This book blends personal memoir with sharp political analysis, charting McFaul’s journey from Stanford professor to architect of the Obama administration’s “reset” policy and, ultimately, to his turbulent tenure as ambassador in Moscow from 2012 to 2014. McFaul recounts how initial hopes for cooperation gave way to confrontation as Vladimir Putin returned to power, dismantling the fragile progress made during the reset. He describes in vivid detail the Kremlin’s efforts to undermine and intimidate him, including orchestrated protests, media attacks, and constant surveillance, reflecting the broader deterioration in U.S.-Russia relations.

McFaul’s narrative provides a unique window into the challenges of modern diplomacy, the internal workings of the Obama administration, and the personal risks faced by diplomats in hostile environments. He explores why the reset failed, ultimately attributing the breakdown to domestic developments in Russia and the entrenched interests of Putin’s regime, rather than solely to U.S. policy choices or geopolitical shifts. The book closes with McFaul’s reflections on the prospects for Russia’s democratic future and his critique of subsequent U.S. policy, particularly during the Trump era.