A nation such as the United States cannot--and should not--improvise its foreign policy. There needs to be a model for how a superpower responds to crises; Superpower examines three such models. What's good about the book is that it begins with a quiz for the reader which is then referenced throughout the text. Also impressive is that, when discussing each of the three models, Bremmer argues as earnestly and as intelligently as he can that the model in question is the best one. This creates a kind of suspense, since the reader is told that he will learn Bremmer's opinion at the very end. And, kudos to him, he doesn't weasel out of choosing one of the models, nor does he argue that we need elements of each. He chooses definitively and defends his reasoning. The book also moves along at a quick pace; it's never dull. ( )

Superpower: Three Choices for America's Role in the World by Ian Bremmer, an astute and intelligent political scientist and observer, if possibly manic, has written an important book on strategic choices America must make. The book is a little textbook-y and I tired of the analogy to Moneyball, the book by Michael Lewis about the Seattle baseball team. A book that by the way was fantastic. Bremmer thinks Obama's foreign policy has been a failure which should not be surprising since he entered the White House with no foreign policy experience and doesn't seem to have supplemented it with outstanding advisors. Bremmer is arrogantly certain the Mrs. Hillary, grossly negligent Clinton will be our next president. I can't recommend this book wholeheartedly but I am glad I read it. ( )