Summary :
Since the end of the Cold War, the global per- ception of the United States has morphed from dominant international leader to disorganized entity unwilling to continue to accept the mantle of global leadership and unable to govern itself effectively. Robert M. Gates argues that this trans- formation is the result of the failure of political leaders to understand the complexity of American power, its many instruments, and its limitations. He makes clear that the successful exercise of power is far from limited to the use of military might or the ability to coerce or demand sub- mission, but must encompass as well diplomacy, economics, strategic communications, develop- ment assistance, intelligence, technology, ideology, and cybernetics. By analyzing specific challenges faced by the American government in the post- Cold War period Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, Syria, Libya, Russia, China, the Balkans, Africa, and others-Gates deconstructs the ways in which leaders have used the instruments of power available to them. With candid judgments of the performance of the past four presidents and their senior-most advisers, firsthand knowledge, and insider stories, Gates argues that U.S. national security in the future will require learning, and abiding by, the lessons of the past, restructuring and reimagining our approach, and revitalizing nonmilitary instru- ments of power essential to success and security.

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