New Books In World Affairs

Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations and foreign policy advisor to four U.S. presidents, has written a primer on international relations in his new book The World: A Brief Introduction (Penguin, 2020). In this book Dr. Haass argues that there is no “Vegas rule” for events in the world: the effects of what happens far away do not remain far away. Dr. Haass provides a guide, easily digestible for the novice and the expert, to the history of international relations from the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 through today. He avoids being mired in scholarly debates to make a clear, concise presentation on the influential problems confronting the contemporary international scene, including climate change, international finance, terrorism, migration, and – quite relevant for today’s world – global health. Dr. Haass explains the tensions arising from the need for stability and the hopes for true peace among nations. He discusses the factors that help produce stability, such as strong alliances and