence best sellers shaping our headlines, Statecraft 3.0 offers both a warning and a roadmap.If you enjoy thought leaders like Ian Bremmer, Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, or Malcolm Shaw, this is a must-read political science book you'll return to again and again.Prepare for the most important conversation of our century: Who really governs-humans or machines?
Statecraft 3.0
What happens when diplomacy is no longer human?Statecraft 3.0: The Age of AI Diplomacy by Rui Duarte is a groundbreaking book on artificial intelligence that explores how real AI is transforming global politics, foreign policy, and international law. Blending insights from political science, history, and cutting-edge AI technology, this book offers a bold vision for the future of diplomacy.From the legacy of Westphalian sovereignty to the rise of autonomous decision-making, Duarte examines the evolution of statecraft and introduces a new paradigm: Quantum Diplomacy. In this emerging landscape, nation-states, global corporations, and AI systems must learn to govern together-negotiating treaties, resolving conflicts, and shaping the future of international relations.This book is for readers of: Artificial intelligence books that go beyond science fiction and into real-world impact.Political science books that examine how AI is changing leadership and power.Books on artificial intelligence and foreign policy that explore global risk and digital sovereignty.International law readers seeking to understand algorithmic governance and AI treaties.Political books, political history books, and politics books connecting the past to the future.Fans of Malcolm Shaw's International Law who want to explore its intersection with AI.Whether you're a policymaker, strategist, student, or citizen trying to make sense of the artificial intelligence best sellers shaping our headlines, Statecraft 3.0 offers both a warning and a roadmap.If you enjoy thought leaders like Ian Bremmer, Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, or Malcolm Shaw, this is a must-read political science book you'll return to again and again.Prepare for the most important conversation of our century: Who really governs-humans or machines?
The Maritime Security Dilemma In The Gulf
In an era where roughly one-fifth of global oil transits through a narrow 21-nautical-mile passage, the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as the world's most critical maritime chokepoint. This strategic waterway, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, represents far more than a shipping lane-it embodies the complex intersection of energy security, regional sovereignty, and international power dynamics that defines modern geopolitics.The Maritime Security Dilemma in the Gulf offers a comprehensive examination of the delicate balance between protecting vital sea lanes and preserving regional autonomy. As Gulf Cooperation Council states navigate competing pressures from external military presence and internal sovereignty concerns, they face an unprecedented challenge: securing critical infrastructure while maintaining independent decision-making capabilities.This authoritative analysis examines how Iranian naval activities, asymmetric warfare tactics, and non-state actor interventions create a multifaceted security environment where traditional deterrence models are inadequate. The book delves into emerging threats-from cyberattacks on maritime systems to climate-induced vulnerabilities-that are reshaping security calculations across the region.Drawing on extensive research and real-world case studies, the authors present practical frameworks for crisis management, diplomatic engagement, and technological innovation that respect both collective security needs and national prerogatives. From satellite surveillance systems to confidence-building measures, the book charts viable pathways for sustainable maritime governance.Essential reading for policymakers, defence analysts, and international relations scholars, this volume provides the strategic insights needed to understand one of the world's most volatile yet economically vital regions. As global energy dependencies evolve and regional power dynamics shift, The Maritime Security Dilemma in the Gulf serves as an indispensable guide to navigating the complexities of 21st-century maritime security.
Blessed Are Those Who Hunger for Truth
Alexei Navalny was Putin's most formidable opponent: an anti-corruption activist, a politician, and ultimately, a martyr. But was he also something else? This book makes a startling claim: that Navalny, whether he intended to or not, walked a path strikingly similar to Christ's.While the official Russian Orthodox Church blessed weapons and preached submission to Caesar, an atheist in an Arctic punishment cell was memorizing the Sermon on the Mount and joking about being Santa Claus. While patriarchs wore gold, Navalny wore prison stripes, confronting a corrupt empire with truth as his only weapon.Blessed Are Those Who Hunger for Truth is not about deifying a politician. It is a devastating examination of what it means to follow Christ in the 21st century. It is a challenge to a comfortable Christianity that has forgotten the price of its convictions.The question isn't whether Navalny was a saint. The question is: If an atheist could carry his cross to the end, what excuse do believers have?
