The Future of the Great Powers is one book in a series called Predictions, a series in which experts give their prognosis of the future. The couldn't have picked a better author for this one; Joffe is one of the most respected oracles for the fates of the great powers. I bought this book based on his articles in Foreign Affairs, "Bismarck or Britain: Toward an American Grand Strategy", and "How America Does It". I was not disappointed.

To be honest, I was a little disappointed when I first saw the book due to its short length: just over 50 pages. However, Joffe seems to need only these few pages to make his points. In this book, he gives his opinion on the nature of the international order, discusses various competing ideas about the future internatinal order, and explains why, in his opinion, the United States will not face a hostile coalition arrayed against it. Granted, the argument isn't much different from the one he puts forth in Foreign Affairs...