Review by Choice Review
Conflict remains a pervasive element in international politics, and world leaders often turn to mediation to manage the myriad of conflicts. Beardsley (Emory Univ.) argues that however appealing mediation might be in the short run, it may not lead to a long-term, durable settlement of the conflict since it interposes the third parties into the center of the dispute, rather than allowing the contending parties to seek a mutually acceptable permanent solution. He has provided a sophisticated analysis that draws widely for examples from both interstate and intrastate conflict, and he concludes with a set of seven relevant policy recommendations to maximize the benefits of mediation and to minimize its liabilities. This valuable scholarly work includes an appendix on quantitative analyses and an extensive bibliography. It belongs in all academic libraries with significant holdings in international affairs. Summing Up: Essential. Lower- and upper-division undergraduate and graduate collections. J. A. Rhodes Luther College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
