He has written articles, essays, monographs, and reviews on an array of subjects, including history, politics, national security, foreign policy and international economics.
The Los Angeles Times wrote that Schwarz had "re-shaped the venerable magazine's book section into the shrewdest, best-written and most surprising cultural report currently on offer between slick covers.
"[3] The column has hosted writers such as Perry Anderson, Caitlin Flanagan, Sandra Tsing Loh, Christopher Hitchens, Cristina Nehring, Joseph O'Neill, Terry Castle, Mona Simpson, Clive James, and B. R. Myers.
"[5] A national correspondent for The Atlantic from 1995 to 2000, Schwarz wrote a series of essays and articles that argued for a reduced role United States in global politics.
For several years he was a foreign policy analyst at the RAND Corporation, where he researched and wrote on American global strategy, counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, and military doctrine.