The Post-American World: Release 2.0 [Hardcover]

Fareed Zakaria (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 2011

The New York Times bestseller, revised and expanded with a new afterword: the essential update of Fareed Zakaria's international bestseller about America and its shifting position in world affairs.

Fareed Zakaria’s international bestseller The Post-American World pointed to the “rise of the rest”—the growth of countries like China, India, Brazil, and others—as the great story of our time, the story that will undoubtedly shape the future of global power. Since its publication, the trends he identified have proceeded faster than anyone could have anticipated. The 2008 financial crisis turned the world upside down, stalling the United States and other advanced economies. Meanwhile emerging markets have surged ahead, coupling their economic growth with pride, nationalism, and a determination to shape their own future.

In this new edition, Zakaria makes sense of this rapidly changing landscape. With his customary lucidity, insight, and imagination, he draws on lessons from the two great power shifts of the past 500 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.” The great challenge for Britain was economic decline. The challenge for America now is political decline, for as others have grown in importance, the central role of the United States, especially in the ascendant emerging markets, has already begun to shrink. As Zakaria eloquently argues, Washington needs to begin a serious transformation of its global strategy, moving from its traditional role of dominating hegemon to that of a more pragmatic, honest broker. It must seek to share power, create coalitions, build legitimacy, and define the global agenda—all formidable tasks.

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. America stands at a crossroads: In a new global era where the United States no longer dominates the worldwide economy, orchestrates geopolitics, or overwhelms cultures, can the nation continue to thrive?

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Fareed Zakaria and Ian Bremmer: Author One-to-One
In this Amazon exclusive, we brought together authors Fareed Zakaria and Ian Bremmer and asked them to interview each other.

Ian Bremmer is the president of Eurasia Group, the world's leading global political risk research and consulting firm. He has written for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Foreign Affairs, and other publications, and his books include Every Nation for Itself, The End of the Free Market, and The J Curve. Read on to see Ian Bremmer's questions for Fareed Zakaria, or turn the tables to see what Zakaria asked Bremmer.

Ian Bremmer: You made clear from the opening sentence of The Post-American World that you do not believe that America faces some kind of inevitable, irreversible decline. But how can U.S. policymakers ensure that the rise of the rest actually strengthens the United States?

Fareed Zakaria: If more countries thrive in the existing global system, it means a larger world economy--more consumers and producers, investors and inventors. That’s great for America. As Europe boomed after World War II, America boomed with it. The rise of Japan and Korea and Taiwan has not meant the decline of America. But the key has been that we have to be able to adjust and adapt. The US economy was enormously productive in the 1950s and 1960s--leading the world in almost every way, from technology to infrastructure to mass education. Our problem is that we no longer lead the world on many of these dimensions-- think of infrastructure or K-12 education--and the rest of the world has been hard at work catching up. So, the fault lies not in our competitors but in ourselves. The good news is, if we can rectify these mistakes, we should still do well in the emerging world.

Bremmer: Given everything that has happened since 2008--the financial market meltdown, the Eurozone crisis, the Arab Spring--have you become more confident or less that the United States can successfully transition from its previous role as global hegemon to a new role as the most powerful among other powerful countries?

Zakaria: There are two distinct (though related) challenges for Washington in a Post-American World. The first is economic, which I outline above. The second is political. Here the structural challenge might seem daunting. Political power is not like economic power. In economics, others can grow and that can be good for you--win, win. In politics, power is relative. As China and India and Brazil and Turkey all prosper and gain strength and confidence, whose dominant influence are they cutting into? The U.S. But even here, the picture is actually quite hopeful for America. The truth is, only America has power along all dimensions – economic, military, political, cultural. And that gives it great strength, particularly as an agenda-setter. Also, the rise of these other countries creates uncertainty and anxiety in the international system. If the United States plays its cards well, it can be the crucial stabilizing force in the system. You can see that dynamic at work in Asia where China’s rise has unsettled many Asian countries and they look to America to play a stabilizing role. It’s a new diplomatic challenge for America, to be more of a catalyst and broker than hegemon and arbiter. It emphasizes brains more than brawn. Let’s hope we’re up to it.

Bremmer: How can policymakers overcome the polarization of American politics to get this right?

Zakaria: That’s the trillion-dollar question. America’s economy and society remain dynamic. It’s political system is broken. First, recognize the problem. Stop mouthing slogans about how we have the world’s greatest democracy. Our system is now highly dysfunctional and corrupt. We need to fix it.

Bremmer: Among rising states, which do you think have the most staying power and why? Will some of the rest be left behind?

