false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173479832m/295894.jpg 295894 2 <p><b>In a little over two centuries, America has grown from a regional power to a superpower, and to what is today called a hyperpower. But can America retain its position as the world&#8217;s dominant power, or has it already begun to decline?<br></b><br>Historians have debated the rise and fall of empires for centuries. To date, however, no one has studied the far rarer phenomenon of hyperpowers&#8212;those few societies that amassed such extraordinary military and economic might that they essentially dominated the world.<br>Now, in this sweeping history of globally dominant empires, bestselling author Amy Chua explains how hyperpowers rise and why they fall. In a series of brilliantly focused chapters, Chua examines history&#8217;s hyperpowers&#8212;Persia, Rome, Tang China, the Mongols, the Dutch, the British, and the United States&#8212;and reveals the reasons behind their success, as well as the roots of their ultimate demise.<br>Chua&#8217;s unprecedented study reveals a fascinating historical pattern. For all their differences, she argues, every one of these world-dominant powers was, at least by the standards of its time, extraordinarily pluralistic and tolerant. Each one succeeded by harnessing the skills and energies of individuals from very different backgrounds, and by attracting and exploiting highly talented groups that were excluded in other societies. Thus Rome allowed Africans, Spaniards, and Gauls alike to rise to the highest echelons of power, while the &#8220;barbarian&#8221; Mongols conquered their vast domains only because they practiced an ethnic and religious tolerance unheard of in their time. In contrast, <br><br>Nazi Germany and imperial Japan, while wielding great power, failed to attain global dominance as a direct result of their racial and religious intolerance.<br>But Chua also uncovers a great historical irony: in virtually every instance, multicultural tolerance eventually sowed the seeds of decline, and diversity became a liability, triggering conflict, hatred, and violence.<br>The United States is the quintessential example of a power that rose to global dominance through tolerance and diversity. The secret to America&#8217;s success has always been its unsurpassed ability to attract enterprising immigrants. Today, however, concerns about outsourcing and uncontrolled illegal immigration are producing a backlash against our tradition of cultural openness. Has America finally reached a &#8220;tipping point&#8221;? Have we gone too far in the direction of diversity and tolerance to maintain cohesion and unity? Will we be overtaken by rising powers like China, the EU or even India?<br>Chua shows why American power may have already exceeded its limits and why it may be in our interest to retreat from our go-it-alone approach and promote a new multilateralism in both domestic and foreign affairs.</p> 287118 30 10 2007 Day of Empire: How Hyperpowers Rise to Global Dominance--and Why They Fall total:73|5:18|4:36|3:14|2:5|1:0| 73 286 162 17 4 1 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Wed Jan 09 19:44:35 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 15 15:33:07 -0800 2008 ...more...]]> 4 1 false false Sat Feb 23 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 01 18:51:51 -0800 2008 Sun Mar 23 18:57:17 -0700 2008
I saw this writer on CSpan Book TV in January, and was fascinated by her ideas about empire, particularly since I had just returned from my ...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Nov 25 13:59:17 -0800 2008 Tue Nov 25 14:13:23 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed May 07 06:46:43 -0700 2008 Wed May 07 07:21:15 -0700 2008
Almost everyone agrees by now that the United States currently wields an enormous amount o...more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Jan 07 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Apr 22 11:29:48 -0700 2008 Fri Jan 09 09:59:17 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 01 08:06:52 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 23 10:27:15 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Jul 22 15:25:20 -0700 2008 Thu Oct 23 08:14:39 -0700 2008 hyperpowers, empires or nations whose supremacy in the world is unchallenged for a time, rise and fall as a factor of their inclusiveness. If they value and invite the contributions that can be made by those who fall under their sway, they will pro...more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu May 22 17:27:39 -0700 2008 Thu May 22 17:32:14 -0700 2008
Mrs. Chua shows through many examples what happens to nations as they ...more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Oct 13 06:49:39 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 13 06:49:51 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Thu Feb 05 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 26 08:30:50 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 05 07:01:31 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Mar 14 15:28:08 -0700 2008 Fri Mar 14 15:36:35 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Jun 19 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun May 18 14:41:29 -0700 2008 Sun May 18 14:41:36 -0700 2008
On the down side, she does at times seem to belabor the point,
she will win no prize...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Mon Dec 24 08:24:18 -0800 2007 Mon Dec 24 08:25:52 -0800 2007 3 0 false false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Sep 07 14:39:00 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 09 18:51:22 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Mon Aug 25 10:31:11 -0700 2008 Mon Aug 25 10:32:44 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Sun Feb 03 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Apr 10 20:21:29 -0700 2008 Thu Apr 10 20:23:59 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Sat Nov 15 07:45:34 -0800 2008 Sat Nov 15 08:41:20 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Thu Nov 12 12:11:13 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 12 12:11:13 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Wed Oct 07 16:05:26 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 07 16:05:26 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Fri Oct 02 22:17:55 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 02 22:17:55 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=295894