Joel Andreas' purpose of Addicted to War seems to be to educate and enlighten his readers to the imperial ambitions of America's "prominent government officials, business executives, and bankers" (p. 10) and its effects at home and abroad. He does so by discussing the size of military budget/spending, America's early ideal of Manifest Destiny, the belief that America was meant to conquer/control nations on both sides of the globe, and the real interests behind much of the U.S. foreign policy, powerful businesses. Lastly, the author speaks about the cost of war not only to taxpayers but also of the deaths and service of American soldiers.

Andreas closes his illustrated expose with pleas for his readers to resist militarism, yet does not offer ways to go about doing so. Instead he ends the book with lists of organizations who readers can contact on their own. One organization...