Product Description
One of our most distinguished thinkers argues that the "rise of the rest" is the great story of our time.
"This is not a book about the decline of America, but rather about the rise of everyone else." So begins Fareed Zakaria's important new work on the era we are now entering. Following on the success of his best-selling The Future of Freedom, Zakaria describes with equal prescience a world in which the United States will no longer dominate the global economy, orchestrate geopolitics, or overwhelm cultures. He sees the "rise of the rest"—the growth of countries like China, India, Brazil, Russia, and many others—as the great story of our time, and one that will reshape the world. The tallest buildings, biggest dams, largest-selling movies, and most advanced cell phones are all being built outside the United States. This economic growth is producing political confidence, national pride, and potentially international problems. How should the United States understand and thrive in this rapidly changing international climate? What does it mean to live in a truly global era? Zakaria answers these questions with his customary lucidity, insight, and imagination.
|
|
 Oustanding in every way ( nouminous )
Zakaria presents an intelligent, well-informed, and well documented outline of the challenges American foreign policy faces with the rise of the rest of the world. He is too wise and too sensible to take extreme positions and shows how a more balanced American approach could benefit the country and the world. This is a book that should be widely read and saluted for its good sense.
|
The Post American World
Excellent and thought provoking view as to how the world is likely to look in the 21st century. It should be considered compulsory reading for the President of the USA.
|
 Misleading in many ways ( frenchlectrice )
As a French-Australian, I have to say that he mischaracterises both French and Australian attitudes.
Sarko fiercely pro-American? He doesn't favor the Iraq war, the death penalty, health care run by insurance companies or mass gun ownership. And, rightly or worngly, these are the things America is known for. Way back in 1995, Chirac was called pro-American too, since he has spent some months there as a young man. How long did that last? Get a memory, stop dealing in cliches, superficialities, generalisations and banalities.
Vietnam War : it was passionately opposed by millions of Australians. but not only won't you learnt that in the book, Zakaria will actively mislead you into thinking Australians were cheering it on all the way.
I don't know whether he just hasn't done his research, is a lazy thinker or has an agenda to push that makes him disregard facts that stand in his way.
It's a shame because it's a good topic; but it needs a more honest and intelligent treatment.
|
 Very Good Analysis and Perfect for the Kindle ( yellokat )
This is a very good overview of how the world is developing a global economy, the ways (good and bad) that the emergence of two large nation-markets (China and India) are affecting that economy, and the place of the US within it, both now and in the future.
One of the more interesting things that Zakaria illuminates are the various ways that a major power like the United States might respond to the challenges posed by an up-and-comer like China onto the world stage. He compares America's situation to that of Great Britain at the beginning of the 20th Century and discusses the way that Great Britain dealt with the emergence of the US. Further, he suggests that the US take a similar attitude toward China. That is, don't try to block China from becoming a world power. Instead, we in the US should accept China as a key player and accommodate ourselves to China's new role. This is, Zakaria says, what Britain did during the twilight years of its empire and, thus, managed to retain an influential political role for itself well past the time when it had ceased be a major economic power.
Some reviewers have charged that this book is a rehash of the work of Tom Friedman et. al. and, to some extent, that is true. However, I believe that Zakaria adds a new dimension to the established point of view that globalization's cheerleaders (like Friedman) have offered. His experience as an immigrant to the US, his roots in Indian culture, and his own personal observations give him a broader perspective and, not incidentally, one that is a good deal more optimistic than some of the others who have written on similar topics (notably Clyde Prestowitz, whose excellent book Three Billion New Capitalists I have also reviewed here on Amazon).
The Post-American World is an excellent candidate for reading on a Kindle, as the Kindle copy will cost you only $9.99 (as opposed to a hard copy at over $15.) and since the book has no maps you will not miss anything by using the Kindle. The only drawback I have found with the Kindle is that maps are not well rendered. So if you are someone who longs to read these expensive, nonfiction books before they go into paperback, the Kindle is your answer. Avid readers will recover its cost in about a year.
|
excellent, poignant, and prescient
This book should be required reading for us all. It brings together the thoughts of many of the great minds to illustrate the needs, opportunities, and challenges facing America in a world which it can no longer dominate, ignore, or control.
|
|
View Larger
Add to Cart 
