Got this directly from Neil Nyren at Putnam. He clipped it from whatever insider pub these reviews get distributed in. The short blurbish-review follows, along with my commentary:

The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century, by Thomas P.M. Barnett (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 27 April)

Review

It has been generally recognized that the end of the cold war and the emerging threat of international terrorism presented new challenges in planning American diplomatic and military strategy. What has often been lacking is a coherent, integrated vision that assesses the new threats to American interests and provides a comprehensive plan for coping with them. Barnett, a senior strategic researcher and professor at the U.S. Naval War College, presents his operating theory, which sees the principal threat to American security arising from dysfunctional or so-called failed states, which provide fertile ground for the recruitment and sustenance of terrorists. On the other hand, as such past adversaries as Russia and China are integrated into global economic and political systems, they are less threatening. To counter these threats, Barnett suggests some bold, even revolutionary, changes in our military structure and in the dispersion and utilization of our forces. Of course, both his analyses and remedies are open to debate, but Barnett's compelling assertions are worthy of strong consideration and are sure to provoke controversy. ((Reviewed April 15, 2004)) Copyright 2004 Booklist Reviews.

COMMENTARY: This sort of insider review is really about forecasting reader interest, and I think this one does a very nice job of capturing the most interesting dynamics of the book: it diagnoses the problems and provides comprehensive answers. By citing the ìgenerally recognizedî new challenges, the reviewer suggests that my ìrevolutionary changesî are appropriately bold, although he holds off on offering any critical judgment. Ending on the ìsure to provoke controversyî note is pure gold, meaning itís telling stores and libraries to expect lotsa demand. Looking back on this review, itís clear to me that a lot of the placement PNM got in bookstores came as a result of this sort of early critical appreciation of the bookís ambitious content.