The Post-American World 2.0

By: Fareed Zakaria

Narrated by: Fareed Zakaria

Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Here is the New York Times and international best seller, revised and expanded with a new afterword. This is the essential update of Fareed Zakaria's analysis about America and its shifting position in world affairs.

The Post-American World pointed to the rise of the rest - the growth of countries China, India, Brazil, and others - as the great story of our time, the story that will undoubtedly shape the future of global power. Since its publication, the trends Zakaria identified have proceeded faster than anyone could have anticipated. The 2008 financial crisis turned the world upside down, stalling the United States and other advanced economies. Meanwhile, emerging markets have surged ahead, coupling their economic growth with pride, nationalism, and a determination to shape their own future.

In this new edition, Zakaria makes sense of this rapidly changing landscape. With his customary lucidity, insight, and imagination, he 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.

The great challenge for Britain was economic decline. The challenge for America now is political decline, for as others have grown in importance, the central role of the United States, especially in the ascendant emerging markets, has already begun to shrink. As Zakaria eloquently argues, Washington needs to begin a serious transformation of its global strategy, moving from its traditional role of dominating hegemon to that of a more pragmatic, honest broker. It must seek to share power, create coalitions, build legitimacy, and define the global agenda - all formidable tasks.

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. America stands at a crossroads. In a new global era in which the United States no longer dominates the worldwide economy, orchestrates geopolitics, or overwhelms cultures, can the nation continue to thrive?

©2008 Fareed Zakaria (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Good thinking material

Fareed Zakaria is an excellent story teller and this is no exception. This book gives a great overview of the multitude of issues facing the USA and the rest of the western world. It's an easy listen and great to stimulate thought.

Post-American = multi-polar

Chapters don't match audiobook track numbers. Bothered me only slightly and not enough to downgrade my rating.

Enjoyed the narration by the author. Fareed Zakaria GPS is the only Sunday morning news show I watch regularly, and I liked Zakaria's In Defense of a Liberal Education. I like a more global perspective. This book certainly provided that, and I appreciated the deep dive on India.

As an American, I was surprised this book actually made me feel more optimistic about America's place in the world and its future. Didn't expect that from a book entitled The Post-American World. I've found Zakaria is typically level-headed and optimistic. This book isn't so much about America's decline but about "the rise of the rest" - developing countries like India, China, Japan, etc.

I found this book intelligent, articulate, and relevant if not slightly outdated. I believe the updated material was added in 2016. Zakaria has a worldly, liberal-leaning point of view, but I wouldn't say his arguments are in any way unfair. Didn't rate five stars because I can't say how well this book will age. Also, I would have been interested in a deeper dive on Brazil.

A great historian... worth listening to

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This author is an incredible historian with remarkable insight. I already recommend his news articles to friends.

What other book might you compare The Post-American World 2.0 to and why?

Other Zakaria books.

What does Fareed Zakaria bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He is the author. His own voice adds meaning to the words.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

Just more information on my changing world.

Zakaria thought provoking and dead on as always!

Great points made through the book and provides a insight globally that is lacking. Fareed is Great! This book is being played out now.

An Eye-Opening Global Perspective

This book really opened my eyes to the lay of the land in terms of the macroeconomic picture and where America stands in the modern geopolitical picture. "The rise of the rest" is the overwhelming theme of this book, as the title suggests. As Zakaria suggests, America can act with prudence and wisdom on this stage it has helped to build, or it can react compulsively, like a petulant child... The trends documented here ten years ago are even more noticeable in the Trump Age.

S/B req reading for every man, woman and child...

One of the best books I have have ever heard or read - ah-ha's and paradigm shifts galore await you.

Must Read!

Zakaria's analysis of the challenges of the modern world and changing international relations are excellent, well-researched and moderate with an emphasis on practicality. His arguments are always rooted in historical fact and are unbeholden to any singular philosophy. I have a degree in International Relations and Global Business and find that this book is an excellent summary of the global trends that many Americans are losing sleep about.

He provides recommendations for American policy to avoid going the path of the British at the turn of the last century. A must-read for anybody with an interest in American politics, economics or foreign policy.

Finally we have an accurate, well-researched, and intellectually honest description of America's predicament and our best course of action moving into the new century of the "Rise of the Rest."

Stark look at a world in change

What did you love best about The Post-American World 2.0?

No holds barred look at the future of America's influence in the world.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

The fragile nature of America's future as an economic super power.

Book was shaped to present his view alone

Zakaria presents a lot of information, but does not always connect the dots. There is a number of areas throughout the book in which a leap of faith is required to connect the presented facts and his suggested outcome. His political analysis is spot on, as is his analysis of the motivations of other governments. However, his demographics analysis is factually correct for data to date, but he fails to extrapolate on those trends and account for it in his analysis.

Overall, I did like the book, and thought he presented a number of reasoned arguments, but was disappointed by his selective skirting of issues that might challenge his desired outcome.

To some degree, I felt like the content of the book was shaped to present his outcome alone.

Too much truth?

Would you listen to The Post-American World 2.0 again? Why?

This was a fantastic learning experience from the very start. I learned more about the world than I ever thought I would from a book I thought was mostly about economics!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Post-American World 2.0?

Knowledge about the 13th and 14th century world was really surprising.

What about Fareed Zakaria’s performance did you like?

He as a nice voice and does not exagerate or impose his oppinions on the facts. Check most of the things that I have believed to be different and found his research to be 100% correct.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Shock at why so much of world history is was left out of my American version!

Any additional comments?

Everyone should read this book just to find out what other countries were and are really doing, not the Fox News versions we hear every day.