Zakaria: China is in a league apart from every other rising power. It has the scale--in terms of sheer numbers--to have a huge global impact. It is also run by a competent elite, technocrats who plan for the long term and are moving China up the value chain. They are making huge investments in education and infrastructure, which will pay off over the long run. I agree with you that China continues to have a long-term political challenge, how to combine a vigorous and open economy with a closed and bureaucratic political system. But so far they have managed to balance it--I think they will need to make much larger political changes in the next decade than they have in the last decade.

Bremmer: How well do you think America is responding to China’s continued rise?

Zakaria: American business has been responding well to China’s rise, helping it but also benefitting from it. American society is more closed and parochial than American business and so there has been little contact, which is a pity because we can always learn from others. Washington, at a foreign policy level, has actually done quite well in its handling of China. It has encouraged the integration of China into the global economy, it has tried to get China to be more rule-based and more committed to producing (rather than consuming) global public goods. And it has carefully and systematically shored up its alliances with key Asian countries, from India to Japan to South Korea to Australia, which is an important hedge against Chinese expansion. All in all, a solid performance.

Bremmer: You devote a chapter to India’s growing prominence. Are you optimistic that India’s government will help spur the country toward the next stage of its economic development? Or is this still a country where progress will come mainly in spite of government?

Zakaria: China grows because of its government, and India grows in spite of its government. I don’t expect much improvement in India’s public policy. The infrastructure will continue to lag, the education system will be poor, the government will keep doling out subsidies, and tax and regulatory policy will be uncompetitive. But Indian businesses are world class. They manage under very difficult conditions to perform amazingly well. They manage capital efficiently, understand global markets and brands, and have high quality management. India has good demographics, with lots of young consumers. India’s story is a bottom-up story, rather than China’s top-down story. But don’t kid yourself. Ultimately, you need good government policy to go to the next stage. Unless there is massive and intelligent investment in human and physical capital, India will lag behind China substantially. Whether in India or America, bad government will be a huge limiting factor on a country’s success, no matter how dynamic the society and the economy.

Photo of Ian Bremmer © Marc Bryan Brown --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

“A far-reaching analysis.” (Slate )

“Starred Review. Zakaria updates his best-selling earlier vision of world economics and politics, which foresaw the decline of American dominance but reassured us that with that decline came the rise of the rest of the world.” (Booklist )

“Fareed Zakaria is one of the most thoughtful foreign policy analysts of our day and his new book . . . is a must read for anyone interested in globalization—or the Presidential election.” (Bruce Nussbaum - BusinessWeek )

“A provocative and often shrewd take that opens a big picture window on the closing of the first American century and the advent of a new world.” (Michiko Kakutani - The New York Times )

“Zakaria . . . may have more intellectual range and insights than any other public thinker in the West.” (Boston Sunday Globe )

“This is a relentlessly intelligent book that eschews simple-minded projections from crisis to collapse.” (Joseph Joffe - The New York Times Book Review )

“Compelling.” (Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat )

See all Editorial Reviews

---

Product Details Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 2 edition (May 31, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 039308180X ISBN-13: 978-0393081800 Product Dimensions: 1 x 6.5 x 9.5 inches Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (363 customer reviews) Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,247 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #48 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > International & World Politics > Diplomacy

---

More About the Author

Fareed Zakaria is the editor of Newsweek International and writes a weekly column on international affairs and hosts "Fareed Zakaria GPS" for CNN. He the author of the New York Times bestsellers "The Future of Freedom" and "The Post-American World." Zakaria lives in New York City.

---

Customer Reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars

(363)

4.1 out of 5 stars

5 star

189

4 star

94

3 star

39

2 star

19

1 star

22

See all 363 customer reviews

“ The Post-American World by Fareed Zakaria is a timely and useful book but the author avoids looking at the causes behind the Rise of the Rest at America's expense. ” Gautam Maitra  |  66 reviewers made a similar statement

“ The facts discussed in the book are well documented and the conclusions are logical. ” Robert E. Donald  |  29 reviewers made a similar statement

“ The author is brilliant, as we all know from reading his work in magazines and published books (as well as watching his program on CNN). ” Hank Boerner  |  29 reviewers made a similar statement

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

670 of 731 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Where We Are Today and Where We Go From Here April 28, 2008

By Eric F. Facer VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

Mr. Zakaria has written a short primer (250+ pages of text) about where the world is today and the role he sees the United States playing in the future. His assessment, for the most part, is fair, balanced and nonpartisan. And though the title of his treatise--The Post-American World--sounds pessimistic, in reality Mr. Zakaria sees the glass half full.

