Joseph S. Nye Jr.

Joseph Nye coined the term "soft power" in the late 1980s. It is now used frequently, and often incorrectly, by political leaders, editorial writers, and academics around the world. So, what is soft power? Soft power lies in the ability to attract and persuade. Whereas hard power, the ability to coerce, grows out of a country's military or economic might, soft power arises from the attractiveness of a country's culture, political ideals, and policies. Hard...

For the past eight decades, we have lived in "the American Century"-a period during which the US has enjoyed unrivaled power-be it political, economic, or military-on the global stage. Born on the cusp of this new era, Joseph S. Nye Jr. has spent a lifetime illuminating our understanding of the changing contours of America power and world affairs. His many books on the nature of power and political leadership have rightly earned him his reputation...