The Ideas That Conquered The World: Peace, Democracy, And Free Markets In The Twenty-first Century [Paperback]

Michael Mandelbaum (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1586482068 | ISBN-13: 978-1586482060 | Publication Date: January 6, 2004

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, three ideas dominate the world: peace as the preferred basis for relations between and among different countries, democracy as the optimal way to organize political life, and free markets as the indispensable vehicle for the creation of wealth. While not practiced everywhere, these ideas have--for the first time in history--no serious rivals. And although the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, were terrible and traumatic, they did not "change everything," as so many commentators have asserted. Instead, these events served to illuminate even more brightly the world that emerged from the end of the Cold War.

In The Ideas That Conquered the World, Michael Mandelbaum describes the uneven spread (over the past two centuries) of peace, democracy, and free markets from the wealthy and powerful countries of the world's core, where they originated, to the weaker and poorer countries of its periphery. And he assesses the prospects for these ideas in the years to come, giving particular attention to the United States, which bears the greatest responsibility for protecting and promoting them, and to Russia, China, and the Middle East, in which they are not well established and where their fate will affect the rest of the world.

Drawing on history, politics, and economics, this incisive book provides a clear and original guide to the main trends of the twenty-first century, from globalization to terrorism, through the perspective of one of our era's most provocative thinkers.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mandelbaum, foreign policy professor at Johns Hopkins and a Newsday columnist, brings extensive experience in policy analysis to this examination of the political and economic ideas he believes will dominate the post-Cold War era. He expounds upon and assesses what he calls the Liberal Theory of History. Liberalism, as the author defines it, harkens back to three ideas synthesized by Woodrow Wilson at the end of WWI. First is the primacy of free markets as the world's indispensable economic engine. Second is the recognition of democracy, with its constitutional limits on government power, as the most advantageous political system. Third is an instinct for peaceful relations among nations, marked by transparency in armaments and by common security arrangements; peace has replaced war as the normal state of international affairs. These ideas, Mandelbaum asserts, are "mutually reinforcing" and have triumphed within the past 60 years over the illiberal and brutal systems of fascism and communism, continually gaining adherents. To that extent, Mandelbaum concludes, there is a basis for hope for the 21st century. Still, as he acknowledges, there are dangerous countercurrents loose in the world, and numerous flash points, such as Taiwan (the most dangerous place on earth, according to the author) and the dragon's lair of the Middle East. Policy enthusiasts will read Mandelbaum's astute and exceptionally well-written analysis with great interest and may even share his cautious optimism about liberalism's prospects.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A formidable and thought-provoking tour d'horizon. Best of all, it gives readers something to argue about." -- New York Times Book Review, September 22, 2002

"A thoughtful and powerful...analysis of the triumphant and ongoing impact of the ideas of peace, democracy and free markets." -- Richard Reeves, Universal Press Syndicate, September 4, 2002

"An important and compelling new book." -- Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times, September 15, 2002.

"If you are trying to put the events of Sept. 11 in some overall historical context...I recommend Mandelbaum's new book." -- James Klurfeld, Newsday, September 5, 2002.

"Mandelbaum captures with considerable scholarship and clarity the general underpinnings of current international relations and the possibilities for the future." -- The Weekly Standard, October 21, 2002

"The strength of this volume is in Mandelbaum's analysis of the diplomatic and economic sinews that hold together today's world..." -- David Shribman, Chicago Tribune, October 6, 2002

"This is a timely and relevant analysis. Mandelbaum speaks powerfully and insightfully to our vexing and manifold challenges." -- Charlotte Observer, November 11, 2002

"Truly fascinating...It is well worth reading." -- Judith Regan, Judith Regan Show, September 28, 2002.

"an excellent historical understanding of the evolution of the Western liberal ideas of free trade, democracy, and peace." -- Parameters, Summer 2003. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: PublicAffairs (January 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586482068
• ISBN-13: 978-1586482060
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #366,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Mandelbaum is the Christian A. Herter Professor of American Foreign Policy at The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C. and is the director of the American Foreign Policy Program there. He has also held teaching posts at Harvard and Columbia Universities, and at the United States Naval Academy.

His most recent book, written with co-author Thomas L. Friedman, is THAT USED TO BE US: HOW AMERICA FELL BEHIND IN THE WORLD IT INVENTED AND HOW WE CAN COME BACK. Its publication date is September 5, 2011.

He serves on the board of advisors of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a Washington-based organization sponsoring research and public discussion on American policy toward the Middle East.

