Book Description
From the most highly respected analyst of foreign policy writing today, a story of wasted opportunity and squandered prestige: a critique of the last three U.S. presidents' foreign policy.
America's most distinguished commentator on foreign policy, former National Security Adviser Zbigniew BrzContinue
Book Details
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- English Books
- Hardcover 240 Pages
- ISBN-10: 0465002528
- ISBN-13: 9780465002528
- Publisher: Basic Books
- Pub date: Mar 05, 2007
- Dimensions: 20 cm x 14 cm x 3 cm Just how big is that?
Andyberschauer 
The pictures say it all
"Second Chance" features the pictures of the book's 3 main actors chosen to reflect the point-of-view expressed by the author. Bush I (looking sternly to the left), while skilled and in control of an unusual number of world crises, led by looking in the rearview mirror. Clinton (with the befuddled ... (continue)
"Second Chance" features the pictures of the book's 3 main actors chosen to reflect the point-of-view expressed by the author. Bush I (looking sternly to the left), while skilled and in control of an unusual number of world crises, led by looking in the rearview mirror. Clinton (with the befuddled look to the right) was a forward-looking leader whose style (personal and professional) didn't allow his administration to reach its potential. Bush II (looking to the right with his back to the camera) was also a forward-looking leader who wasn't about to listen to anything anyone outside his inner circle had to say.
Most of "Second Chance" consists of a nice stroll down memory lane. The author concentrates on the 3 Presidents since the fall of the Soviet Union as only they have governed in the rarified air of truly being *the* Global Leader. The reader emerges from this reminiscence 3/4 of the way through the book with 3 main concepts: 1) foreign policy is more complicated than ordinary citizens tend to think of it - spanning much longer timeframes and involving many more actors; 2) Bush I was a better President than he's usually given credit for being; 3) Bush II was a worse President than even his detractors tend to know.
The final portion of the book provides some good food for thought, and implores the next Global Leader not to blow the opportunities presented in the same way as his predecessors. The concepts are presented simply and rationally - there aren't a lot of wasted words in this text, which is part of its appeal. That said, I felt much more should have been done in this section. Looking forward is where the value of the author's experience comes in, not in the retrospective - ironic that he bashes Bush I for this.
My only significant beef with the retrospective is that the author is a little unfair to Bush I. His hands were full, by the author's own admission, skillfully reacting to crisis after crisis heaped on him by external events - when the heck did he have the time to pay more than lip service to the catchphrase of the day, "New World Order" (the author's primary complaint)? Bush I did what he knew how to do, and did it well, setting the stage for a new style of leadership to follow, even if 4 years sooner than he would have preferred. I feel he was fair enough with Clinton and Bush II.
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