The Mighty and the Almighty CD: America, God, and World ... (ISBN 0060897899)

Overview from the trenches:
Madeleine Albright has been a major player in American foreign policy and in policy debates. Like Brzezinski and Clinton, who drew her into the political realm, she is decidedly centrist. This overview of the role played by religion in world and regional politics is an easy read and offers a quick lesson in the religious differences among Islamic nations and sects. Her discussion and analysis of "just war" and the conflicting claims of conscience and pragmatism that underlie all diplomacy are thoughtful and balanced. I was surprised at the gentleness of her criticism of the Bush administration. She takes him to task, but accords him far more good intent than has ever been apparent to me. Her suggestion that all future diplomats to Islamic nations ought to have a basic knowledge of the religion and religious history would seem laughably obvious, but for our recent experience with political hack appointees. Coupled with wider reading, this book is quite useful. A few other books, both fiction and nonfiction, that will broaden a reader's understanding of Islamist government and American foreign policy in the region include Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books,A Thousand Splendid Suns, Crusade: Chronicles of an Unjust War (American Empire Project) and American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21stCentury.

Not an honest political tract:
It is a well written book that I found easy to read. What she is trying to do is both criticize President Bush's policies and justify President Clinton's and Carter's administration. Also many comments are mainstreamed political correct and irrelevant to the book. An example would be her comment that homosexuality is less a danger to marriage than infidelity, so presumably we are suppose to ignore homosexuality? Just because yellow fever kills fewer people than malaria, are we to ignore yellow fever. Beside if infidelity is such a problem what does she propose? Note here I favor homosexual marriages but that is also irrelevant what is dishonest is the link here. Nor do I think she is honest in her personal life. I find it unbelievable that she did not know of her Jewish origins till late in her life. Her parents were both Jews who converted and she had three Jewish grandparents. But even supposing this was true and she knew nothing about her Jewish roots, how can she talk in the book of her Jewish heritage? She claims she was raised a Catholic, has a deep kinship with it if so why not explain why she has not been loyal to Catholic Church as she converted to the Episcopal Church. However she is right that the US state department had little appreciation of religion until recently. That problem became apparent in the Carter Administration. One that she seems to praise. That costed the US dearly, a problem that I hope has been addressed. She admits in the book that she supported Brush's invasion of Iraq because she thought that Saddam might have had nuclear weapons. Surely it would be honest of her to write *WE* rather than just Bush here. Maybe in the book we should have seen a chapter of how we got Iraq wrong in hindsight. She could then talk about her mistakes too for example Rwanda and Osama bin Laden.

Brilliant:
Once again, Madeline Albright has outdone her self. This is an amazing book and really helps to understand to complex relationship government and God share. Insight into the Muslim world as well as wonderful hisotical insight from past. The American role in peace AND war in the Middle East. Where did it begin, where are we now, what we can look forward to. Is it hopeless? Can we look at the world differently? Lets hope so.

Brilliant Woman:
Upon reading her book, I must conclude that Madeleine Albright is brilliant. Her book really helped explain a great deal about the entire political scene, both today and in the past. I find it fascinating that what is happening in our world today actually confirms the theories she wrote about over two years ago. While I do not agree with all of the opinions in her book, I found the theory about religion being at the root of war very intriguing and accurate. I wish I had thought of some of the concepts in the book myself. She has a knack for bringing out our 'best thinking'.

A must read:
This book is a must read for anyone concerned about the misuse of and the mixing of Religion and Politics.