A graduate of Yale College, Professor Mandelbaum earned his Master's degree at King's College, Cambridge University and his doctorate at Harvard University.

Professor Mandelbaum is the author or co-author of numerous articles and of 13 books: That Used To Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back (2011) with co-author Thomas L. Friedman; The Frugal Superpower: America's Global Leadership in a Cash-Strapped Era (2010); Democracy's Good Name: The Rise and Risks of the World's Most Popular Form of Government (2007); The Case For Goliath: How America Acts As The World's Government in the Twenty-first Century (2006); The Meaning of Sports: Why Americans Watch Baseball, Football and Basketball and What They See When They Do (2004); The Ideas That Conquered the World: Peace, Democracy and Free Markets in the Twenty-First Century (2002); The Dawn of Peace in Europe (1996); The Fate of Nations: The Search for National Security in the 19th and 20th Centuries (1988); The Global Rivals, (co-author, 1988); Reagan and Gorbachev (co-author, 1987); The Nuclear Future (1983); The Nuclear Revolution: International Politics Before and After Hiroshima (1981); and The Nuclear Question: The United States and Nuclear Weapons, 1946-1976 (1979). He is also the editor of twelve books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, with plenty of food for thought, October 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ideas that Conquered the World: Peace, Democracy, and Free Markets in the Twenty-first Century (Hardcover)

Michael Mandelbaum, one of America's foremost thinkers on world politics, has written a book about the political and economic forces shaping the world. His analysis is a model of clarity and incisiveness and offers a refreshing alternative to the now-standard prophecies of gloom and doom. Mandelbaum is a professor, but he writes like a novelist, and in this book, which gives the average reader a wonderful framework for understanding everything in the news today and tomorrow, he makes his points with great stories, and even some jokes. He's a great writer, and I recommend this book without hesitation. It's a pleasure to read, from start to finish. It makes sense of our world, which many say has been irrevocably changed by the September 11 attacks, without getting caught in the weeds and by highlighting the critical, long-term ideas and trends that are shaping it. There's no better book out there if you want to understand where we are headed and why. A great buy--and a great read.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bold, and Brilliant, September 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ideas that Conquered the World: Peace, Democracy, and Free Markets in the Twenty-first Century (Hardcover)

It is rare these days to find a book on world affairs that has an original and provocative thesis and that is also a pleasure to read. Mandelbaum has written just such a volume. His purpose is nothing less than to identify the main forces--markets and democracy--shaping the contemporary world, and he does so by moving effortlessly from the overall claim to real-world examples and back again. The lines of the forest are always in view but there are plenty of trees, and the main argument is made with compelling clarity, conviction, and the occasional bit of humor. Despite Mandelbaum's crystal clear prose, it's apparent that some reviewers (see below) fail to grasp his main points. Fundamentalist Islam as an alternative to liberal democratic capitalism? Just where exactly have people, when given the opportunity to freely elect their leaders, chosen a Taliban-like model? And what have such regimes, when they have grabbed power, brought people except poverty and brutality? As for the absence of capitalism in the Judeo-Christian world in the 7th and 8th centuries (!), one need not have read Karl Polanyi's "Great Transformation" to understand that many complex changes had to unfold before national markets arose; any regular history book should suffice. Modern democracy, too, could not have taken root over a thousand years ago for precisely the same reason. Mandelbaum is not saying that all you need for markets and democracy is the Judeo-Christian ethic; he identifies it as being AMONG the critical factors that promoted their growth. Alas, even the most lucid writer is fated to have his ideas misunderstood. Buy the book; it's terrific.

28 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, thought-provoking book, January 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ideas that Conquered the World: Peace, Democracy, and Free Markets in the Twenty-first Century (Hardcover)

If you, like me, have become a follower of the thoughts of Thomas Friedman, you'll love this book, too. Its clear, entertaining detail of "liberal" history---and in this context, even Newt Gingrich was a liberal---and the triumph of the ideas of Woodrow Wilson is a great read. I credit Friedmen with awakening interest in foreign policy analysis, but I credit people like Mandelbaum, Friedman and Walter Russell Mead for providing foreign policy analysis that is passionate and engaging, rather than what I expected, which was dry and over-informative.

My only criticism of the book was the first third was a little repetitive. He kept repeating the part about the triumph of Wilson's ideas, but I started to say, "Hey, I GET IT already."

Anyway, that shouldn't scare anyone off. If you are interested in this type of reading, I would highly recommend reading this one.