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Binding: Hardcover Dewey Decimal Number: 303.49 EAN: 9780393062359 ISBN: 039306235X Label: W. W. Norton Manufacturer: W. W. Norton Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 288 Publication Date: 2008-05-05 Publisher: W. W. Norton Studio: W. W. Norton
A Prophetic Assessment of America's Changing Place in an Increasingly Global Age
For Fareed Zakaria, the great story of our times is not the decline of America but rather the rise of everyone else -- the growth of countries such as China, India, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Kenya, and many, many more. This economic growth is generating a new global landscape where power is shifting and wealth and innovation are bubbling up in unexpected places. It's also producing political confidence and national pride. As these trends continue, the push of globalization will increasingly be joined by the pull of nationalism -- a tension that is likely to define the next decades.
With his customary lucidity, insight, and imagination, Zakaria draws on lessons from the two great power shifts of the past five hundred years -- the rise of the Western world and the rise of the United States -- to tell us what we can expect from the third shift, the "rise of the rest." Washington must begin a serious transformation of global strategy and seek to share power, create coalitions, build legitimacy, and define the global agenda. None of this will be easy for the greatest power the world has ever known -- the only power that for so long has really mattered. But all that is changing now. The future we face is the post-American world.
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Customer Rating: Summary: Excellent analysis Comment: This is a very different book that looks at the political and economic issues facing the twenty first century. If England dominated the world for over two centuries, clearly America had proved to the world's only superpower at the beginning of the twenty first century, especially after the collapse and disintegration of the USSR. Zakaria closely examines the phenomenon of this global giant, its political behavior, economic policies and what it needs to do to retain its rightful place in the coming decades.
One of the most remarkable changes that have happened in the last twenty five years is the rapid economic growth of China and India. These two countries that account for a third of the world's population have finally woken up from their slumber and are catching up fast for lost time.
China's strategy of a (manufactured products) exports led economy, coupled with huge FDI inflows, massive investments in infrastructure are well known. However China still does not have a free economy in the true sense, and continues to be dominated by huge state owned enterprises. Democracy, human rights and independent judiciary have taken a back seat, in terms of priorities.
India on the other hand has leapfrogged into a services led economy, though having started the process of economic liberalization much later than China in 1991. India can boast of being the largest democracy in the world with an independent judiciary and excellent banking system, but does not score well on Infrastructure, bureaucracy and speed of execution.
Given the rapid economic growth rates exceeding 9 %, the two countries have a massive impact on the global consumption of commodities, especially the scarce ones like oil. It is unimaginable to think of a situation if the per capita ownership of cars in India and China would match even a third of America's. Both these countries are making rapid strides in increasing the quality of affordable higher education, especially technical education, thereby increasing the stock of technical expertise to engineer further growth.
Soon the center of gravity of the global economy will shift to Asia, and that America should take note to prepare itself to participate in this new paradigm, is an important theme in this book.
On every count, America is compared with England of the nineteenth century, when the "sun never set over the British Empire". Britain failed to maintain its empire due to economic issues. This book argues that the American economy is strong enough, but its fundamental weakness lies in handling international politics.
I have the following as take away from this well written book:
- Excellent analysis of the rise of America as a global power and what it should do to maintain its position and improve its reputation and respect in the international community
- The role that India and China should play in the twenty first century
- A fair and unbiased view of globalization, and the shift in economic power towards China and India
There are many books on China and India as major emerging economies. There are several others on Globalization, American economy and foreign policy. This book is a rare combination of several dimensions in looking at the twenty first century, and what America should do to continue to be the engine of global prosperity and peace.
Customer Rating: Summary: A short review of the world Comment: If this book created any controversy, it was likely due to the title. For some, the idea of a "Post-American World" means the decline of the United States, with other nations supplanting it as the most powerful international entity. Zakaria's view of a post-American world, however, is much more optimistic. The "post-American" part of his argument does not foretell the decline of America, but the rising of the others. This may mean greater relative power for nations like China and India, but Zakaria is careful to note just how far ahead the United States lies in prosperity and military strength.
In the end, this book is not an obituary for the U.S. as a declining superpower; it is a celebration of the whole world improving under American leadership. Zakaria lauds the international economic development that pulls more and more people out of extreme poverty every year. He also lays out ideas to allow America to continue as a world leader from our current precarious status.
Zakaria's arguments are compelling, and he backs many of them with quoted statistics. Nonetheless, this book is clearly not a comprehensive account of the state of the world. Instead, this is a broad outline of how far the world has come in the past decades, and a brief discussion of what should and may happen in the future. For a quick geopolitical read, it is informative and clear. The book can only scratch the surface, however, of the complex issues discussed. Definitely worth a read if you're tired of all of the doomsday predictions so fashionable in discussions of international politics.
Customer Rating: Summary: Not just a political book Comment: My major is in health science, but to study about world affairs is my passion, if you are someone close to my interest, this is one of the best book. the author is assumed one of the most intelligent person on the earth in International affairs, Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohanji and Condlina Rise used to take this guy's openion for international affairs, Being a comon man of India,I invite and offer Mr F.Z. as India's international affair minister.
Customer Rating: Summary: An exaggerated version of the Indian rise Comment: After being raised in the South East Asia, and spent 25 yrs of my life time, I somehow believe that Mr Zakaria may have interpreted and expressed the facts about Indian rise way to extreme. India is by no mean even a candidate to be even considered a players in the power arena. Comparing Hindu religion to Christianity is way out of line.Yes Indian IT organization may have excelled in every aspect, but that too at the expense of US organizations. The rise of Indian IT is directly linked with the rise of modernization of the American IT infrastructure. Hence forth a severe decline of the American IT infrastructure and spending cut would potentially collapse the Indian IT infrastructure, hence their economy . I think this book a is a good bed time story unfortunately
Customer Rating: Summary: The Post-American World Comment: Sophisticated and well-written, Zakaria is linking American's events, history, and doctrines to support his projection of where America is heading in globalization and world powers. He brings to the table a wealth of knowledge and experience. I highly recommend this book as a must read to challenge and provoke those who question the future of American. A very thought provoking, intelligent read.