The principal weakness of the book is a product of its brevity: the author paints in broad strokes, providing a sweeping assessment of the dynamic changes that have unfolded on the world scene over the past twenty-five years. This invariably results in some over-generalizations and assessments that are not sufficiently nuanced. For example, in responding to concerns about China's growing power and influence, he quotes several Chinese officials who repeatedly reassure the listener that, notwithstanding its recent advances, China still lags behind the United States in so many areas; consequently, it poses no real threat to America or its neighbors. Instead of taking these sentiments at face value, Mr. Zakaria should remember, as Margaret Macmillan astutely noted in her recent book, "Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World," that the Chinese are the past masters at using self-effacement to lure their adversaries into a state of complacency.

The greatest strengths of the book are explaining to the reader how much the world has changed over the past 25 years (did you know that China now exports more goods and services in a single day than it did in all of 1978?), while illuminating the course corrections the United States needs to make so that it can continue to influence the evolution of globalization. I was surprised to discover that the simple truths taught by Adam Smith have lifted more people above the poverty line in the last 25 years (400 million in China alone) than all the government assistance programs of all the countries in the world since the beginning of time. But I was dismayed to learn that the polices of free trade, liberal immigration, technological change and open government that are the source of this global revolution are no longer warmly received in the United States. Mr. Zakaria notes that in 2007 the Pew Global Attitudes Survey polled citizens in 47 countries for purposes of measuring the extent to which they have positive views about free trade and open markets. Guess where the U.S. came in? Dead last. Mr. Zakaria observes that in the five years the survey has been done, no country has seen as great a drop-off as the United States. It's as if, he says, that for the past sixty years we have extolled the virtues of free markets, immigration, technological change, competition, and democracy, and now that the rest of the world has finally decided to take our advice, "we are becoming suspicious of the very things we have long celebrated." (p. 48).

If you want to look in the mirror and see the warts and disappointments, along with the beauty and promise, of America, read this book. You and our country will be better for it.

58 of 62 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and Insightful October 3, 2011

By J. Gomez TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Post-American World: Release 2.0 by Fareed Zakaria

"The Post-American World" is the insightful book about world affairs and America's role. The author makes compelling arguments that it is the "rise of the rest" and not America's decline at the heart of this global era. This 336-page book is composed of the following seven chapters: 1. The Rise of the Rest, 2. The Cup Runneth Over, 3. A Non-Western World? 4. The Challenger, 5. The Ally, 6. American Power and 7. American Purpose.

Positives:
1. Well-written and well-researched book.
2. Accessible book for the masses.
3. A fascinating topic in the hands of a master.
4. An even-handed book. Mr. Zakaria is fair.
5. Engaging prose that offers countless anecdotes and interesting facts.
6. A lot of misconceptions put to rest: "Poverty is falling in countries housing 80 percent of the world's population". "War and organized violence have declined dramatically over the last two decades".
7. Economics in an enlightening manner, "It was not the Great Depression that brought the Nazis to power in Germany but rather hyperinflation, which destroyed the middle class by making its savings worthless".
8. The three forces that impact the global international environment: politics, economics, and technology.
9. The impact of global growth on natural resources and the environment.
10. Fascinating facts throughout the book,"from 2003 to 2020, the number of vehicles in China will rise from 26 million to 120 million". Wow.
11. Does a great job of explaining the various challenges facing the planet.
12. What the global economy has turned into...
13. National debt at the heart of our problem. $14 trillion...
14. Interesting history.
15. How our world is shrinking.
16. Did you know that women's clothing is a powerful indicator of a society's comfort with modernity? You do now...and much more where that came from.
17. Brief but interesting look at religions that form the rising powers.
18. 1979 as a watershed year for the globe.
19. A fascinating look at China, worth the price of the book. An entire chapter.
20. Walmart and its connection to China.
21. Why China and the Unites States need each other.
22. An insightful look at India. An entire chapter. Great stuff!
23. India's nuclear aspirations.
24. Interesting British history and the ways it compares to ours.
25. American military domination.
26. The economic challenges of America.
27. America's strengths and weaknesses.
28. A very interesting look at our educational system and how it stacks up against the world. Educational indeed.
29. What is America's best industry? Find out.
30. The impact of immigration.
31. The biggest economical threats to our country.
32. The impact of free trade.
33. Sensible reforms that should be enacted.
34. Dysfunctional politics.
35. The six guidelines on how the United States can operate in this new world.
36. Positive future, it's up to us.
37. Links worked great. Excellent notes section.

