Political and Legal.

The article contains several book reviews on political and legal aspects of international relations. In 'The End of the American Era: U.S. Foreign Policy After the Cold War,' author Charles Kupchan argues that a unipolar world is unsustainable. 'Heaven on Earth: The Rise and Fall of Socialism,' by Joshua Muravchik, addresses the twists and turns in socialism's history with a focus on the individuals who invented, popularized, redefined, and exploited socialism across the eras. 'Human Development Report 2002,' by the United Nations Development Program, argues that democratic governance is the most important ingredient for economic advancement in the developing world. In 'Disarmament Sketches: Three Decades of Arms Control and International Law,' author Thomas Graham, Jr. provides an intriguing composite picture of the limits and possibilities of the legal-diplomatic approach to security and arms control. 'Shaped by War and Trade: International Influences on American Political Development,' edited by Ira Katznelson and Martin Shefter, brings together essays by leading scholars that explore how war and trade have helped shape American sovereignty, domestic institutions, and political culture. Finally, in 'Blood at the Doorstep: The Politics of Preventive Action,' author Barnett R. Rubin provides a thorough investigation into the troublesome area of violence that has occurred since the end of the Cold War. Rubin states that more than four million people have been killed by ethnic conflicts, failed-state wars, and humanitarian disasters.