The Paradox of American Power: Why the World's Only Superpower Can't Go It Alone

"This elegantly constructed essay is about why an unrivalled military and economic power still needs allies or partners, and why, as world leader, America should rely also on the soft, persuasive kind of power: the appeal of its values and culture."―The Economist

"This reasoned and timely essay on the uses of power makes a valuable contribution to American public discourse."―Publishers Weekly

"Admirably compact...illuminating."―Christian Science Monitor

"Joseph Nye―consistently one of the wiser heads around―has produced, yet again, a lucid, forceful critique of American foreign policy and a sensible, far-sighted prescription for making American power more palatable and more effective around the world. In the wake of September 11, The Paradox of American Power could hardly be more timely. It reflects Nye's multiple experiences in government as well as his perspective as a scholar and thinker."―Strobe Talbott, Yale University

"Joe Nye is one of the most astute observers of the changing nature of international politics. His new book provides an excellent framework for viewing U.S. role in the 21st century and especially after the events of September 11."―Madeleine Albright

"Before the book was finished the events of Sept. 11 came along and underscored his thesis.... If the United States is bound to lead, it is also bound to cooperate.... Nye argues that the interests of the international community are not illusory, that they are part and parcel of our national interests, which cannot be achieved without help from other nations.... There is no going it alone in a globalized world."―H.D.S. Greenway, Boston Globe

"In lucid and concise prose, Joe Nye sums up the ambiguities and complexities of American power. He provides a valuable context for understanding how to maximize our strength and minimize our vulnerabilities in the post-September 11th world."―Richard Holbrooke, United States Ambassador to the United Nations

"Could not be more timely.... Nye's objection to unilateralism, or realism in the sense used here, is not that they are conceptually insecure; his point is that they just don't work."―New York Review of Books