All Measures Short of War: The Contest for the Twenty-First Century and the Future of American Power

Thomas Wright is a senior fellow with the Project on International Order and Strategy and Director of the Center for the U.S. and Europe at the Brookings Institution.Wright has a BA and MA from University College Dublin, an M Phil in international studies from Cambridge University, and a PhD in government from Georgetown University.It is difficult to say who might find this work of interest. Its virtue is that in the field of International Relations his composition is rich in the jargon of the field and he balances his basic thesis against the work of other scholars so it takes on the qualities of a text book with rich references to pursue.But its shortcoming for this reviewer is that it never departs from the premise that the U.S.A. is the Nucleus of the Universe and American ‘National Interest’ are the overriding world’s promise without specifying what those interests are and who they serve in the three regions of his concern, Europe, South East Asia and the Middle East. He leaves them in the vague categories of Liberal, Democratic, and Inclusive at a time when he does note that those three categories are under stress’ In short he is holding to a defense that Pax Americana was good and must continue when America’s role may be slipping and in search of content. This rises to the level of ideology or more simply Conventional Thoughts by an Insider; of interest to those who concur and few others.An alternative would be that Pax Americana has created chaos and has little to show except the survival of alliances that themselves are under intense stress; as many other authors engage: That list would be long. A good and more insightful follow up would be Easternization: Asia's Rise and America's Decline From Obama to Trump and Beyond by Gideon Rachman. From reviews it sounds like Haass’ latest book, A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order, run parallel to Wright’s work but perhaps a bit more Hawkish.

Overall a good and informative reading. Author provides a comprehensive overview of various foreign policy strategies and their perspectives challenges. But overall arguments and trajectory is towards the old established foreign policy establishments, in particular the hawkish Brooking Institute and its strong support for Esrael and Saudies. It is more leaning towards America's continuing military engagement particularly when it comes to Middel East and support for its allies. Although I have my reservations on its prescribed solution, I still consider it a worthwhile reading.

Well written. Quick, read. Time to Unite within government branches rather than sow divisiveness. China is not sleeping and we’re squandering time and resources.

This publication allows the individual living in the West to understand what politicians set in action post Cold War, why, and how (through whom); as a consequence of this understanding we voters will be better equipped to challenge/support their future actions in timely support of national - not their - needs

Dr Wright offers a thoughtful, birds-eye view of the current geopolitical situations and various scenarios for nations to advance their respective economic and political needs. It's complicated! The USA pays a price if it tries to impose its answers on other nations these days, even those seeking help. Wright is no isolationist, showing how the US can promote democracies and liberal values of human rights with its economic and/or military might.

This book is a rare thing: totally readable, and full of new ideas about the way the world works that help us understand current events. Not a Trump book, yet hugely important to understanding the consequences of his presidency.

Impressive grasp of world events, concise strategic assessments of key regions, a bit of an optimist for American strategy (and never mentions how to pay for his Responsible Competition). Not likely to be accepted by the current Administration, but very much worth reading.

Great book that provides insights into the perceptions of America’s competitors and provides reasonable alternatives to counter their influence / deny their objectives without sparking a potential global conflict

Easy to read, intelligent, broad sweeping overview of the current state of world order from a US liberal perspective. Educational and at times insightful. Raises topics for further study.

Concise language and clear concepts gave me an easy-to-understand picture of how things might evolve, given certain actions by the various national players.