Combining decades of diplomacy and world-renowned scholarship, Inside the Situation Room bridges the gap between politics and academia to illuminate how world leaders make decisions in times of crisis. For decades, people have sought to understand how and why decisions are made in times of crisis, but very few get the opportunity to witness leaders' decision-making process. The result
has been a persistent disconnect between the theory and the practice of decision-making. Now, a former US Secretary of State has joined forces with a world-renowned scholar to bridge that gap, first in their ground-breaking class at
Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and now in the pages of this book. In Inside the Situation Room, Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and Dr. Keren Yarhi-Milo bring together insights from more than a dozen leading policymakers and scholars so readers can experience a masterclass in global policy and crisis decision-making. The book includes everything from the psychology and mechanics of threat assessment; the role of advisors; the effects of group think
and trust; real-life stories of diplomatic efforts and covert operations; how women have shaped decisions over peace and security; and the impact of public opinion. Inside the Situation
Room offers an insider look at how decisions are actually made, what theoretical insights might be useful to current and future generations of leaders, and where research still needs to be done. This book will serve as the first step toward a new standard engagement: more active, iterative collaboration among two communitiesDLscholars and practitionersDLwho have a great deal to contribute and learn from one another.
Industry Reviews
"Hillary Rodham Clinton and Keren Yarhi-Milo have captured in a book what they have created in the classroom: a rich dialogue between scholars and practitioners on how to tackle the most consequential policy decisions. A vital resource for aspiring and experienced thinkers and doers alike." -- Antony Blinken, 71st U.S. Secretary of State (2021-2025)
"This book is a must-read for students and seasoned policymakers--it not only peels back the layers to reveal the factors that shape our choices and decisions in moments of crisis but also forces one to step back and think more strategically about one's own decision-making, including how to recognize biases and avoid blindspots." -- Avril Haines, former Director of National Intelligence, and Senior Research Scholar and IGP Carnegie Distinguished Fellow at
Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs
"With vivid case studies illuminating the centrality of individual leaders, this volume offers a compelling look into crisis decision-making at the highest levels of government." -- Graham Allison, Douglas Dillon Professor of Government, Harvard University
"This is an unusual and important book. It combines the drama of real-world crises with serious analysis of the options policymakers face. Each chapter sheds light on a different piece of the foreign policy puzzle. Together they add up to a primer on policy at the highest level. Clinton and Yarhi-Milo have put together something fresh and valuable that helps us all think more intelligently about international relations." -- Fareed Zakaria, author of Age of
Revolutions and The Post-American World
"The Situation Room is the White House nerve center, the place where the theory and practice of national security policy are put to the ultimate test. This unique collaboration of Secretary Clinton and Professor Yarhi-Milo reveals the challenges presented inside that room. Inside the Situation Room is an invaluable guide for students and foreign policy practitioners alike." -- George Stephanopoulos, Host of This Week and former Senior Advisor
to the President and White House Communications Director
"This is a wonderful book that artfully synthesizes the analysis and insights of academics and policymakers to improve foreign policymaking. Combining riveting insider information with rigorous scholarly analysis, Inside the Situation Room demonstrates that leaders matter, and their advisors matter too, as together they seek to navigate the unpredictability of global affairs. This book should be required reading for every student of international
relations and every practitioner and would-be practitioner of American foreign policy." -- Dame Louise Richardson, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York
"Hillary Rodham Clinton, Keren Yarhi-Milo, and their collaborators have written a remarkable book that takes us all 'inside the Situation Room' as leaders consider the most consequential decisions. The chapters crackle with surprise, drama, and tension as leaders struggle, in the face of uncertainty, to make decisions when events press in on them. These highly readable chapters bring historical and contemporary cases to life and raise profoundly important
questions about crisis decision-making. Everyone should read this book." -- Janice Gross Stein, Belzberg Professor of Conflict Management and Founding Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and
Public Policy, University of Toronto
