I was amazed at the lucidity and incisiveness with which this book addresses with the complex issue of violence, as well as presents an eclectic spectrum of means to deal with it. The surprising brevity of the work, for once, has helped me grasp coherently the exhaustive range of stimulants to the incitement of violence. That includes everything from individual human psychology as an engendering cause of international conflict and war, to structural and cultural incitements to violent socio-political behavior, both within and without countries. It is a pleasant reading experience that will not make one forgetful of the beginning by the time one will have reached the end. I could easily fathom the complex intermingling of biology, psychology, anthropology, sociology, political science, and other branches of study that all contribute to the causes of violence and its prevention.

The book goes on to explain the various roles of governments and the public in inciting and justifying war. Rectification of perceived injustice by communities, need to preserve national honor, windows of threat or opportunity in geopolitical calculations - all are attended plainly yet compellingly.

Brown explores concepts like balance of power, international collective security, arms control, and their historical, philosophical bases, in proceeding towards the conclusion envisioning a unique mix of morality and changes in political-economic structure as the final hope of a new world order.

This book is targeted toward students of California, but it certainly is readable enough to appeal to the general reader from California (like me?). People from other states probably would not find much of interest, except tangentially (for example, Arizona is on a tangent to California?).

First, the authors review the history of the state, from the Native American roots through the Spanish and Mexican years, through the admission to the United States. Following this is an interesting discussion of the types of government, from state to local, with helpful explanations. The style of writing is clear, not verbose or arcane in any way.

Particularly helpful to me was the discussion of the evolution of the tax revolt, embodied in the Jarvis-Gann Initiative, which became law, limiting property tax values to 1% of assessed valuation. Also, the etiology of the environmental movement, and of minority politics in California, was elucidated.

For example, Californians are vaguely aware that water has always been problematic, especially in the more arid Southern California area. Here in this book we learn the history of the various aquaducts and the ongoing battle between Northern and Southern California for water. We surmise, therefrom, about what might happen in the future (for example, water shortages in Southern California, et cetera). This will help us Californians to make decisions in the future, even if only by means of our one vote per person.

Californians of all ilks can benefit from this book, which offers a balanced and informative discussion of issues from the past up to the present.

Diximus

I had the pleasure of taking a course with Professor Brown at Harvard Summer School. If you want the real-deal on the evolution of the international relations system within the last several hundred years, you will find it here. In his past career, Professor Brown was a strategist at the Rand Corporation (main U.S. policy think tank during the Cold War). A must for any aspiring diplomat or businessman.