The Post-American World

The Post-American World

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86  ·  rating details  ·  5,706 ratings  ·  796 reviews
"This is not a book about the decline of America, but rather about the rise of everyone else." So begins Fareed Zakaria's important new work on the era we are now entering. Following on the success of his best-selling The Future of Freedom, Zakaria describes with equal prescience a world in which the United States will no longer dominate the global economy, orchestrate geo...more
Hardcover, 292 pages
Published April 17th 2008 by W. W. Norton & Company (first published January 1st 2008)
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Community Reviews

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Dale
I'll say at the outset that I like Fareed Zakaria. He's articulate, reasonable, moderate, and optimistic. And he is the successor to George Kennan and Zbigniew Brzezinski in the role of theorist for US corporate imperialism. I will not be surprised if he gets an appointment in the upcoming Obama administration as, for example, Assistant Deputy Director of strategic Analysis for the State Department.

Zakaria takes it as an obvious given that the era of US hegemony is drawing to a close. The US wil...more
Eamonn Gormley
This is the kind of work that makes a body wish President Bush would read books. The author's point is that diplomacy is America's strength, and it should be used first with force held as a last resort, especially in a world where the US is not the only superpower anymore due to the growing influence of countries in the developing world.

'The Rise of the Rest' is what Mr Zakaria uses to refer to the economic and political growth in developing countries, principally (but not limited to) India and...more
Sally
I finished this last night and I must say that although it starts off strong I grew very weary. Zakaria could have accomplished the same purpose with a feature in a magazine, in 2000 words. I'm glad I read it, I'm working on broadening my perspective, and there is much about the international finance world I never even began to imagine. It never hurts to be told something more than once - just around time eight or ten I grow weary. Good stuff, though. Time not wasted.

1/30: So far I'm moving thr...more
Matthew Dodson
Jun 17, 2008 Matthew Dodson rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those who detest fear
Fareed Zakaria's new book, "The Post-American World," shines a bright light on the hand-wringing and defeatist lies about the state of America that are used by neo-conservatives and anti-globalist leftists to support their radical positions by infusing Americans with fear. Indeed, Mr. Zakaria decisively shows that America is the sole ideological superpower in a world that has wholesale adopted our culture and economic values. We are now witnessing a global transformation that is the result of th...more
Raghu
This is an important and optimistic book about America and its future. While it is fashionable now to predict gloom about America's future as an economic and political power and over emphasise the rise of China and other powers, Zakaria brings a balance thru his analysis and says that there is no need to push the panic button. On the contrary, he shows the many positives about America as well as the world today. For example, in spite of the terrorism and violence, he shows that the past 20 years...more
Tim Weakley
I am always a little hesitant to read books about current political events because they are so easily partisan. I think the author has avoided this trap for the most part with The Post American World. He delivers a broad look at what is happening outside of the western sphere of influance that makes me want to learn more, specifically about China and India and the political climate of today. I don't think this is an anti-American work. I think it's done with an attitude of enlightenment for the...more
Rob Haas
This book is probably the most timely book on world economics and political dynamics that you can find. It updates a lot of old statistics and misconceptions all while leaving a really nice taste in your mouth for whats to come. I would recommend this book to everyone who wants to know what's behind the goings-on in the world. Despite the title Zakaria continues to remind the reader that America still plays a vital role in the world and where the United States is able to have the largest impact....more
Regina
This book as been on my reading list for a long time but it was moved to the top a few weeks ago when a distant relation of mine sent one of those hate/chain emails with a picture of President Obama holding a copy of the book. The message read:

"THIS WILL CURDLE YOUR BLOOD AND CURL YOUR HAIR! The name of the book that Obama is reading called: The Post American World, and it was written by a fellow Muslim. "Post" America means the World After America! Please forward this picture to everyone you k...more
Jorge Bazan
Simply a good insight of the upcoming international system ahead of us, i recommend it to anyone interested in knowing why the USA should not fear the rise of countries like Russia, China and India today.
Chris
A very timely read. Can't tell where this revision differs all that much from the earlier book. Given the latest debacle of our government over the debt ceiling and the subsequent downgrade of our credit rating by S&P, this book is quite prescient in talking about the failure of our political system. Zakaria compares and contrasts America and Great Britain as superpowers. While Britains's decline was due to economic weakness, they were able to stall it for 70 years due to superior diplomacy...more
Honor
Nov 27, 2008 Honor rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those interested in economics, politics, history, sociology, etc., academics & infohounds.
First, as a good faith disclaimer, let me say that I tend to love this kind of book. Any book that provides a cup running over with information and data is sure to win my heart early on, and as editor of international editions of Newsweek, Mr. Fareed Zakaria certainly has access to the kind of fact-feed and data sources that make me go all warm and mushy inside... And he shares nicely. :-)

