Interesting book! This is the kind of book that would be most useful if updated every few years because of changes in power of parties representing different foreign policy perspectives over time. By understanding the foreign policy debates within countries there is greater understanding of implications of election outcomes. The analysis stopped in 2011 so it's not representative of the current dynamics, but it's still quite informative for understanding how foreign policy debates have progressed over time within countries of significance to international security. It's also useful for understanding the evolution of contemporary perspectives. I would recommend this for someone who wants to develop a deeper understanding of changes over time but not for someone who is looking looking for one book to explain contemporary dynamics. I gave it 3 stars because it's outdated at this point in some significant ways (esp if you're trying to understand Russia and China better because there have been significant developments since 2011).