BOOKS

I am pleased to announce that my book “Elusive Balances: Shaping US-Southeast Asia Strategy” has now been released and is available for order both in print and online. You can contact me at pprashanth711@gmail.com with questions or to get in touch.

The book, based on hundreds of conversations with policymakers and experts across the United States and Southeast Asia, applies a new and original “balance of commitment” foreign policy model across administrations since the end of the Vietnam War to explain why U.S. policymakers have struggled at times over the past half-century to sustain a level and distribution of foreign policy commitment to the region that matches its growing importance.

The book’s application of the new and original “balance of commitment” model to U.S. administrations reveals that the commitment challenge in U.S. strategy is rooted in the difficult balancing acts involved in simultaneously calibrating adjustments between three variables – power shifts, threat perceptions and resource extraction within the U.S. domestic system – rather than just differences between administrations or inherent divides between Washington and Southeast Asia.

If you would like to discuss media, podcast, or other speaking and writing opportunities tied to the book, please do get in touch at pprashanth711@gmail.com. And, of course please do spread the word and let me know what you think!