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RAND Best Sellers for October 2009
The books listed below are RAND's top-ten, best sellers for October 2009. You can find these and other RAND publications in bookstores; they can also be ordered through RAND. Also see RAND Book Reviews.
1.
The Reform of Qatar University
In 2003, the State of Qatar engaged the RAND-Qatar Policy Institute to assist Qatar University with reform of its major administrative and academic structures, policies, and practices. In this summary of the reform effort, the authors recount the motivation for reform, describe the design of the reform agenda, and detail the early stages of the implementation effort, with an eye toward identifying challenges yet to be met.
2.
Cyberdeterrence and Cyberwar
Cyberspace, where information — and hence serious value — is stored and manipulated, is a tempting target. An attacker could be a person, group, or state and may disrupt or corrupt the systems from which cyberspace is built. When states are involved, it is tempting to compare fights to warfare, but there are important differences. The author addresses these differences and ways the United States protect itself in the face of attack.
3.
Officer Classification and the Future of Diversity Among Senior Military Leaders: A Case Study of the Army ROTC
The relative lack of minorities in certain military career fields has a significant impact on the diversity of the senior leadership. The relationship between career field choice, race/ethnicity, and membership in the senior officer corps appears to stem, at least in part, from racial and ethnic differences in the occupational preferences of officer cadets. The authors urge a full-scale study to learn the reasons behind these preferences.
4.
Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan: RAND Counterinsurgency Study -- Volume 4
This study explores the nature of the insurgency in Afghanistan, the key challenges and successes of the campaign, and the capabilities necessary to wage effective counterinsurgency operations. It argues that successful counterinsurgency requires effective indigenous security forces, especially police; a viable and legitimate local government; and the suppression of external support for insurgents.
5.
Pacification in Algeria, 1956-1958
When Algerian nationalists launched a rebellion against French rule in November 1954, France was forced to cope with a varied and adaptable Algerian strategy. In this volume, originally published in 1963, David Galula reconstructs the story of his highly successful command at the height of the rebellion. This groundbreaking work, with a new foreword by Bruce Hoffman, remains relevant to present-day counterinsurgency operations.
6.
Planning for Diversity: Options and Recommendations for DoD Leaders
Discusses initial steps that the Department of Defense (DoD) should take in developing a department-wide strategic plan to achieve greater diversity within its active duty and civilian leadership. Key questions include how diversity will be defined, how progress toward diversity will be measured, and how DoD leaders will hold themselves and others accountable for such progress. Includes a summary of findings from the 2007 DoD Diversity Summit.
7.
Assessing the Assignment Policy for Army Women
Since current policies for assigning military women were issued, the U.S. Army has changed how it organizes and fights. Assessing the Assignment Policy for Army Women considers the whether the Army is adhering to the assignment policies as well as the appropriateness of the current U.S. Department of Defense and Army assignment policies, given how units are operating in Iraq.
8.
Barriers to the Broad Dissemination of Creative Works in the Arab World
A growing body of creative works by Arab authors and artists counters the intellectual and ideological underpinnings of violent extremism. Unfortunately, many of these works are not widely disseminated, marginalizing the influence of these alternative voices. This monograph examines the barriers to the broad dissemination of such works, with a focus on Arabic literature, and suggests ways to overcome these barriers.
9.
The Status of Gender Integration in the Military: Analysis of Selected Occupations
Has opening new skills and units been enough to create equal opportunities for women in the U.S. military? Success has been mixed, in part because of the circumstances of individual occupations, and some issues affect men as much as they do women. Among the authors' recommendations are that career counseling include both opportunities and potential drawbacks and that longer-term studies on specific issues are merited.
10.
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