"Elusive Peace: How Modern Diplomatic Strategies Could Better Resolve World Conflicts"
by Doug Noll

Everyone wants world peace. Churches pray for it. Entertainers sing for peace. It is every good person's birthday wish. But how will we ever get there? The headlines don't provide much hope. Peace talks fail; negotiations over climate change end inconclusively; Iran is developing nuclear weapons; Afghanistan is an expensive mess; and the Israelis and Palestinians are no closer to a peace agreement. There seems to be more war and strife than ever before. In this in-depth analysis, professional mediator Douglas E. Noll goes behind the headlines to understand why crucial negotiations fail. He argues that diplomats often enter negotiations with flawed assumptions about human behavior, sovereignty, and power. Essentially, the international community is using a model of European diplomacy dating back to the 18th century to solve the complex problems of the 21st century. Hardcover; 304 pages.