In 1991, the United States was the only global superpower. It seemed that the 21st century, like the 20th, would belong to America. Then came the stock market bubble, the costly foreign unilateralism of the younger Bush presidency, and the financial catastrophe of 2008. Meanwhile, China was rising and the Middle East was awakening politically. Today it is clear that America is vulnerable—to domestic and international decline and unregulated greed.
Speaking from decades of experience, Brzezinski considers the implications of the changing distribution of global power, ponders why America’s global appeal is waning, speculates on the likely geopolitical consequences if America declines by 2025 (will China assume America’s central role in world affairs?), and describes a vision of a resurgent America: responsive to challenges, strategically deliberate, and historically enlightened in its global engagement with the new East.
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"Great insight. Zibig provides a good, solid brief history of global politics and international affairs. He then jumps quickly to analyzing the status of the US in the context of current affairs, including a good section on the influence of social media. He also uses a number of charts and graphs that are easily understood, and concludes with a good assessment of where the US is today in the new environment which is post Cold War, post bi-polar. He acknowledges the waning power of the West in the global community and the rising challenge of the East, especially China. He is clear that the US must forge a new strategy in the face of this dramatically changing environment in order to hold its own."
— Skip (4 out of 5 stars)
" A must read for anyone interested in global issues "
— Ita, 2/3/2014" Brzezinski entirely ignores the dangers posed by Jared Diamond in collapse,and fails to account for three unavoidable factors that have nothing to do with international politics. The first is the inevitable effects of global warming in at least the next fifty years, and the growing dearth of conventional argibusiness, and food shortages, famines and riots. The second is the interactive effects of a decrease in available potable water, and its collateral effect on the rise and spread of pandemic diseases, an inevitable cycle in human history recorded by the University of Chicago's William McNeill in his book Plagues and People. The third failure is the refusal to account for the inability of any nation, however militarily strong, to score economic victory in a global economy where the fates of all nations and currrencies are interconnected. Additional shortcomings are failures to recognize, as Einstein did, the inevitability of proliferation of uranium-235 gun-type nuclear weapons, the creation of antibiotic resistance bioweapons and credible attacks on cyber-controlled infrastructure. Overall, Brzezinski's crystal ball is as clouded as was Herman Kahn's in his 1960 On Thermonuclear War. "
— David, 2/1/2014" Still a devotee of realism, his prescription however sounds uncomfortably like a white man's burden. Not as idealistic as a neocon, nor as unilateral, yet I often worried what the next paragraph might bring. "
— Randi, 1/17/2014" Normally I am not harsh on authors, but this guy is so full of himself that he spends the entire book talking in circles. Read it for a class. I can normally digest a book this size in a matter of a few hours. This took me months and I hated every minute of it. Good news was it was cheap. "
— Joanna, 1/13/2014" Good overview of Americas place in the world present and where we might be headed. Not too dense or long. "
— Chuck, 1/12/2014" Zbig is a coherent foreign policy thinker, and this was a coherent, short update on foreign policy "
— Scott, 1/10/2014" A clear and understandable perspective on America's place among nations today and the differing courses history make take depending on how we manage our options. "
— Vince, 1/10/2014" This was a good book. It was a little preachy and had a limited vision in that it did not think through the implications of things like the Arab Spring. "
— Michael, 12/29/2013" Excellent commentary on how you have to think about foreign policy based upon history and interests. "
— Trevor, 12/27/2013" A difficult read but worth it. "
— Naim, 12/12/2013" A fascinating analysis of America's role in the world, past, present and future. "
— David, 12/9/2013" It's intelligent, well researched and excellently concluded. This guarantees it will be ingored and derided. Tragic. "
— Kev, 11/29/2013" This started out strong, but the conclusions and recommendations left me looking for more. "
— Ruth, 9/29/2013" The book is way too general for my liking. An endless array of "5 considerations for US policy", "3 policy options for Israel", "9 crucial steps for whatever". Reminds me of some god-awful university classes. "
— Valentin, 6/28/2013" Z-Bigs still fighting the good fight. "
— Moira, 4/21/2013" Great read. Made a fairly complicated topic of global politics and made it accessible. Very interesting. "
— Lianna, 1/12/2013" Typical Brzezinski in conversation. Broad view of history. Sometimes very shallow other times very insightful. "
— Larry, 9/3/2012" This was a pretty good read..though he doesn't take into account the 'irrational actor' and what that could mean in places like Russia, Korea, and Iran for formulating foreign policy..a good book to read along with this is 'Predictably Irrational' by Dan Ariely "
— Jerome, 7/19/2012" great book! will read again in a few months. if you enjoy, geo-political and economic books, you'll love this one. "
— Shane, 6/4/2012" A broad and comprehensive overview of the strategic situation and challenges of today's world from an American perspective. Sharp and not pulling any punches Brzesinski precisely articulates the challenges facing especially the US in terms of regaining and maintaining global leadership. "
— Jan, 4/22/2012" Brzezinski at his usual worst! I went through a deep psychological trauma while reading this. Hah! Brzezinski and his delusional dreams of saving the world! How can you save a world when you are its own Destroyer-in-Chief? "
— Saquib, 2/13/2012Zbigniew Brzezinski served as national security adviser to President Carter from 1977 to 1981. He is the author of a number of books, including The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives and The Choice: Global Domination or Global Leadership.
Grover Gardner (a.k.a. Tom Parker) is an award-winning narrator with over a thousand titles to his credit. Named one of the “Best Voices of the Century” and a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, he has won three prestigious Audie Awards, was chosen Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly, and has earned more than thirty Earphones Awards.