Page 49 of Books Spring 2008 by SUNY Press

political science justice for children justice for children autonomy development and the state harry adams applies the concept of moral and political autonomy to children and children s development when leaders learn and when they don t when leaders learn and when they don t mikhail gorbachev and kim il sung at the end of the cold war akan malici develops a new and dynamic theory of foreign policy decision making and experiential learning autonomy development and the state mikhail gorbachev and kim il sung at the end of the cold war n this groundbreaking theory of justice for children harry adams takes the basic moral and political ideal of autonomy and shows what radical implications it has when applied to children and their development adams argues that it makes little sense to try to respect everyone s autonomy if enough attention hasn t been given to the ways that people do and do not develop autonomy in the first place when they re young using the latest empirical research from developmental psychology to population health and life course studies to primate ethnology and neurobiology he explores how children develop different degrees of autonomy adams also discusses various public policies and programs that he feels any truly just society will have in place in order to protect disadvantaged children s attainment of a minimal level of autonomy he analyzes the ethical and practical appeals to as well as the dangers and limits of various family intervention programs compulsory contraception programs and early education programs providing both a parental licensing model and an educational justice standard su0701.adams.f.indd 1 6/6/07 9:08:47 am h a rry a da ms i akan malici hen leaders learn and when they don t investigates two extraordinary leaders mikhail gorbachev and kim il sung by employing sophisticated methodologies and advancing a new theory of foreign policy decision making both leaders redefined the theory and practice of international relations and left a heritage that we face today a unipolar world in which security threats no longer emanate from the rivalry of two superpowers but rather from the existence of rogue states such as north korea akan malici demonstrates how gorbachev moved the antagonistic superpower relationship toward a kantian world of friends while kim reified a hobbesian world of enemies at the end of the cold war the book carries implications about declining and newly emerging threats as the configuration of the international system changes this book makes an important contribution in highlighting the importance of political leadership it stands in opposition to more deterministic treatments that would say things `had to happen in a certain manner the comparison of gorbachev and kim il sung brings out the great potential for variation in what a regime does depending upon the presence or absence of learning among top leadership as an effort to bring together the cognitive and rational choice approaches this book is among the best i have seen patrick james author of international relations and scientific progress structural realism reconsidered akan malici is assistant professor of political science at furman university a volume in the suny series in global politics james n rosenau editor january · 208 pp 25 tables 18 figures $65.00 hc 978-0-7914-7303-0 w the author writes about creating a world that is better for children and writing as a philosopher develops a sustained argument for improving children s lives offering radical conclusions and proposals he touches upon profoundly important social justice questions of how to ensure that children are raised in a manner that maximizes their potential to lead happy and productive lives martin guggenheim author of what s wrong with children s rights harry adams is assistant professor of philosophy at prairie view a&m university february · 256 pp $70.00 hc 978-0-7914-7331-3 47 www sunypress edu

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