For the first time, the Nobel laureate and "man in the middle" of the planet's most explosive confrontations speaks out--on his dealings with America, negotiations with Iran, and the prospects for a nuclear-free future.

Reviews

"ElBaradei has interesting stories to tell, and he tells them with verve... Anyone wishing to glimpse some of the central tensions in 21st-century international diplomacy should read "The Age of Deception"." --"Washington Post" "ElBaradei passionately advocates making diplomacy the main recourse in -counterproliferation--and he's right to do so.... "The Age of Deception" provides the grist for serious debate even as it helpfully chronicles the International Atomic Energy Agency's journey from a relatively obscure group of technicians to an organization with growing international clout."--"The New York Times Book Review" "In this spirited memoir ElBaradei recounts ferreting out the nuclear secrets of the world's most paranoid regimes, nerve-wracking adventures full of intrigue, car chases, and Pyongyang's grim hotel accommodations. ElBaradei's accounts of diplomacy are fascinating and rife with acerbic portraits of George W. Bush, Tony Blair, and other world leaders... The result is a lively, acerbic take on recent geo-political confrontations that makes an impassioned case for using persuasion rather than punishment to resolve the direst threats."--"Publishers Weekly"

Nobel Peace Prize laureate (2005) ElBaradei announced on March 9, 2011, his candidacy for president of Egypt; the election is scheduled for this fall. In this timely memoir, ElBaradei concentrates on the necessity of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, especially into the hands of rogue states and terrorists, to ensure global survival. During his 12-year tenure (1997-2009) as head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), ElBaradei was a key participant in dramatic, headline-dominating confrontations over nuclear proliferation, most famously during the IAEA inspections in Iraq, which found no violations and no nuclear weapons. ElBaradei's principal themes are the need to strengthen the mandate and standing of the IAEA; to curb "sword-waving" by the world's great powers; and to emphasize diplomacy and collective security over nuclear proliferation. There is plenty of grist in this firsthand account, which will likely be the subject of lively, serious debate within world governments. Narrator and actor David Drummond's impressive, steady reading enlivens the material; for foreign policy wonks everywhere. [See Prepub Alert, 12/6/10.]-Dale Farris, Groves, TX (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.