Lauded for its outstanding balance of accessibility and substance, Henry Nau's Perspectives on International Relations lays a real foundation for further study in IR while delivering the critical thinking skills students need to grasp the events unfolding on the world stage. Adopters consistently report that the book's even-handed application of three major viewpoints-realism, liberalism, and constructivism-is a singularly effective and engaging tool for getting students to understand how the seemingly abstract theories of IR make sense of global events and issues. While maintaining its brevity and focus, the second edition's revision features the latest in world affairs, advancements in the scholarship, and refined pedagogical features throughout. New to this edition, in response to user reviews: - Expanded coverage of Marxism, feminism, soft power, and other perspectives throughout the book and also in "Critical Theories" sections in each chapter; - Expanded coverage of key issues in IR: terrorism, ethnic conflict, foreign policy, civil society, global governance, the democratic peace, environmental issues, NGOs, and human security; - New "Spotlight" feature highlights the coverage of key ideas and concepts-e.g., alliances, balance of power, anarchy-so that students digest this information more readily; - A new, friendlier interior design, including more learning tools, such as a marginal glossary, maps, photos, tables, and figures. PEDAGOGICAL FEATURES: - MORE photos, with meaty and analytical captions, giving students a visual entrée into the perspectives. - UPDATED Using the Perspectives to Read Between the Lines boxes showcase the words and statements of politicians, pundits, and scholars on current world events. Nau shows students exactly how the three perspectives play a role in contemporary debates. - REVISED Parallel Timelines show how realist, liberal, and identity perspectives emphasize different events, from the origins of WWI to the end of the Cold War, thus illuminating how the perspectives-in relation to one another-alternately view cause-and-effect relationships. - MORE Perspectives and Levels of Analysis tables help students keep track of the ways that each perspective interprets events from the individual, domestic, and systemic levels of analysis. - NEW "Spotlight" feature helps students locate and define core IR concepts across the book. - NEW Marginal glossary helps students define concepts at a glance.