International Studies, 48, 1 (2011): 65–83 68 Book Reviews UN reforms. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic about the future possibilities of achieving greater progress, provided all stakeholders work together! C.S.R. Murthy Centre for International Politics, Organization and Disarmament School of International Studies Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi India Irrelevance of Nuclear Weapons Commander Robert Green, Security without Nuclear Deterrence. Christchurch: Astron Media. 2010. 272 pp. $19.99. DOI: 10.1177/002088171204800105 Translating ideas into policy practice usually tends to be a long-drawn-out pro- cess. Robert Green’s book offers us an excellent account of why security without nuclear deterrence is an idea worth mulling over and translating into a tangible policy reality in the foreseeable future. This is notwithstanding the deep cynicism that often tends to be the norm in this domain. The author advances a persuasive and bold argument about overcoming existing constraints and the options we have before us to make this attainable. The argument rests on several pillars—strategic viability, international legal obligations, moral suasion and robust political com- mon sense. At the outset, I would like to suggest that engaging with this book from an Indian perspective is particularly relevant because it is not only critical of the ongoing nuclear programmes in South Asia, but also brings under critical scrutiny the actions and double standards of the major powers, particularly the United States, the United Kingdom and France, in this domain. Green argues that much of the possibility of moving towards a conception of ‘security without deterrence’ hinges on the willingness of these powers to relinquish their reliance on nuclear weapons and send a positive signal to the rest of the international system. He fur- ther adds that in the absence of political will, what we are likely to witness is fur- ther proliferation by other states in the international system. Ongoing nuclear developments in other parts of the globe stand testimony to this phenomenon. From Green’s account, it is also quite evident that US President Barack Obama’s Prague address in April 2009 gave the term ‘disarmament’ a new lease of life. However, as he observes, we need to be more cautious in auditing the over- all relevance of the current US presidential tenure in actually advancing the case for nuclear disarmament. Obama’s subsequent statements and continued support