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Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis (2d ed). By Graham Allison and Philip Zelikow New York: Longman, 1999. 352 pp. $19.69 paper.
Essence of Decision was originally published in 1971 and quickly had a major impact on the study of foreign policy, becoming one of the most significant works in the study of international relations, political science, and the social sciences in general. As an undergraduate student, I was particularly stimulated by Allison's work, which partially inspired me to pursue graduate studies with a focus on U.S. foreign policy and decision making. Almost thirty years later, Allison has decided to come out with a new edition.
Why did Allison decide to revise Essence of Decision? He provides four reasons. First, considerable new historical evidence about the Cuban missile crisis has emerged that "shows a number of explanations in the original edition to have been incorrect, and others insufficient" (p. vii). Second, analytic and theoretical scholarship has advanced considerably. By integrating such scholarship, "the earlier statement of the argument has been enriched and extended in several directions" (p. viii). Third, "managers in government, business, and the nonprofit sector have found the argument in the original edition more valuable than its author had anticipated" (p. viii), reinforcing more focused attention given its policy relevance. Finally, a partnership developed with a colleague, Philip Zelikow, which made the challenge of revision viable. The first two (or three) reasons are particularly powerful for justifying the revision of the original edition.
Ultimately, "though most of the text is new, the basic structure of the book remains unchanged" (p. viii). Three conceptual chapters extend...