The most important thing I learned as a foreign correspondent in about 80 countries is that it takes a very shallow knowledge of history to think that there are solutions to most problems.

ISBN 0-375-75489-X. Kaplan (2003-11-11). Kaplan (2001-02-13).

In 2009 Secretary of Defense Robert Gates appointed Kaplan to the Defense Policy Board a federal advisory committee to the United States Department of Defense. He is currently working for Stratfor in Austin TX. In 2011 Foreign Policy magazine named Kaplan as one of the world's "top 100 global thinkers.