---
product_id: 489052326
title: "Backfire: How Sanctions Reshape the World Against U.S. Interests (Center on Global Energy Policy Series)"
brand: "agathe demarais"
price: "₨20416"
currency: LKR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 4
url: https://www.desertcart.lk/products/489052326-backfire-how-sanctions-reshape-the-world-against-u-s-interests
store_origin: LK
region: Sri Lanka
---

# Backfire: How Sanctions Reshape the World Against U.S. Interests (Center on Global Energy Policy Series)

**Brand:** agathe demarais
**Price:** ₨20416
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Backfire: How Sanctions Reshape the World Against U.S. Interests (Center on Global Energy Policy Series) by agathe demarais
- **How much does it cost?** ₨20416 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.lk](https://www.desertcart.lk/products/489052326-backfire-how-sanctions-reshape-the-world-against-u-s-interests)

## Best For

- agathe demarais enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted agathe demarais brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

Backfire: How Sanctions Reshape the World Against U.S. Interests (Center on Global Energy Policy Series)

## Images

![Backfire: How Sanctions Reshape the World Against U.S. Interests (Center on Global Energy Policy Series) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81y7JynW-EL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Geopolitics through the prism of trade, finance and technology
  

*by H***R on Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2023*

If you think this is a dry account of a technical subject, think again: it’s a story of geopolitical struggles, how naked displays of power are used by countries to enforce their will on others, and how so often a short term win turns into longer term defeat. It’s a page turner — you can’t wait to find out how the cat-and-mouse game turns out, and the unexpected consequences of that game.She begins with a lesson from history: how Napoleon’s embargo against British trade, designed to weaken Britain, simply led to extensive smuggling which deprived the French government of customs revenues while British exports rose by 20% during the embargo. An early failure in turning trade into a weapon.It doesn’t matter whether you’re pro-USA or pro anyone who’s on the receiving end of sanctions. The book is objective, explaining where sanctions have worked and why, and what happens to make them fail, which they do all too often. It explains why American allies are often reluctant to go along (hint: average fine for US company caught violating sanctions is US$2 million; average fine for foreign company doing the same is US$139 million). It explains why Iran is in no hurry to get back into the JCPOA. And it shows how sanctions on Venezuela almost turned CITGO into a Russia owned company.The author covers an impressive range, from Central Bank Digital Currencies to chip wars, commodity crises to the Nordstream II pipeline. The only error I found was her claim that Qualcomm, TSMC and Apple are all IDMs (Integrated Device Manufacturers). A pretty minor issue for a book that covers so much ground.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    clearly written, interesting
  

*by A***1 on Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2023*

Sanctions as an instrument of policy are far more appealing than use of the military.  However, Demaris cites these statistics: “A review of all U.S. sanctions programs since 1970 shows that targeted countries altered their behavior in the way that the United States hoped that they would only 13 percent of the time. In an additional 22 percent of the cases, the policies of sanctioned states became somewhat—but not fully—more palatable to Washington.”  When they do not work, the US may be loathe to eliminate them for fear that targeted countries in the future would be more likely to wait them out.  They can also be counter-productive: “when dictatorships fall under sanctions, their human rights record tends to deteriorate” and anti-American sentiment often increases; sanctions can hurt US competitiveness;  finally, Demarais notes “Nowadays, about 15 percent of the staff of a major bank works in the compliance department” (but does this pertain to money-laundering as well as sanctions), and then there is the burden on US companies who face uncertainty and expend resources to gain exemptions. Sanctions are least likely to work against major countries, or if our allies are not on board.  While Demaris does not make this point, increasingly countries who are not our allies support objects of our sanctions, e.g. China supporting Russia or India buying Russian oil.  Demarais does discuss how countries like China or even India who might be objects of financial sanctions in the future, are increasingly creating the means to mitigate their power. Demarais notes with various examples that the US is less likely to be concerned when sanctions hurt our allies than when they hurt US companies.  Moreover, when the specifics of sanctions are being formulated, “OFAC (the agency responsible) discusses sanctions plans behind closed doors with only a handful of well-connected American firms”, unlike plans for tariffs, export controls or anti money laundering procedures which are all subject to public comment.  In a catch 22, “it is impossible for foreign firms to apply for sanctions waivers; only American businesses can. OFAC argues that granting such waivers to non-U.S. firms would fuel the perception that U.S. (secondary) sanctions are extraterritorial” which they effectively are. The book is written clearly and mostly at an appropriate level of detail.  While not strictly germane to the subject, I was surprised to learn that since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, and before the latest invasion, the European Union provided twice as much annual aid to Ukraine as the US, in addition to bilateral aid.  In a classic case of misdirected actions, prior to the terrible US wildfires of the 2020, the US grounded its fleet of Chines made drones used to monitor controlled burns as well as actual wildfires; controlled burns were not carried out despite Dept. of Interior staff warnings and the drones stayed inactive during the fires.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    A decent review
  

*by S***R on Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2023*

In a fast changing world this is an interesting read.  Not sure I agreed with all aspects of what was written but it gave me lots to think about.

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.lk/products/489052326-backfire-how-sanctions-reshape-the-world-against-u-s-interests](https://www.desertcart.lk/products/489052326-backfire-how-sanctions-reshape-the-world-against-u-s-interests)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Sri Lanka*
*Store origin: LK*
*Last updated: 2026-02-25*