greta morris, a retired us diplomat, writes in her review of "imperial designs" in american diplomacy: "as policymakers, scholars and citizens seek to understand the increasingly bitter and violent conflicts in the middle east and the escalating anger and terrorist acts against the west (particularly the u.s.), deepak tripathi's "imperial designs" offers important perspectives and insights. tripathi's book is subtitled "war, humiliation and the making of history", and his theme is the role of humiliation in international politics. specifically, he argues that the humiliation of a state or people by a more powerful state (or states) through political manipulation and military defeat profoundly influences the subsequent actions of the humiliated people, including their desire for revenge." morris concludes the review with her comment: "tripathi's excellent summation of past events in the middle east and his cogent analysis of their continuing implications should be required reading for all who are dealing directly with this troubled region, as well as those seeking to understand it and its relations with the united states."