Negatives:
1. Loved the chapters on China and India but would have loved a chapter on Germany and/or Brazil.
2. Excellent notes section but it never hurts to have a separate bibliography.
3. Charts and illustrations would have added value.
4. The author does speculate and may suffer from moments of grandeur.
5. Too little emphasis on finite resources and the impact to the planet.

In summary, I enjoyed reading this book. Mr. Zakaria took me on a wonderful journey to China and India and provided fascinating information. It provides an excellent summary of global affairs and how this will impact the United States. I highly recommend this book!

Further recommendations: "That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back..." by Thomas Friedman , "The End of Growth: Adapting to Our New Economic Reality" by Richard Heinberg, "The Crash Course: The Unsustainable Future Of Our Economy, Energy, And Environment" by Chris Martenson, and "Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future (Vintage)" by Robert B. Reich.

274 of 322 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than his last book April 30, 2008

By a reader

Format:Hardcover

A lot of books have been appearing recently about the rise of China and India, the decline of the United States, and so forth. This is the one to read, and the one that will last.

Zakaria's last book was about "The Future of Freedom," a study of liberalism and democracy. This new one--which is even better, I think--is about the shape of the emerging international system. It's called "The Post-American World," but a better title would have been the one he gives his first chapter, "The Rise of the Rest." That's because Zakaria's central thesis is that the world is changing, but the change is largely for the better and caused by the benign development of other power centers, not some collapse or decline of the United States. The biggest challenge for America, he argues, is not terrorism or nuclear proliferation or a rising China, but rather our own ability to adapt successfully to the new environment. He favors confidence and openness rather than insecurity and barriers, and makes a convincing case.

The book has chapters on each of the major international players, and they're really well done: amazingly, he manages to paint a full portrait of, say, China or India that is intelligent, succinct, subtle, and comprehensive all at once. If you want to get a flavor of what the book has to offer, there's an article based on it in the new issue of Foreign Affairs, and there should be another one coming out in Newsweek too, apparently. The man might be a superachieving bigshot, but he sure can write--each page is lively and interesting.

So forget the angry neocons, the wild-eyed optimists, the gloom-and-doom pessimists, and the glib amateurs who don't really know anything. Read this instead, and get insight into what's actually going in the world and what should be done about it. Plus, there's just a ton of fun little nuggets you'll be itching to drop in every conversation you have about anything related.

› See all 363 customer reviews (newest first)

Write a customer review

Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Enlightening

Though I haven't quite finished reading this book, I have already learned or had reinforced many things about our future that I had not fully contemplated before. Read more

Published 2 days ago by Dean Springer

5.0 out of 5 stars Sentiments of one African

I usually have 2 measures to determine how much I like a book; 1). How many times I refer to it in casual conversation 2). Read more

Published 1 month ago by Joyce-Ann M Wainaina

4.0 out of 5 stars 8-)

Fareed is one of my favorite commentators on a variety of issues. this book does a great job of showing that it's not the fall of the US but the rise of the rest and how that will... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Tony

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read

A world wide view of the forces that will impact social and economic considerations in both the developed world and emerging countries. Read more

Published 1 month ago by asjed Jalil

4.0 out of 5 stars Well written

I enjoyed this book, emmensly. I enjoyed the way he educated the reader on the cultural personalities of countries and related them to their economic policies.

Published 1 month ago by andrej

5.0 out of 5 stars Find out what the future holds for the USA

Bought this just because I saw Obama carrying it in a press photo right after his first election. It paints a sad, but true picture of where the USA is headed - and puts it in... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Joseph G. Utasi

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant review of the pre-post American world

Highly recommend. Fareed's unique intellect penetrates and incisively identifies key events and factors impacting American actions and required thinking for our future in a global... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Brian Schwartz

5.0 out of 5 stars ordered for a friend

Have not read it, ordered it for a friend, she said it was very informative and interesting. I hope to borrow it and have the opportunity to enjoy it later.

Published 3 months ago by Erna C. Mallory

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written

Factual perspective on the US position in the world, and how it's changing. The title might suggest that it is negative about the countries future.. it isn't. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Robert Ford

5.0 out of 5 stars Surely gives you something to think about and reflect back as too

Makes you reflect back on what has already happened and the possiblity in the future. Was easy reading. Not at all what I expected.

Published 4 months ago by Donna J. Simon

Search Customer Reviews

Only search this product's reviews

There's a problem loading this menu right now.

Learn more about Amazon Prime.

Watch. Read. Shop. Relax.

Millions of Amazon Prime members enjoy instant videos, free Kindle books and unlimited free two-day shipping.

