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The Post-American World  By  cover art

The Post-American World

By: Fareed Zakaria
Narrated by: Fareed Zakaria
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Publisher's summary

For Fareed Zakaria, the great story of our times is not the decline of America but rather the rise of everyone else - the growth of countries such as China, India, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Kenya, and many, many more.

This economic growth is generating a new global landscape where power is shifting and wealth and innovation are bubbling up in unexpected places. It's also producing political confidence and national pride. As these trends continue, the push of globalization will increasingly be joined by the pull of nationalism - a tension that is likely to define the next decades.

With his customary lucidity, insight, and imagination, Zakaria 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".

Washington must begin a serious transformation of global strategy and seek to share power, create coalitions, build legitimacy, and define the global agenda. 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. But all that is changing now. The future we face is the post-American world.

©2008 Fareed Zakaria (P)2008 Simon and Schuster, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

"A definitive handbook for political and business leaders who want to succeed in a global era." (Walter Isaacson, author of Einstein: His Life and Universe)

What listeners say about The Post-American World

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Fareed Zakaria puts it into prospective

Would you consider the audio edition of The Post-American World to be better than the print version?

In some ways, yes, because Fareed's unique voice leads to making the information more interesting.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The indepth analysis of Fareed's positions and insight into Geopolitical changes.

What about Fareed Zakaria’s performance did you like?

Everything. It was an amazing reading of his book. His voice lends to an easy-to-follow and authoritative lecture.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

interesting read

Any additional comments?

this was a thoughtful and relatively objective book. the title can be a bit misleading. the book is not at all about the downfall of america, but instead about the cultural and economic elements that have contributed to successful societies over the years, the extent to which these elements exist in different modern societies. he talks about the merits of the free market and globalization and their positive impacts on societies throughout history, and perhaps most interestingly, compares the evolution of india, china, the uk, and the united states. this is all an overly simplistic summary, but in the end i'd say that zakaria gives a good overview of the past and relates it to current developments in the state of international affairs. perhaps most importantly, it was fairly non-partisan, except for zakaria's obvious preference for free-market-based western economies and political systems. there will always be room for disagreement, but zakaria maintained a calm and respectful tone throughout.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Lite but Good

Since I don't watch much TV, I didn't know the author was a newscaster. However, it was pretty good, even if it's the sort of thing that slips into your head and then out again.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Author/Narrator Voice is Very Boring

His monotone Indian accent make paying attention very difficult. I regret buying this on audiobook; should have got it in hardback.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

not what i expected

I do not usually read books in this genre, but i was asked to read this for a class and i must say i enjoyed it completely. This is a thought provoking look into what the U.S. needs to do in order to remain relevant in the new world. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the future. I do not usually follow politics, but this book has inspired me to be more aware of current events.

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  • Overall
    out of 5 stars

Fareed at his best

Fareed at his best

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Getting to Hear Fareed

Marvelous "story" ... better than anything one could make up. Just how it is in the world, just how everyone strives.

I learned a great deal and got to hear Fareed at the same time! THANKS for the book and the communication.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Impressive

Fareed brings us a well researched and reasoned view into the future.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting perspective but a little dated

Fans of Thomas Friedman will recognize many concepts. The author pulls in new ideas. Based on recent political and financial upheavals the book is a little dated but worth a listen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Good background on USA's future

I liked the stage-setting that this book offered for the world ahead of us Americans. It was great to read/listen to this book, then read "Crash Proof" and "The Little Book ..." (both by Peter Schiff). Scary stuff for future generations, including my retirement years!

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