Why would countries without nuclear weapons even think about fighting nuclear-armed opponents? A simple answer is that no one believes nuclear weapons will be used. But that answer fails to consider why nonnuclear state leaders would believe that in the first place. In this superb unpacking of the dynamics of conflict under conditions of nuclear monopoly, Paul C. Avey argues that the costs and benefits of using nuclear weapons create openings that weak nonnuclear actors can exploit.

An hour’s drive from Las Vegas, surrounded by scrub forest and Joshua trees, lies an open pit that holds the key to the future of the electric car. Mountain Pass rare-earth mine is a rich source of neodymium and praseodymium...