> Get started

• Unlimited Instant Videos
• Prime Instant Videos
  Unlimited streaming of thousands of
  movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime
• Learn More About Amazon Prime
• Amazon Instant Video Store
  Rent or buy hit movies and TV shows
  to stream or download
• Your Video Library
  Your movies and TV shows
  stored in the cloud
• Watch Anywhere
  Watch instantly on your Kindle Fire,
  TV, Blu-ray player, or set-top box

• MP3s & Cloud Player
• MP3 Music Store
  Shop over 20 million songs
• Music on Kindle Fire
  Discover how to play your music
• Cloud Player for Web
  Play from any browser
• Cloud Player for Android
  For Android phones and tablets
• Cloud Player for iOS
  For iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
• Cloud Player for Home
  For Sonos and Roku

• Amazon Cloud Drive
• Your Cloud Drive
  5 GB of free storage
• Get the Desktop App
  For Windows and Mac
• Cloud Drive Photos for Android
  For Android phones and tablets
• Cloud Drive Photos for iPhone
  For iPhone and iPod touch
• Learn More About Cloud Drive

• Kindle E-readers
• Kindle
  Small, light, perfect for reading
• Kindle Paperwhite
  World's most advanced e-reader
• Kindle Paperwhite 3G
  With free 3G wireless
• Kindle E-reader Accessories
  Covers, chargers, sleeves and more
• Kindle Store
• Kindle Books
• Newsstand
• Kindle Owners' Lending Library
  With Prime, Kindle owners read for free

• Kindle Fire
• Fire
  All new--faster, twice the memory
• Fire HD
  7", Dolby audio, ultra-fast Wi-Fi
• Fire HD 8.9"
  8.9", Dolby audio, ultra-fast Wi-Fi
• Fire HD 8.9" 4G
  With ultra-fast 4G LTE wireless
• Kindle Fire Accessories
  Cases, chargers, sleeves and more
• Kindle Apps & Resources
• Kindle Cloud Reader
  Read your Kindle books in a browser
• Free Kindle Reading Apps
  For PC, iPad, iPhone, Android, and more
• Manage Your Kindle

• Appstore for Android
• Apps
• Games
• Test Drive Apps
  Try thousands of apps and games right now
• Amazon Apps
  Kindle, mobile shopping, MP3, and more
• Your Apps and Devices
  View your apps and manage your devices

• Digital Games & Software
• Game Downloads
  For PC and Mac
• Free-to-Play Games
  For PC and Mac
• Software Downloads
  For PC and Mac
• Your Games & Software Library

• Audible Audiobooks
• Audible Membership
  Get to know Audible
• Audible Audiobooks & More
• Bestsellers
• New & Notable
• Listener Favorites
• Whispersync for Voice
  Switch between reading and listening

• Books
• Books
• Kindle Books
• Children's Books
• Textbooks
• Audiobooks
• Magazines

• Movies, Music & Games
• Movies & TV
• Blu-ray
• Amazon Instant Video
• Music
• MP3 Downloads
• Musical Instruments
• Video Games
• Game Downloads

• Electronics
• TV & Video
• Home Audio & Theater
• Camera, Photo & Video
• Cell Phones & Accessories
• Video Games
• MP3 Players & Accessories
• Car Electronics & GPS
• Appliances
• Musical Instruments
• Electronics Accessories

• Computers
• Laptops, Ultrabooks & Tablets
• Desktops & Monitors
• Computer Accessories & Peripherals
  External drives, mice, networking & more
• Computer Parts & Components
• Software
• PC Games
• Printers & Ink
• Office & School Supplies

• Home, Garden & Pets
• Kitchen & Dining
• Furniture & Décor
• Bedding & Bath
• Appliances
• Patio, Lawn & Garden
• Arts, Crafts & Sewing
• Pet Supplies

• Tools, Home Improvement
• Home Improvement
• Power & Hand Tools
• Lamps & Light Fixtures
• Kitchen & Bath Fixtures
• Hardware
• Building Supplies

• Grocery, Health & Beauty
• Grocery & Gourmet Food
• Wine
• Natural & Organic
• Health & Personal Care
• Beauty

• Toys, Kids & Baby
• Toys & Games
• Baby
• Kids' Clothing
• Baby Clothing
• Video Games for Kids
• Amazon Mom
  20% off diapers, free shipping and more
• Baby Registry

• Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry
• Clothing
• Shoes
• Handbags
• Accessories
• Luggage
• Jewelry
• Watches

• Sports & Outdoors
• Exercise & Fitness
• Outdoor Recreation
• Hunting & Fishing
• Cycling
• Athletic & Outdoor Clothing
• Boating & Water Sports
• Team Sports
• Fan Shop
• Sports Collectibles
• Golf
• All Sports & Outdoors

