Reviews for World Order

by Henry Kissinger

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Former secretary of state Kissinger has publicly commented on several recent occasions that the most important challenge facing the U.S. is the creation of a new world order to bring resilience to a planet faced by many complicated and potentially devastating international challenges. As explained in this selection, Kissinger's vision for international order is inspired by the Westphalian system, which, in ending the Thirty Years' War in the seventeenth century, made nation-states the primary building blocks of modern world order. His appeal for a reinvigorated Westphalian system will not surprise anyone familiar with the Kissingerian realpolitik philosophy that undergirded the foreign policy of the Nixon and Ford administrations. But in today's context, it risks being seen as something of a throwback to an era in which state power was not yet limited by supranational bodies like the European Union, or challenged by networked stateless communities or corporations. Ever-astute Kissinger is, of course, aware of such controversies, and some of the most fascinating portions of this book are those in which the great strategist grapples with the challenges technology poses not just to international order but to governance itself.--Driscoll, Brendan Copyright 2014 Booklist


Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Former Secretary of State Kissinger (On China, 2011, etc.) considers the prospect for order in a world without agreed-upon rules. At a time when many nations differ on the meanings of democracy, human rights and international law, the 21st-century world is in a state of flux regarding the concepts of power and legitimacythe foundation of world order. In fact, the world has never achieved world order, writes Kissinger. It came closest four centuries ago when warring European states, under the Peace of Westphalia, recognized state sovereignty and principles of international relations. Those rules and limits diminished greatly after World War II, when the United States dominated the Atlantic Alliance. They never reigned globally in a world of divergent cultures, histories and theories of order. In this erudite view of our disordered world, Kissinger views each region from a historical perspective to reveal the forces behind differing views of world order. In the Arab world, he finds that Islam is "a religion, a multicultural superstate, and a new world order," where, in the case of Iran, for example, negotiation is seen as part of "an eternal religious struggle." The "ominous" disintegration of Arab nations into tribal and sectarian units, writes the author, recalls the religious wars in pre-Westphalia Europe. Kissinger traces the rise of America's idealistic vision of world orderone based on the universality of American principlesand credits the U.S. with many contributions to global order while noting that America "has risked extremes of overextension and disillusioned withdrawal." The author also discusses the role of science and technology in shaping world affairs, urging that the instant information afforded by the Internet be viewed within the broader context of history. Regions must agree on their own concepts of order before they can relate to one another. An astute analysis that illuminates many of today's critical international issues. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.


Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

As a Machiavellian adviser to Republican presidents, Kissinger meditates on his realpolitik approach to international affairs at the beginning of the 21st century. "Leftists" condemned his elitism and concern with the major powers, while "rightists" condemned his willingness to negotiate with Soviet leaders. The former secretary of state begins by providing a historical account of how the Old World (Europe, Africa, and Asia) implemented a balance of power approach to maintain order. Later, he reflects on contemporary politics of the United States, China, Russia, and Iran. He theorizes that the modern American experience stems from Theodore Roosevelt's realism and Woodrow Wilson's idealism in foreign affairs. Though Kissinger's heart may be with Roosevelt, he demonstrates how Wilson's rhetoric affected the New World experience, particularly the Americas, influencing not only Franklin Roosevelt but also Richard Nixon, who kept a portrait of Wilson in the White House's Cabinet Room. VERDICT Critics are unlikely to find much interest in this volume as it largely summarizes Kissinger's thinking, but students and historians of political science may appreciate his suggestion that both realism and idealism are necessary in modern times. [See Prepub Alert, 3/17/14.]-William D. Pederson, Louisiana State Univ., Shreveport (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.


Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kissinger's (former secretary of state and national security advisor; On China) latest book details the evolution of the current state of global affairs and analyzes modern international challenges. The work provides listeners with unique access to the thoughts and ideas of a significant diplomat and career policy shaper. Kissinger explains how different orders came to be in power and then describes their subsequent downfalls. He believes that, although economic globalization makes the world feel more orderly and intertwined, an increasing number of variables, especially religious and ideological extremism, may cause chaos on the global platform. Kissinger offers solutions for balancing power and achieving justice for all in a world comprised of nations with starkly different ways of thinking. Nicholas Hormann's narration is solid, but the book often has the feel of a lecture. VERDICT The geopolitical insights contained in this timely work will certainly help politically savvy listeners better understand the critical problems we face in the modern world, but casual listeners may be overwhelmed. ["Critics are unlikely to find much interest in this volume as it largely summarizes Kissinger's thinking, but students and historians of political science may appreciate his suggestion that both realism and idealism are necessary in modern times," read the review of the Penguin Pr. hc, LJ 9/1/14.] Sean Kennedy, Cleveland Marshall Coll. Law Lib. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.