The state of the art of international relations theory, with analysis of the work of twelve key contemporary thinkers; John Vincent, Kenneth Waltz, Robert O. Keohane, Robert Gilpin, Bertrand Badie, John Ruggie, Hayward Alker, Nicholas G. Onuf, Alexander Wendt, Jean Bethke Elshtain, R.B.J. Walker and James Der Derian.

Figures, Tables, Contributors, Foreword, Series editor's preface, 1 Figures of international thought: introducing persons instead of paradigms, 2 John Vincent and the English School of International Relations, 3 Kenneth Waltz: a critical rationalist between international politics and foreign policy, 4 Robert O.Keohane: a contemporary classic, 5 Robert Gilpin: the realist quest for the dynamics of power, 6 Bertrand Badie: cultural diversity changing International Relations?, 7 John G.Ruggie: transformation and institutionalization, 8 Hayward Alker: an exemplary voyage from quantitative peace research to humanistic, late-modern globalism, 9 Nicholas G.Onuf: the rules of anarchy, 10 Alexander Wendt: a social scientist struggling with history, 11 Jean Bethke Elshtain: traversing the terrain between, 12 R.B.J.Walker and International Relations: deconstructing a discipline, 13 James Der Derian: the unbearable lightness of theory, 14 Conclusion, Index