• Automotive
• Automotive Parts & Accessories
• Automotive Tools & Equipment
• Car Electronics & GPS
• Tires & Wheels
• Motorcycle & ATV
• Industrial & Scientific
• Industrial Supplies
• Lab & Scientific
• Janitorial
• Safety

• Unlimited Instant Videos
• MP3s & Cloud Player
  20 million songs, play anywhere
• Amazon Cloud Drive
  5 GB of free storage
• Kindle
• Appstore for Android
  Get a premium app for free today
• Digital Games & Software
• Audible Audiobooks
• Books
• Movies, Music & Games
• Electronics & Computers
• Home, Garden & Tools
• Grocery, Health & Beauty
• Toys, Kids & Baby
• Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry
• Sports & Outdoors
• Automotive & Industrial
• ›Full Store Directory

• Sign in
  New customer? Start here.
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Your Wish List
• Your Recommendations
• Your Subscribe & Save Items
• Your Collections
• Manage Your Kindle
• Your Cloud Player
  Play from any browser
• Your Cloud Drive
  5 GB of free storage
• Prime Instant Videos
  Unlimited streaming of thousands
  of movies and TV shows
• Your Video Library
• Your Games & Software Library
• Your Android Apps & Devices

Your Shopping Cart is empty.

Give it purpose—fill it with books, DVDs, clothes, electronics, and more.

If you already have an account, sign in.

There's a problem previewing your cart right now.

Check your Internet connection and go to your cart, or try again.

View Cart (0 items) (0 item) (0 items)

• Create a Wish List
• Find a Wish List or Registry
• Wish from Any Website
  Add items to your List from anywhere
• Wedding Registry
• Baby Registry
• Kids' Birthdays
• Friends & Family Gifting

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

---

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?

• The Post-American World: Release 2.0  by Fareed Zakaria Paperback
  4.3 out of 5 stars (40)
  

  $12.85
• The Post-American World  by Fareed Zakaria Paperback
  4.1 out of 5 stars (363)
  

  $11.84
• The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad (Revised Edition)  by Fareed Zakaria Paperback
  4.1 out of 5 stars (164)
  

  $11.69

› Explore similar items

---

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Like 1369487108 false -1 125 125 124 (125)

---

Forums

Search Customer Discussions

Search all Amazon discussions

Topic	From this Discussion
Occult channelers support Obama as they did with Hitler's Naziism	Did you forget to take your medication? Oct 14, 2008 by Lisa Bernstein |  See all 9 posts
Use this book to begin necessary reform	Perhaps because every major news organization covered the story and it is about as controversial as the fact that the sky is blue. Dec 3, 2008 by Owen Hatteras |  See all 3 posts
Missing a mention of Saddam's 1994 attempt to reinvade Kuwait (this...	Would you like the book to also mention what flavor kool-aid Clinton liked to drink on Sundays? If information is not important to a premise, it is excluded. That's rule #1 in literature. Oct 16, 2008 by Trace R. Myers |  See all 2 posts
Source for supposed "information" is not quoted in book!READ!!!!!!	it actually happened in plain sight, and we all saw it, which is why he doesn't need to cite a source. he offered aid packages, diplomatic and trade concessions, and other sweets to most if not all of the countries that joined the "coalition of the willing" and the most cursory google... Read more May 19, 2008 by Michael Ward |  See all 3 posts

›See all 4 discussions

Start a Discussion

Start a new discussion

Topic:

First post:

Receive e-mail when new posts are made

Prompts for sign-in

 

Guidelines

---

Listmania!

Selected Sales Ranking: A list by Earth Policy Institute "Earth Policy Institute"   Books I read in 2009: A list by Miguel E. Vargas "Spirit Bear"   Singularity University Finance, Entrepreneurship & Economics Book List: A list by David S. Rose Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

---

So You'd Like to...

