The Shape of the Future: World Politics in a New Century

Now in its millennial edition, this popular text traces the lineaments of an emergent international system that is both distinguishable from the past and stable enough to prevail into the next century. It is a system characterized by: -- the dominance of one superpower, the United States, with some ambivalence about its role; -- the globalization of market economics and political democratization; -- the achievement of substantial consensus conflict management among the core states. Mindful tha the optimism at the turn of the last century was as unfounded as the pessimism of 1950, the author balances the analysis with a survey of weak points and a reminder that, although we can look toward the future, we cannot see it. Sure to provoke classroom discussion, The Shape of the Future is an ideal supplementary text for a range of college courses on the contemporary world.

Donald M. Snow is professor of political science at the University of Alabama, specializing in foreign and national security policy and international relations. He has held visiting faculty positions at the U.S. Air Command and Staff College, U.S. Naval War College, U.S. Army War College, and U.S. Air War College. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Colorado and a Ph.D. from Indiana University.