Second, for those who's sense of patriotism might be goosed by the title, let me offer the explanatory quote...more
Tripp
Fareed Zakaria's new book, the Post-American World is a book I hope both presidential candidates read. It is a brief book that tells Americans we need to re-think our view of the world. We need to jettison the idea of the world's policeman and hyperpower and replace it with the world's trusted third party. In this his says we need to be less Britain than Bismarck, which I rather like. We need to de-emphasize military power and re-consider economic competitiveness. We need to spend less time worr...more
Nat
Dec 29, 2008 Nat rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: terry burger
Another book by a journalist. Zakaria give you something you don't expect from the title of the book. You might expect it to be simple America-bashing. In fact, it is a gentle warning with suggestions as to how America can continue to be a major player as economic and other power shifts globally in the 21st century. A well-thought-out and well-written book. A must read for anyone interested in the future role that American can play on the global landscape.
Keith
I like Zakaria a lot. We both share a middle-of-the road liberalism when it comes to domestic fiscal issues and international affairs. But, this book is him reeeeally wanting to bend you into his thesis. He gives you a lot of really compelling facts, but I didn't come away 100% compelled. Fareed seems to ignore too many complexities happening outside of (and with) the Rise of the Rest.
Mahlon
Feb 27, 2010 Mahlon rated it 4 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone interested in current events.
Recommended to Mahlon by: Donna Krasnow, Pat Mcananey
Contrary to what one might think, The Post-American World isn't about the decline of America, rather it's about the rise of the rest of the world, specifically India and China, and how the U.S. should react to it on a policy level. The author is surprisingly optimistic that America can keep pace. Of course, the book was published in May 2008, one wonders if he'd still be as optimistic given the current state of our economy.

The book can become tedious at times, especially if you've read any of F...more
Laura
I loved this book! It helps that I read Zakaria's columns in Newsweek all the time and really like his global outlook and the openness and collaboration amongst nations that he promotes. It was also an interesting read - not boring or stuffy like what we had to read in college. I studied both India and China briefly in college, taking poli sci, history, and globalization courses but it was nice to get a 5 year update :)

Whether you'd like to brush up on the current state of world affairs - in pa...more
Dylan
He defends the book's basic thesis really well, which isn't hard to do. He does a great job with his discussion of history's many narratives, and the placing of America's current situation in historical context. My problem with the book is how drastically Zakaria overvalues GDP and productivity as the value of a country. He never seems to question the construct of world powers, and tends to value countries too much on their global power and too little on how their citizenship is faring. As Jonat...more
Frank
I liked what I read in the beginning and felt it would be a good read for certain politicians in Washington to understand a world perspective that goes beyond a very limited American perspective. With that said, I was also surprised and happy that this was not a "blame America" or "bad America" book. I was impressed by Zakaria's ability and fairness to point out the good and the bad of what America means to and has done for the world (culture). On the down side, after having read several other b...more
Don Weidinger
the rise of everyone else, 15% poverty from 40% in 1981, ngo growth vs govt, 3.2% income growth worldwide 02-07, terrorism has impact if one reacts terrorized only, econ trump politics, Japan growth 9% over 23 years, econ poli tech, hyperinflation precursor to revolution of middle class, 400literUS vs 40liter poor, where you set affects what you see, repeat movie news industries, economic reform leads to political at middle income status, attractive ideas, path to power thru markets not empires,...more
Louise
After years of political, economic and cultural dominance of the US, other nations are emerging in what Zakaria calls "the rise of the rest". It is not, he says that the US is declining; it is that the others are growing. While he talks of several measures of a country (culture, rule of law, institutions) the yardstick he clearly favors is its ability to consume.

Zakaria speaks of British power at Queen Victoria's 60th Jubilee and how less than 20 years later Europe had a whole new landscape. He...more
Marc
An examination from an American from away. It seems that America is too close for most born there to examine critically. Just take a look at the 5-6% of readers that didn't like it for a sense of how lost they are.

The author is clear that he doesn't see America in decline, but rather facing stiffer competition due to the "rise of the rest." Imagine that. It's not a controversial thesis, or for that matter all that insightful. But Zakaria does provide a lot of context that I hadn't seen before (e...more
Ian Robertson
An outstanding book on America’s role in the world today, and its likely role in the future. Zakaria writes with a lucidity of thought and clarity of style uncommon in any field, let alone the politically charged subject of today’s geopolitics.

