Esquire's December issue.
The Best & Brightest: The Alumni
Strategists * dreamers * builders * healers * corporate leaders * seers * world-beaters * public servants * thinkers * writers * actors * artists * inventors * stargazers * watchdogs * citizens. First appearing in these pages in December 2002, the Best and the Brightest continue on their paths of inspiration and accomplishment. Here's what some past honorees have been up to in the last year, and it's nothing short of creating the future.
From obscure Naval War College to strategic rock star, THOMAS P.M. BARNETT catapulted into the limelight after his appearance in Best and Brightest 2002. His March 2003 article for Esquire, "The Pentagon's New Map," outlined his grand strategy for the United States in the post-cold-war era, which, in expanded form, became a New York Times best-seller this spring. And Barnett's blog, thomaspmbarnett.com, is now required reading throughout the political and military establishment. Barnett says, "Up until Best and Brightest, I was slaving away in relative obscurity in the Office of the Secretary of Defense on a proposed grand strategy for the United States in the global war on terrorism." He added that his presentation, although well received in policy circles, "wasn't getting a lot of traction. Now, well . . ." Barnett's work articulates a bracing new vision and lexicon to confront security challenges in our drastically changed world. He now works as the senior concept developer at Joint Forces Comand, advising the four-star general running Special Operations Command and working with other "change agents" within the intelligence community. In the June 2004 issue of Esquire, Barnett wrote a follow-up to "The Pentagon's New Map" titled "Mr. President, Here's How to Make Sense of Our Iraq Strategy." |
