瑪莎·布瑞爾·奧卡特，中亞問題、反恐怖主義、石油和天然氣、美俄關係及伊斯蘭問題的研究專傢。在“9·11”之後，奧卡特被華盛頓雜誌評為在反恐怖主義戰爭中美國總統可谘詢的71位專傢之一。1995年加入卡內基國際和平基金會。同時，她也在科爾蓋特大學（Colgate University）擔任政治學教授。奧卡特與彆人共同負責卡內基莫斯科中心關於前蘇聯內部民族和政治的項目，並以此為基礎組織瞭一些學術論壇和會議，齣版瞭關於蘇聯解體後各個由多民族組成的共和國國傢建設和俄羅斯地區與民族衝突方麵的齣版物。她曾經任代理國務卿勞倫斯·伊格爾伯格（Acting Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburge）的特彆顧問、中亞美國企業基金會的會長。奧卡特從芝加哥大學畢業，1975年至今一直在科爾蓋特大學任職。她齣版瞭很多關於中亞的著作。專著有：《哈薩剋斯坦：未兌現的承諾》（Kazakhstan：Unfulfilled Promise，卡內基國際和平基金會，2002年齣版）；《走嚮錯誤：地區閤作與獨聯體》（Getting It Wrong：Regional Cooperation and the Commonwealth of Independent States，與安德斯·阿斯倫德（Anders Aslund）和謝爾曼·嘎奈特（Sherman Gamett）閤著，卡內基國際和平基金會，1999年齣版）；《共産主義之後的俄羅斯》（Russia after Communism，由奧卡特與安德斯·阿斯倫德共同編輯，卡內基國際和平基金會，1999年齣版）。

A leading authority on Central Asia offers a sweeping review of the region's path from independence to the post-9/11 world. The first decade of Central Asian independence was disappointing for those who envisioned a straightforward transition from Soviet republics to independent states with market economies and democratic political systems. Leaders excused political failures by pointing to security risks, including the presence of terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. The situation changed dramatically after 9/11, when the camps were largely destroyed and the United States introduced a military presence. More importantly the international community engaged with these states to give them a "second chance" to address social and economic problems. But neither the aid-givers nor the recipients were willing to approach problems in new ways. Now, terrorists groups are once again making their presence felt and some states may be becoming global security risks. This book explores how the region squandered its second chance and what might happen next.