With a presidential election campaign ahead, global leadership and U.S. relations with other nations will be an essential part of discussion and debate in classrooms as well as around the dinner table. This is where a new Berkshire title, the three-volume Global Perspectives on the United States, fills a crucial niche in the library. It is the first reference work on this subject, created over four years by international experts. It is a bold, balanced resource on an exceptionally controversial topic. The expert authors explore the role and image of the United States from the viewpoints of the peoples and nations of the world, looking at the history of the relationship as well as at today’s issues.

The first two volumes of Global Perspectives on the United States, were published in February and the third and final volume Issues and Ideas Shaping International Relations will be published in August.

A Nation-by-Nation Survey provides readers with a nation-by-nation overview of what people around the world think and feel about the United States, how those thoughts and feelings have changed over time, and why. Additional content includes statistical tables and biographies of individuals who have helped to shape what the world thinks about the United States. A review from Ingram book services says, “While not all opinions give the United States glowing reviews, collecting all the views into one source makes Global Perspectives a must read for a complete survey. This reference work should be in all academic, public, and high school libraries.”

Booklist magazine (July 2007) is equally enthusiastic, giving the work its coveted “starred review”:

“Not recommended reading for thin-skinned patriots; however, a great resource for academic, public, and high-school libraries.”

That last line is a kind of triple crown, and we’re delighted because the global standing of the United States is a serious matter. It’s of great concern to the international business community. We’re proud to publish a work that can inform policy makers and business strategists as well as tenth graders.

The Booklist review also mentioned our social media experiment, www.LoveUSHateUS.com, which we’re thinking of turning into a popular book. Your contributions to the online forum are welcome!

The third volume, Issues and Ideas Shaping International Relations, provides expert-written essays on the events, developments, and processes that shape global perspectives on the United States. The volume is at the printer now and will be available in August.

We’re delighted to have had wonderful advance praise from such eminent scholars as Howard Zinn and Immanuel Wallerstein. Here’s one such comment from historian Thomas Bender:

“U.S. policy makers and citizens alike have a striking incapacity to see how we might appear to others. This work provides a wonderful cure for one aspect of this problem—ignorance—and belongs in every library and in every organization that concerns itself with the world beyond our borders.”