From what I read of the book, it's about conflict between the peaceful, Starfleet explorers and the military officers (MACOs) who come along to do the Federation's dirty work. It's blatantly anti-military, so it's no wonder they dedicated it to Cindy.
Now, they're gonna cry that they have the freedom to dedicate the book to whoever they want to, and that's certainly true. But by the same token, if I disagree with that, I don't have to buy the book!
Starfleet IS a military organization. Its ranks are organized on naval lines with the familiar military chain of command. Peaceful exploration is but one of the things it does. It also defends the Federation. Like against the Borg. They didn't negotiate with the enemy; they kicked butt.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")