The Post-American World

Indeed America is far too insular and inward thinking/looking. Perhaps with a little less partisanship we can become broader minded and begin to thrive again in the bigger and expanding world economy. Zakaria's analogy to Britain's loss of power is certainly well argued and I'd agree with his position that America ought to take a more Bizmarkian view of the world. His views are well thought out and reasoned with supporting evidence in a general sense. It's interesting to see someone who is a bit left leaning seem to agree so generally with the right leaning [a:Alan Greenspan|1334|Alan Greenspan|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1207744113p2/1334.jpg] whose book [b:The Age of Turbulence|9864836|The Age of Turbulence|Alan Greenspan|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1291886467s/9864836.jpg|1203801] which I'm about half way through at the moment.

Most interesting about the book is the obvious influence that Zakaria's upbringing and education have on influencing his viewpoints. If nothing they lend a great deal more weight to his thesis in terms of how he sees not only the "rise of the rest" but how America fits within that tapestry.

From an analytic viewpoint, the book takes a long enough look on a broad enough timescale, that I'd even be almost willing to put it into the category of "Big History" and certainly from the perspective of America's brief role in the world. We need more longer view analyses like this one in the marketplace of ideas.

"The Post-American World" by Fareed Zakaria is one of the many books which has come to examine the concept of what the 21st century will look like, including the place of America within this new global order. But what makes this book stand out above the re...st is that it is concise, well-written, and shows a profound intellectual depth sorely lacking in international commentary today. Instantly accessible, this book should be placed high on everyone's list, especially those who wish to have the best perspective on current affairs. The main lesson of Zakaria's book is that the Post-American World is not about the decline of America but the "rise of the rest" and the growth of international competition. He argues that the state of the world is not a consequence of the West or America's weaknesses but their strength and the compelling nature of their ideas. These idea undergird the international order and will not go away anytime soon. He examines two nations on the rise- India and China- and lays out their strengths and weaknesses, giving one a much more balanced picture of things in both countries that one typically finds on television or in the news. America, far and away the most powerful nation in the past one-hundred and forty years, will not lose its position of preeminence but will be entering a world in which it is more a "first among equals." He gives a realistic appraisal of America's overwhelming strengths and deep weaknesses (namely a paralyzed, short-sighted political system). Zakaria's greatest asset is his cool, level-head when examining his subject matter. Much of book tells the reader to reject their anxieties and incorrect idea about the state of the world and take a more nuanced and balanced approach. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to have a nuanced approach to international affairs.