The Power Game

By Joseph S. Nye Jr.

Book Overview

Peter Cutler is a respected Princeton professor living a quiet academic life when an old college friend makes him an offer he can't refuse: The position of foreign policy adviser for Democratic... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1586482262
• ISBN13: 9781586482268
• Release Date: November 2004
• Publisher: PublicAffairs
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Must read for every political apointee

This book is a must read for every political appointee. Kennedy School students thinking of governmment service would be well served to read this book closely.

A Washington Story

The Power Game makes the problem of the spread of nuclear weapons both human and understandable. At the same time Professor Nye weaves an engrossing tale. The American public sees front page articles on proliferation daily. In this fast paced novel, the policy battles to manage proliferation are made clearer to the average reader. For better or worse,the characters are completely plausible...reminding me of over twenty years in the State Department, happily working on other areas. The plot is well crafted and the human drama is all too real. Peter Cutler is least appealing when he becomes caught up in the Washington policy game. He is most attractive when he is in the woods fishing. Professor Nye has mastered the art of combining reality with fiction which makes for a fun and scarey read

fiction may portend reality

I found this book to be a gripping tale, and, perhaps a portent of things to come. The book is certainly well crafted, with excellent character depiction/development.This is not surprising in view of the author's background as an "insider" in two administrations, with special responsibilities in the area of nuclear proliferation. The book is especially timely in view of current developments in Iran, Pakistan, and North Korea regarding their nuclear weapons programs. The portrayal of the tensions between diplomacy and "hard power" as methods to deal with proliferation is particularly well described and very appropos. The passages portraying the protagonist's interaction with nature as he pursues his passion for flyfishing while trying to work through his problems are particularly lyrical.

Page Turner

How refreshing! I couldn't put this one down! The Power Game covers new ground (the inside of Washington politics) with credibility and intrigue. The book took off as Senator Kent's campaign gained momentum and the protagonist, Peter Cutler got sucked in to "the game". By the fourth chapter I couldn't wait to see how Washington would ruin such a good person. Poor Kate....poor Peter. What a thrill!!!

A Riviting Tale

This book is a thriller about Washington political life. I enjoyed the Power Game. I was clearly taken by this vision of the world of power and found myself drawn into it, not putting it down until the end. The "game" is a tough one and convincingly the hero looses sight of his own values, as he plays the game. In the process he has an affair, his marriage is in trouble and he loses his job. All this is very real - the was Washington must be. The ending leaves us with the hero's resolution to his problems. It is easy to identify with him, like him and understand how he got into this mess. The book doesn't pretend to be other than its genre. It's a wonderful read and I learned a lot about Washington DC.