Henry Kissinger

Henry Kissinger just passed away; he was 100 years old. [Source]

The first book I read after high school was Henry Kissinger's 1994 book "Diplomacy." [Amazon link]

From it I learned that states do not behave altruistically --- there is always an aspect of self-interest involved. The key to understanding global events, then, is understanding how countries perceive their self-interest.

I don't know how much of the past 25 years came at a surprise to Mr. Kissinger, but I have thought about that book every time every time I've been forced to rethink how I view the world.