Nye is best known for his theory of “soft power,” which explains why a country’s ideas, institutions, and habits of cooperation can be as important in shaping the behavior of other states as the use of “hard power,” such as military force, threats, and sanctions. In this deft autobiography, Nye shows how his experiences in academia and policy illuminate the inner workings of American power—both hard and soft. In a chapter on the years he spent in the Carter administration crafting nonproliferation policy, Nye recalls bureaucratic battles, complex intergovernmental consultations, and the struggle to craft a coherent strategy. Another chapter focuses on Nye’s work at the Pentagon during the Clinton administration, where he played a leading role in renegotiating alliance relations with Japan. In these and numerous other accounts of political debates and diplomatic encounters, Nye offers reflections on the building blocks of effective foreign policy: establishing one’s credibility, seeking political opportunities, building relationships, focusing on problem-solving, and defining a lasting strategy. Ultimately, he argues that the long era of U.S. global influence is threatened less by the rise of powerful rivals than by domestic unrest and divisions and the return of isolationism.

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