Review: The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics

The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Dictator’s Handbook is a cool book. It’s slightly dense, but not too dense. It has a strong central thesis that it explores in great depth. It is exciting because of the ramifications it has to the way one views the world of politics, whether it be office politics or international relations. If you are interested in politics, this is a great piece of theory to get your hands on for some perspective.

It is a mix of theoretical and case-study based discussions, which I liked. It kept the book engaging throughout. There are real-world examples that drive the point the authors present. A lot of hypotheticals.

Therein also lies one of the problems with this book. I think the core theory is interesting, but I am unconvinced that it is as encompassing as the writers of this book make it out to be. It feels slightly pessimistic (which they do acknowledge a few times), and a little bit...too focused. Almost as if it is saying that there is no room for additional complexity (which there is). Further, the hypotheticals are sometimes too much of an oversimplification. It helped understanding sometimes, it was annoyingly patronising at other times.

That said, it’s a new perspective on politics and a new way to view political theory. And I enjoyed it.

So, I recommend it, but with caution. Do your research. Read deeply. This is a starting point, this is not the ending point. If you want something slightly more intense and academic, Mesquita’s research papers are a good place to go from here. This is a broad-based discussion of selectorate theory and its consequences to the political world.

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