As editor-at-large of Time Magazine, Zakaria has had both an exceptional perch from which to watch global events and ready access to the major players. A naturalized US citizen, he was born and raised in India, arriving in the US for his postsecondary edu...more
Tami
I love learning about our country as well as others and how we all can learn from one another. So many parts of this book were just way over my head but for those of you who understand economics, politics and global strategies, this is the book for you. I would need to read it over and over to understand it fully.
I must say that I was fascinated about the section on Chinese culture and how long before Christopher Columbus the Chinese had the biggest, fastest Naval fleet around, then BAM, it was...more
Jia
From the title and sound of the author’s name and yes, from reading my blog you might have the impression that this is the story of the imperial disintegration of the United States written by an embittered, America-hating foreigner.

Neither assumption is true. Fareed Zakaria is unabashedly pro-American and believes most of America’s fundamentals are sound. The book itself isn’t about America’s absolute decline, but what he refers to as the “rise of the rest.” Because China, India and other nation...more
Marieme
The Post-American World

By Fareed Zakaria
Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc. 336pp.
ISBN-13: 9780393334807

"This is not a book about the decline of America, but rather about the rise of everyone else."

For many decades now, America has been a Super Power in the political and economic world. In The Post-American World, Fareed Zakaria talks about the economic trends and the shifts that are soon to come. He talks about crisis and collapse, the decline of the dollar, and relationships between different co...more
Ben Zajdel
Fareed Zakaria takes stock of the present and the future in his book The Post-American World. Zakaria chronicles the decline of Western influence, and America's role in the world to come. There are some who have painted this book as sensationalist and others have called it anti-American. The former obviously didn't grasp the concept of the book and the latter definitely didn't read it.

The first few chapters of the book deal with the affluence of America and the culture that has been created wit...more
D Books
This was not an easy read for me, but I felt that I needed to read this book. I wanted an "outside looking in" perspective on America's place in the future and I think Mr. Zakaria hit right on target. It appears that the researched material in this book is well layed out and leads the reader to take a thought provoking journey. The journey down a road that is sure to lead the reader to believe that at the end of this journey America will be in a different economic and poliitical position then wh...more
BHodges
"This is not a book about the decline of America, but rather about the rise of everyone else," Zakaria notes at the outset of "The Post-American World." The rest of the book discusses how the United States is dealing with this rise. Thus, the book is brief and thoughtful overview of the political place of the United States in the world. The "rise of the rest" indicates how other countries continue to advance economically and technologically, thus taking up more space on the political map. The up...more
Ari
Superior food for thought laid out in a concise manner. "The task for today is to construct a new approach for a new era, one that responds to a global system in which power is far more diffuse than ever before and in which everyone feels empowered." (pg. 231) EVERYONE FEELS EMPOWERED. To me that is key. Reading about the hypocriscy and arrogance of American diplomats made my blood boil. But it's not all bad, there is hope and I think (although I'm biased) with President Obama's focus on soft po...more
Karen
Fareed Zakarias is well-known now to American television audiences, but it is important to remember what a breakthrough broadcasting success he was when he started his international affairs show. For most of us Americans he was the most prominent Muslim-American we had ever seen on television. Indeed, friends have suggested he could be our first Muslim-American Secretary of State. I appreciated that his was the first Sunday talk show to consistently, week-after-week, bring an international panel...more
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The Post-American World (Paperback)
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The Post-American World: Release 2.0 (Hardcover)
The Post-American World: Release 2.0 (Hardcover)
Post-American World and the Rise of the Rest (Paperback)

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Fareed Zakaria was named editor of Newsweek International in October 2000, overseeing all Newsweek's editions abroad. The magazine reaches an audience of 24 million worldwide. He writes a regular column for Newsweek, which also appears in Newsweek International and fortnightly in the Washington Post. He also hosts an international affairs program, Fareed Zakaria GPS, which airs Sundays worldwide o...more
More about Fareed Zakaria...
The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad From Wealth to Power: The Unusual Origins of America's World Role The Post-American World 2.0 Democracy Amerikago No Sekai

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“We have not noticed how fast the rest has risen. Most of the industrialized world--and a good part of the nonindustrialized world as well--has better cell phone service than the United States. Broadband is faster and cheaper across the industrial world, from Canada to France to Japan, and the United States now stands sixteenth in the world in broadband penetration per capita. Americans are constantly told by their politicians that the only thing we have to learn from other countries' health care systems is to be thankful for ours. Most Americans ignore the fact that a third of the country's public schools are totally dysfunctional (because their children go to the other two-thirds). The American litigation system is now routinely referred to as a huge cost to doing business, but no one dares propose any reform of it. Our mortgage deduction for housing costs a staggering $80 billion a year, and we are told it is crucial to support home ownership, except that Margaret Thatcher eliminated it in Britain, and yet that country has the same rate of home ownership as the United States. We rarely look around and notice other options and alternatives, convinced that "we're number one.” 23 people liked it
“...foreign policy is a matter of costs and benefits, not theology.” 11 people liked it
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