Rules of the Game

Book excerpt: Anyone interested in the forces behind globalization, terrorism, job outsourcing, or the price of gas needs at least a fundamental understanding of international relations. Using the relevant and accessible metaphor of a game, The Rules of the Game provides an introductory explanation of international relations. The book is broken into three inviting parts. First, it examines the basics of the international relations game by explaining the nature of the game, its players, its goals, and its strategies. Then, the book looks at the rules of the game from the perspectives of politics, economics, law, and morality. The book ends with a pertinent discussion of the future of the international relations game in the context of globalization. Intended for general readers, this book provides a succinct, jargon-free framework for understanding contemporary international relations.