For the past eight decades, we have lived in "the American Century" - a period during which the US has enjoyed unrivalled power - be it political, economic or military - on the global stage.

For the past eight decades, we have lived in "the American Century" - a period during which the US has enjoyed unrivalled power - be it political, economic or military - on the global stage.

Born on the cusp of this new era, Joseph S. Nye Jr. has spent a lifetime illuminating our understanding of the changing contours of America power and world affairs.

His many books on the nature of power and political leadership have rightly earned him his reputation as one of the most influential international relations scholars in the world today.