In his conversations with dear Benoit, Rene discusses primarily the role that Clausewitz played in western thought, elevating him almost to the level of Nietzsche in his contribution. Expansion upon this subject is seen in an exchange of essays between Rene and Benoit, and the two have a delightful chemistry.
I'm somewhat frustrated by the constant referring to the works of various academic contemporaries, but this is more than made up for by the excellently written treatises and essays that make up the letters exchanged between the two.
Clausewitz is explained as being somebody who stepped on an eldritch truth and refused to look at it, unlike Nietzsche who stared at it a bit too intently. The constant conflict of man is described as an intrinsic part of us owing to mimetic theory and the concept of sacrifice. The book's key insight is that trade and violence are two sides of the same coin.
This is probably one of the most insightful books that I've read on 19th century philosophy and early anthropology - it's an excellent examination of both Girard's ideas and how they mesh with those of other thinkers, and I hope to read more like this in the future.
9/10