**READ SOMETHING GOOD FOR THE HEART**: A guide by "GABBY" "Hana Gabrielle Packard"   ~*~ SOAK UP A GOOD BOOK! ~*~: A guide by Maddy Create a guide

Search Guides

---

Look for Similar Items by Category

• Books > Education & Reference
• Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > International & World Politics > Diplomacy
• Books > Science & Math > Technology

Get to Know Us Careers Investor Relations Press Releases Amazon and Our Planet Amazon in the Community Make Money with Us Sell on Amazon Become an Affiliate Advertise Your Products Independently Publish with Us › See all Let Us Help You Your Account Shipping Rates & Policies Amazon Prime Returns Are Easy Manage Your Kindle Help

Brazil Canada China France Germany Italy Japan Spain United Kingdom 6pm Score deals on fashion brands AbeBooks Rare Books & Textbooks AfterSchool.com Kids’ Sports, Outdoor & Dance Gear AmazonFresh Groceries & More Right To Your Door AmazonLocal Great Local Deals in Your City AmazonSupply Business, Industrial & Scientific Supplies AmazonWebServices Scalable Cloud Services Askville Community Answers   Audible Download Audio Books BeautyBar.com Prestige Beauty Delivered Book Depository Books With Free Delivery Worldwide Bookworm.com Books For Children Of All Ages Casa.com Kitchen, Storage & Everything Home CreateSpace Indie Print Publishing Made Easy Diapers.com Everything But The Baby DPReview Digital Photography   Fabric Sewing, Quilting & Knitting IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities Junglee.com Shop Online in India Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital Publishing Made Easy Look.com Kids' Clothing & Shoes MYHABIT Private Fashion Designer Sales Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands Soap.com Health, Beauty & Home Essentials     Vine.com Everything to Live Life Green Wag.com Everything For Your Pet Warehouse Deals Open-Box Discounts Woot Never Gonna Give You Up Yoyo.com A Happy Place To Shop For Toys Zappos Shoes & Clothing   Conditions of Use Privacy Notice Interest-Based Ads © 1996-2013, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 2 edition (May 31, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039308180X
• ISBN-13: 978-0393081800
• Product Dimensions: 1 x 6.5 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (363 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,247 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > International & World Politics > Diplomacy

More About the Author

Fareed Zakaria is the editor of Newsweek International and writes a weekly column on international affairs and hosts "Fareed Zakaria GPS" for CNN. He the author of the New York Times bestsellers "The Future of Freedom" and "The Post-American World." Zakaria lives in New York City.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

670 of 731 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Where We Are Today and Where We Go From Here April 28, 2008

By Eric F. Facer VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

Mr. Zakaria has written a short primer (250+ pages of text) about where the world is today and the role he sees the United States playing in the future. His assessment, for the most part, is fair, balanced and nonpartisan. And though the title of his treatise--The Post-American World--sounds pessimistic, in reality Mr. Zakaria sees the glass half full.

The principal weakness of the book is a product of its brevity: the author paints in broad strokes, providing a sweeping assessment of the dynamic changes that have unfolded on the world scene over the past twenty-five years. This invariably results in some over-generalizations and assessments that are not sufficiently nuanced. For example, in responding to concerns about China's growing power and influence, he quotes several Chinese officials who repeatedly reassure the listener that, notwithstanding its recent advances, China still lags behind the United States in so many areas; consequently, it poses no real threat to America or its neighbors. Instead of taking these sentiments at face value, Mr. Zakaria should remember, as Margaret Macmillan astutely noted in her recent book, "Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World," that the Chinese are the past masters at using self-effacement to lure their adversaries into a state of complacency.

The greatest strengths of the book are explaining to the reader how much the world has changed over the past 25 years (did you know that China now exports more goods and services in a single day than it did in all of 1978?), while illuminating the course corrections the United States needs to make so that it can continue to influence the evolution of globalization. I was surprised to discover that the simple truths taught by Adam Smith have lifted more people above the poverty line in the last 25 years (400 million in China alone) than all the government assistance programs of all the countries in the world since the beginning of time. But I was dismayed to learn that the polices of free trade, liberal immigration, technological change and open government that are the source of this global revolution are no longer warmly received in the United States. Mr. Zakaria notes that in 2007 the Pew Global Attitudes Survey polled citizens in 47 countries for purposes of measuring the extent to which they have positive views about free trade and open markets. Guess where the U.S. came in? Dead last. Mr. Zakaria observes that in the five years the survey has been done, no country has seen as great a drop-off as the United States. It's as if, he says, that for the past sixty years we have extolled the virtues of free markets, immigration, technological change, competition, and democracy, and now that the rest of the world has finally decided to take our advice, "we are becoming suspicious of the very things we have long celebrated." (p. 48).

If you want to look in the mirror and see the warts and disappointments, along with the beauty and promise, of America, read this book. You and our country will be better for it.

58 of 62 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and Insightful October 3, 2011

By J. Gomez TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Post-American World: Release 2.0 by Fareed Zakaria

"The Post-American World" is the insightful book about world affairs and America's role. The author makes compelling arguments that it is the "rise of the rest" and not America's decline at the heart of this global era. This 336-page book is composed of the following seven chapters: 1. The Rise of the Rest, 2. The Cup Runneth Over, 3. A Non-Western World? 4. The Challenger, 5. The Ally, 6. American Power and 7. American Purpose.

