This Brave New World

India, China and the United States

By: Anja Manuel

Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley

Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

In the next decade and a half, China and India will become two of the world's indispensable powers - whether they rise peacefully or not. During that time Asia will surpass the combined strength of North America and Europe in economic might, population size, and military spending. Both India and China will have vetoes over many international decisions, from climate change to global trade, human rights, and business standards.

From her front-row view of this shift, first at the State Department and now as an advisor to American business leaders, Anja Manuel escorts us on an intimate tour of the corridors of power in Delhi and Beijing. Her encounters with political and business leaders reveal how each country's history and politics influences their conduct today. Through vibrant stories, she reveals how each country is working to surmount enormous challenges.

We wring our hands about China, Manuel writes, while we underestimate India, which will be the most important country outside the West to shape China's rise. Manuel shows us that a different path is possible - we can bring China and India along as partners rather than alienating one or both, and extend our own leadership in the world.

©2016 Anja Manuel (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A thoughtful analysis of this Asian contest and a strategy for keeping it from turning violent. As a co-founder of a consultancy formed by Condoleezza Rice, Stephen Hadley and Robert Gates, [Manuel] enjoys access to top policy figures, and much of what is new in the book comes from her conversations with senior officials in China and India. Ms. Manuel highlights the mounting dissatisfaction with corruption among the upper and middle classes of both countries." ( Wall Street Journal)

Informative book on US, China & India relationship

Fascinating discussion on the rise of India and China and the way the two countries are intertwined with America. I'm not a student. I'm just curious about international relations and I found it
written where I could understand and form an opinion.

Balanced, Informative, Actionable

This book covers both historical and contemporary matters concerning both countries, and even makes modest and informed predictions of what matters will affect both India and China in the near future. This is neither alarmist nor defensive in the discussion of each country and does have suggestions to how America might move forward in the upcoming years. The listener should keep in mind that this book was released in 2016. Some (a very small number) of the expectations in the book may be realized by now, delayed, or changed. But that is par for the course when it comes to the ever shifting world of global politics. Overall, these are issues we are still waiting to see or have not been resolved to this day in 2022.

Good book, could be better

The book is quite good discussing historical perspectives, current opportunities and threats, etc. it does a good job of explaining the current situation in India and China as well as perceptions within those countries. The solutions offered are rather simplistic - "cooperate", "collaborate", "patiently nudge", "quiet dialogue" etc. I do not think it is possible to gently nudge powerful countries. This may work with smaller countries.

Narration is mediocre. It appears like the narrated hadn't read the book before and had a rather surprised tone in many sections as she read it. She also got most of the pronunciation of difficult Indian and Chinese names woefully wrong. As a narrator, I'd assume she would have looked this up prior to reading.

Overall it is a good book to understand the current situation and opportunities, but rather weak when it comes to actual solutions.

A Great Read.

This book has thought me many thing which I did not knew before but it has its flaws as well. For example, the terrorist attacks in India took place in November of 2008 but the book indicates that they took place in 2009 which is wrong. Also, I strongly felt that there was much more to cover than the book actually did. In my opinion, the author emphasized a lot on India and China as compared with United States. However, I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. I gave three (3) to the performance because it was difficult to understand the narrator which is also listed by a number of other reviewers.