Smoke and Mirrors on Donner Book Prize short list

One of the books highlighted during this year's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences book launch has been shortlisted for the Donner Book Prize.

Frank Harvey's book, Smoke and Mirrors: Globalized Terrorism and the Illusion of Multilateral Security, is one of five titles shortlisted for this prestigious award. Harvey is professor in the Department of Political Science and Director of the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies.

Established by the Donner Canadian Foundation, the Donner Prize is awarded annually to recognize and reward the best public policy thinking, writing and research in Canada. This prize, now in its seventh year, is meant to highlight the role of public policy research in the well-being of Canadians, and to encourage original and meaningful contribution to policy discourse in Canada.

Over 65 titles were submitted to the competition. According to a release from the Donner Canadian Foundation, the five finalists were chosen "for their masterful grasp of thorny and complex issues and for adding fresh insight and original recommendations." Aside from the honour of the award itself, the winning author receives $35,000, while short-listed titles receive $5,000 each.

Harvey says it's an honour to be recognized by a foundation that has had such a significant impact on policy research and education in Canada. "I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my book had been nominated for the award?he fact that the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies was originally funded by a grant from Donner speaks to the importance and sustained influence the Foundation has had on research and teaching here at Dalhousie, and makes the nomination that much more special," he remarks. "I am also grateful to my students and colleagues in the Department of Political Science for helping me work through so many of the book's central arguments."

In Smoke and Mirrors, Harvey addresses the relationship between globalization, terrorism and unilateralism, mounting a powerful case for American unilateralism in matters of security. Using two case studies- the American ballistic missile defence program and the 2003 war in Iraq-Harvey argues in favour of Washington's response to threats of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, while challenging critics to demonstrate the success of multilateral security.

The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony in Toronto on April 28, 2005.