The Post-American World

The Post-American World
by Fareed Zakaria

This is not a book about decline of America, but rather about the rise of everyone else.
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, an one that will reshape the world.
Mr Zakaria argues that we are now in the midst of the third great tectonic power shift to occur over the last 500 years. The first was the rise of the West, the second was the rise of the United States and this the third is what he calls "the rise of the rest".
The role of the United States will be diminished, but not irrelevant. Economic, diplomatic and social power is rising in the rest of the world. Although the United States remains the supreme military power, the spread of capital,labour, innovation, ideas and information continues to bring down the level of influence the United States once had in world affairs.
For 60 years, the United States has pushed countries to open their markets, free up their politics and embrace trade and technology. Yet just as the world is opening up, the United States is closing down. Americans forgot to globalise themselves.
How should the United States understand and thrive in this rapidly changing international climate? Mr Zakaria answers these questions with his customary, lucidity, insight and imagination.