The Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate

In "The Importance of Being Earnest," Oscar Wilde's very upright English aristocrat Lady Bracknell says something like " I hate arguments; they are so often convincing."

Well, this book is a convincing and not-altogether-welcome argument, but an important and sobering one nevertheless. Using rock-solid evidence from lots of sources (modern and historical), Robert Kaplan tells us why we shouldn't dismiss geography as a determiner of politics simply because technology has made the world so "small". Our assumption that the whole world would be democratic if it just had the chance and the right example has tripped the US (and others) up most recently in Afghanistan and Iraq. The overturn of oppressive governments in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and potentially Syria may not be turning out the way we thought/hoped they would either.

So, woe to those who don't know or heed the lessons of history and the enormous influence that geography has always had on the peoples of the world! I suppose this should be self-evident, but it wasn't made clear in the history classes I took.

Many of the theories of geopolitical history and warfare are quite detailed and scholarly and will be more than some readers wish to explore. The lessons, though, seem to me to be essential in understanding not only the past but in preparing for the future.

These truths may be unpalatable and frightening for those of us who believe that, at heart, all human beings basically think alike and want the same things. I suspect Kaplan's more realistic and more cautionary view of the world is correct, and we should all hear about it.

I was often uncomfortable listening to this, but I recommend it highly for those who want a clear-eyed view of what may be coming in the future!

I was initially very excited to listen to the book because of my interest in the subject. However, the first part of the book is like listening to someone reading a textbook aloud. 80 Percent of the first part of the download is a historical framing of the subject. This was, frankly, tedious (in large part due to the narration). I was twice tempted to just delete the book from my IPOD, but decided to continue. Finally, the book started to deliver on its premise and presented several insightful vistas of the future.

I generally do not like to post negative reviews, however, unless you are a die-hard devotee of the subject you may want to pass this one over.

In an age of globalism, free-trade, and instantaneous mass media and social media, Mr Kaplan presents a well researched overview of how geography still impacts world events. All of the major hot spots are addressed: Europe, Iran, the Middle East including Syria, Russia and the former Soviet Union Republics, North and South Korea, and China and Southeast Asia.

The author presents the case that geography, man-made artificial boundaries, and ethnic strife will still determine political outcomes now and into the foreseeable future. Interesting listen, although a little dense at times. The rat-a-tat style employed by the narrator can be a little disconcerting at times. Overall, very informative.

I was so interested in this story, but I couldn't get past the first fifteen minutes. The narration is awful.

Absolutely not. There is a huge difference between a comma and a full stop. It was like listening to William Shatner read poetry.

There is a huge difference between a comma and a full stop. It was like listening to William Shatner read poetry.

I'll have to let you know after I check it out and read it myself.

I can only think of a very select few who'd be interested in this material.

Learning modern military national strategy

It could have been more lively

I think another review I read on this book nailed it. The book was slow to pick up, the first half was pretty boring and read like a dry text book, but after that it got more interesting.

Learning about why Russia, Turkey, China and some other nations did X, or what some of China's actions say about it, or the importance of Mexico was really interesting. Long detailed summaries of academics was... dry..

Yes, I would recommend it to a friend. The author is a very educated man who has traveled far and wide. His life experiences are a huge bonus in understanding geographic hotspots and the reasons behind the conflicts.

The author shares many stories of his world wide journies to help the listener understand the different areas. It is very helpful for a fuller understanding of the situation.

I especially enjoyed the overview of China and the Middle East. It is helpful to know some geography before listening to this book.

A very thorough overview of potential conflicts in both the near term and long term.

It is a fascinating history of the importance of geography in shaping world events.

no

No.

Wrote it better.

I would give it a try.

Only bored.

This sounds like it could be a good book....it's not. I gave it two hours then downloaded another book. Thank you audible for your return policy!