Admiral James Stavridis is a retired four-star officer who led the NATO Alliance in global operations from 2009 to 2013 as Supreme Allied Commander with responsibility for Afghanistan, Libya, the Balkans, Syria, counter piracy, and cyber security. He served as Commander of U.S. Southern Command, with responsibility for all military operations in Latin America from 2006-2009. Admiral Stavridis earned a PhD in international relations and has published eleven books and hundreds of articles in leading journals around the world. Admiral Stavridis is Chair Emeritus of the U.S. Naval Institute Board, Vice Chair, Global Affairs, at The Carlyle Group, and Chair of the Board of the Rockefeller Foundation. His most recent book is The Sailor's Bookshelf: Fifty Books to know the Sea.