Richard Betts Livres

Exploring America's favorite recreational plant, this guide offers comprehensive insights into its history, culture, and uses. The author, a New York Times best-seller, provides essential information for both novices and enthusiasts, blending expert knowledge with engaging storytelling. Readers will discover the plant's diverse applications and the evolving perceptions surrounding it, making this an informative and enjoyable read for anyone interested in cannabis.

While American national security policy has grown more interventionist since the Cold War, Washington has also hoped to shape the world. Misled by the stunning success against Iraq in 1991, administrations of both parties have pursued ambitious aims with limited force, committing the country's military frequently with inconsistent justification. These ventures have produced strategic confusion, unplanned entanglements, and indecisive results. This collection of essays by Richard K. Betts investigates use of American force since end of Cold War, suggesting guidelines for making it more selective and successful. Betts brings his knowledge of twentieth century American diplomatic and military history to bear on full range of theory and practice in national security, surveying Cold War roots of recent initiatives and arguing U.S. policy has been more unilateral than liberal theorists claim. He exposes mistakes made by humanitarian interventions and peace operations; reviews issues raised by terrorism and use of modern nuclear, biological, and cyber weapons; evaluates case for preventive war, which almost always proves wrong; weighs lessons learned from campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam; assesses rise of China and resurgence of Russia; quells concerns about civil-military relations; exposes anomalies within recent defense budgets; and confronts practical barriers to effective strategy. Betts ultimately argues for greater caution and restraint, while encouraging more decisive action when force is required, and recommends a more dispassionate assessment of national security interests, despite global instability and unfamiliar threats

Analyses surprise attacks during the mid-twentieth century to illustrate the author's thesis: surprise attacks occur, not because intelligence services fail to warn, but because of the disbelief of political leaders. Richad K. Betts investigation of the historical, psychological, political, diplomatic, and military aspects of his subject heightens understanding of why surprise attacks succeed.

Combining study with experience, Richard K. Betts draws on three decades of work within the U.S. intelligence community to illuminate the paradoxes and problems that frustrate the intelligence process. Unlike America's efforts to improve its defenses against natural disasters, strengthening its strategic assessment capabilities means outwitting crafty enemies who operate beyond U.S. borders. It also requires looking within to the organizational and political dynamics of collecting information and determining its implications for policy. Betts outlines key strategies for better intelligence gathering and assessment. He describes how fixing one malfunction can create another; in what ways expertise can be both a vital tool and a source of error and misjudgment; the pitfalls of always striving for accuracy in intelligence, which in some cases can render it worthless; the danger, though unavoidable, of "politicizing" intelligence; and the issue of secrecy--when it is excessive, when it is insufficient, and how limiting privacy can in fact protect civil liberties. Grounding his arguments in extensive theory and policy analysis, Betts takes a comprehensive and realistic look at the convergence of knowledge and power in facing the intelligence challenges of the twenty-first century.

What's the difference between a pilsner and a stout? Why is water so important to beer? What's the best temperature to serve a lager, an ale, or a stout? What the heck is a hop anyways?

A Master Sommelier introduces the basics of wine through scratch-and-sniff stickers.

This engaging guide by Richard Betts simplifies the world of whiskey, categorizing it into Grain, Wood, and Place. With humor and interactive scratch-and-sniff elements, it demystifies whiskey types and helps readers discover their preferences, making learning about this beloved spirit enjoyable and accessible.