pt. 1. Introductions. Crises : the Yom Kippur War (1973), the oil crisis (1973-1980) -- The worlds of international relations : the military-political world, the trading world -- Theories in search of reality -- pt. 2. Past worlds. Historical fluidity and change -- The triumph of the military-political world -- pt. 3. Present worlds. The military-political world -- The trading world -- Force or trade : the costs and benefits -- pt. 4. Future worlds. Prospects for atavism -- Recalcitrant nations : Russia, the United States, and the third world -- Toward the future.