Positives:
1. Well-written and well-researched book.
2. Accessible book for the masses.
3. A fascinating topic in the hands of a master.
4. An even-handed book. Mr. Zakaria is fair.
5. Engaging prose that offers countless anecdotes and interesting facts.
6. A lot of misconceptions put to rest: "Poverty is falling in countries housing 80 percent of the world's population". "War and organized violence have declined dramatically over the last two decades".
7. Economics in an enlightening manner, "It was not the Great Depression that brought the Nazis to power in Germany but rather hyperinflation, which destroyed the middle class by making its savings worthless".
8. The three forces that impact the global international environment: politics, economics, and technology.
9. The impact of global growth on natural resources and the environment.
10. Fascinating facts throughout the book,"from 2003 to 2020, the number of vehicles in China will rise from 26 million to 120 million". Wow.
11. Does a great job of explaining the various challenges facing the planet.
12. What the global economy has turned into...
13. National debt at the heart of our problem. $14 trillion...
14. Interesting history.
15. How our world is shrinking.
16. Did you know that women's clothing is a powerful indicator of a society's comfort with modernity? You do now...and much more where that came from.
17. Brief but interesting look at religions that form the rising powers.
18. 1979 as a watershed year for the globe.
19. A fascinating look at China, worth the price of the book. An entire chapter.
20. Walmart and its connection to China.
21. Why China and the Unites States need each other.
22. An insightful look at India. An entire chapter. Great stuff!
23. India's nuclear aspirations.
24. Interesting British history and the ways it compares to ours.
25. American military domination.
26. The economic challenges of America.
27. America's strengths and weaknesses.
28. A very interesting look at our educational system and how it stacks up against the world. Educational indeed.
29. What is America's best industry? Find out.
30. The impact of immigration.
31. The biggest economical threats to our country.
32. The impact of free trade.
33. Sensible reforms that should be enacted.
34. Dysfunctional politics.
35. The six guidelines on how the United States can operate in this new world.
36. Positive future, it's up to us.
37. Links worked great. Excellent notes section.

Negatives:
1. Loved the chapters on China and India but would have loved a chapter on Germany and/or Brazil.
2. Excellent notes section but it never hurts to have a separate bibliography.
3. Charts and illustrations would have added value.
4. The author does speculate and may suffer from moments of grandeur.
5. Too little emphasis on finite resources and the impact to the planet.

In summary, I enjoyed reading this book. Mr. Zakaria took me on a wonderful journey to China and India and provided fascinating information. It provides an excellent summary of global affairs and how this will impact the United States. I highly recommend this book!

Further recommendations: "That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back..." by Thomas Friedman , "The End of Growth: Adapting to Our New Economic Reality" by Richard Heinberg, "The Crash Course: The Unsustainable Future Of Our Economy, Energy, And Environment" by Chris Martenson, and "Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future (Vintage)" by Robert B. Reich.

274 of 322 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than his last book April 30, 2008

By a reader

Format:Hardcover

A lot of books have been appearing recently about the rise of China and India, the decline of the United States, and so forth. This is the one to read, and the one that will last.

Zakaria's last book was about "The Future of Freedom," a study of liberalism and democracy. This new one--which is even better, I think--is about the shape of the emerging international system. It's called "The Post-American World," but a better title would have been the one he gives his first chapter, "The Rise of the Rest." That's because Zakaria's central thesis is that the world is changing, but the change is largely for the better and caused by the benign development of other power centers, not some collapse or decline of the United States. The biggest challenge for America, he argues, is not terrorism or nuclear proliferation or a rising China, but rather our own ability to adapt successfully to the new environment. He favors confidence and openness rather than insecurity and barriers, and makes a convincing case.

The book has chapters on each of the major international players, and they're really well done: amazingly, he manages to paint a full portrait of, say, China or India that is intelligent, succinct, subtle, and comprehensive all at once. If you want to get a flavor of what the book has to offer, there's an article based on it in the new issue of Foreign Affairs, and there should be another one coming out in Newsweek too, apparently. The man might be a superachieving bigshot, but he sure can write--each page is lively and interesting.

So forget the angry neocons, the wild-eyed optimists, the gloom-and-doom pessimists, and the glib amateurs who don't really know anything. Read this instead, and get insight into what's actually going in the world and what should be done about it. Plus, there's just a ton of fun little nuggets you'll be itching to drop in every conversation you have about anything related.