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65th out of 270 books
—
119 voters
A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama's Diplomacy with Iran
by
Trita Parsi
Have the diplomatic efforts of the Obama administration toward Iran failed? Was the Bush administration's emphasis on military intervention, refusal to negotiate, and pursuit of regime change a better approach? How can the United States best address the ongoing turmoil in Tehran? This book provides a definitive and comprehensive analysis of the Obama administration's early...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
January 24th 2012
by Yale University Press
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An extremely well written and researched book that really hits the ground running. Parsi assumes that the reader has some historical knowledge of the issues and relationships he discusses. If you don't have it, you'll be fine, but having some type of background painted prior to this would be beneficial and will probably allow you to enjoy his research more.
The book does not take a stance on who is right or wrong, rather it is just a cataloging of events on the relationship between Iran and the U...more
The book does not take a stance on who is right or wrong, rather it is just a cataloging of events on the relationship between Iran and the U...more
Parsi presents a straightforward explanation of the complications involving the relationship between the U.S. and Iran and why diplomacy continues to fail. He addresses the attempts by Obama to establish a diplomatic relationship and use diplomacy to obtain foreign policy goals and the constraints under which Obama operated. The real reason diplomacy has never worked with Iran and the reason there continues to be rhetorical conflict is a result of domestic politicking that makes extended diploma...more
Really, what this book lays out in excruciating detail is what a cluster American diplomacy in the Middle East is. So many groups to deal with (domestic as well as international), many of whom have contradictory interests. Am very, very glad I ditched one of my early plans to go into the diplomatic corps, because, how frustrating must this be?
Interesting and informative, although I was reading this book episodically and could have used a timeline/quick list of players. There were a lot of them,...more
Interesting and informative, although I was reading this book episodically and could have used a timeline/quick list of players. There were a lot of them,...more
This book is readable and well-researched, not to mention eye-opening. I highly recommend it over the nightly news to get a real sense of the pressures and agendas that drive the different key players in this international issue, and how these have developed over time and manifested in different (lost) opportunities. Seriously: turn off the TV for the duration of the nightly news, read this book in that time, and repeat as many nights as you need to finish it and you will have learned more than...more
A very intricate look at Obama's push for diplomacy with Iran, and the challenges he faced. I'm not sure about the bias of the writer, but aside from his commentary, it seems very well reported. It's interesting to me how much Israel was involved, and the type of pressure they were putting on the US government.
Additionally, it has yielded me some insight into dealing with others when there is conflict. Admittedly, these others are mostly 13 year-olds, but I still feel the ideas Parsi shared abou...more
Additionally, it has yielded me some insight into dealing with others when there is conflict. Admittedly, these others are mostly 13 year-olds, but I still feel the ideas Parsi shared abou...more
Whew. This was a tough one for me to get through. About a year ago when I started making a concerted effort to finish more books, I made a little deal with myself that if I ever had a bit of downtime and I found myself specifically not wanting to pick up the book I was reading, that meant I wasn't into it and I needed to set it aside and read something else. It was an effort to prevent the logjam that sometimes happens when I'm reading a difficult or dry book that I want to finish (either becaus...more
Solid read. Like most nonfiction books it was a little repetitive, and it's frustrating that the end result is basically just being back at square one, but hey, don't shoot the messenger, eh? I've heard this author has a biased ("pro-Iran") view but I think the guy's just trying to plead for practicality; it's usually good to read nonfiction with a little grain of salt just in case though. Anyway I got a pretty good sense of what's been going on in the Middle East over the last ten years which w...more
An excellent analysis on the current US-Iran foreign policy. Parsi weaves a very readable story from the hopes of the beginning of the Obama administration for nuclear diplomacy to the heavy sanctions that have been placed on Iran. It is well researched books and he examines each side of the major players in the failed talks. This is a great book for anyone with interests in US foreign policy.
This book covers America's diplomacy with Iran during the first two years of the Obama administration with background about our relations before. It maintains a sufficiently narrow scope so that the topic is covered well and you can understand the events of the day more clearly. Diplomacy was clearly not a high priority for Iran or America, so there has not been a lot of progress yet.
I have a new and deeper respect for the enormous job the US State Dept. does. I recommend this book highly, even if you don't agree with Obama's policies it is a fascinating look at the behind the scene examination of the day to day work of the State Dept.
The author makes an extremely complex situation understandable--which is not to say there's any easy solution. In fact, the convoluted nature of the strange relationship we have with Iran is much denser and further from resolution than it may seem
This is a very good book. It should be read with All the Shah's Men. This book really illustrates the difficulties on both sides of the problem in negotiations with Iran. It also illustrates why we (the US) should make the first move.
Informative. Shows the pressures of lobbying that influence what a president can/may/might do. Lobbying by Israel, Jews in America, Republicans, Democrats, Congress and more.
Who knew there was a readable account of failed Iran-U.S. diplomacy? saw this guy on the daily show and loved him. Great read...informative and frustrating.
It wasn't an easy fun read but I did really enjoy it. Fascinating insights from many different perspectives based on interviews with the key players. I learned a lot and realize I am geographically and historically challenged. So much history in this part of the world compared to our very brief life as a nation-does that make it easier for them to look forward with a longer view?
Boring . My reading time is too precious for this book. Disappointed in it,
First of all, I was unsure whether I would be able to muster the intestinal fortitude to finish reading this book. It is not a light-weight read, and really, how many ways are there to say that Obama & the United States have a flawed and weak approach to diplomacy fomented by longstanding institutionalized enmity between Iran and the west? And that the western world responds with an entrenched,knee-jerk pull toward sanctions and hostility, while fractured Iran cannot get its collective shit...more
May 01, 2013
Brandon Erickson
marked it as to-read
Apr 21, 2013
Matthew
marked it as to-read
Apr 17, 2013
Ehagi Daniel
marked it as to-read
Apr 17, 2013
Jason
marked it as to-read
Apr 10, 2013
Bryan Greenberg
marked it as to-read
Apr 04, 2013
Robert
marked it as to-read
Apr 01, 2013
Melody Knight
marked it as to-read
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aslan Media Book ...: Split international community | 1 | 4 | 27. April, 10:01 Uhr | |
| Aslan Media Book ...: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei & Nuclear Weapons | 1 | 2 | 20. April, 07:14 Uhr | |
| Aslan Media Book ...: Iran & the US on the 23rd of May | 1 | 1 | 20. April, 07:12 Uhr |
