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The Diffusion of Military Power: Causes and Consequences for International Politics by Michael C. Horowitz Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press, 2010 273 pages $26.95
It is a truism of military studies that technological innovations do not stay confined to the state which first makes or presents them. But it also is equally true that states do not follow each other in mechanical lockstep. Some innovations are improved upon, others are ignored, and often attempts to emulate an innovation fail to realize the original intent. Horowitz's book represents an effort to impart a theoretical basis to the question of how and why nations emulate leaders in military innovation. Accordingly, the author advances a theory that he calls adoption-capacity theory to explain the dynamics of emulation and innovation.
According to his theory, to the extent that the financial costs of emulating a competitor's innovations are too high, other alternatives, e.g., alliances, will be found. By the same token, if the emulation in question requires major organizational transformations in recruiting, training, and war-fighting doctrine, those innovations will not be made and fewer actors will emulate it. For instance, a...