Inquires into the role of the unexpected in world politics by examining the protean power effects of agile innovation and improvisation.

Part I. Theory and Evidence: 1. Protean power and control power: conceptual analysis Lucia A. Seybert and Peter J. Katzenstein; 2. Uncertainty, risk, power and the limits of international relations theory Peter J. Katzenstein and Lucia A. Seybert; Part II. Protean Power: Embracing Uncertainty: 3. Protean power and revolutions in rights Christian Reus-Smit; 4. Protean power in movement: navigating uncertainty in the LGBT rights revolution Phillip Ayoub; 5. Border collision: power dynamics of enforcement and evasion across the US-Mexico line Noelle K. Brigden and Peter Andreas; 6. High tech: power and unpredictability at the technological frontier and in Bitcoin Lucia A. Seybert and Peter J. Katzenstein; Part III. Mixed Worlds: Agility Meets Ability: 7. Firms in firmament: hydrocarbons and the circulation of power Rawi Abdelal; 8. Incomplete control: the circulation of power in finance Erin Lockwood and Stephen Nelson; 9. Terrorism and protean power: how terrorists navigate uncertainty Barak Mendelsohn; 10. Slumdog versus Superman: uncertainty, innovation and the circulation of power in the global film industry Lucia A. Seybert, Stephen Nelson and Peter J. Katzenstein; Part IV. Protean Power between Risk and Uncertainty: 11. Changing history?: Innovation and continuity in contemporary arms control Jennifer Erickson; 12. From Green to REDD: protean power and the politics of carbon sinks Jessica Green; Part V. Conclusion: 13. Power complexities and political theory Peter J. Katzenstein and Lucia A. Seybert.