Recommended: The Post-America World

As in his previous book The Future of Freedom (see reading list under 2003), Fareed Zakaria gives a brilliant analysis of a difficult and complex subject, America’s place in the emerging 21st century world. He argues that, despite so many books to the contrary, America is not doing worse these days, it’s just that the rest of the word (or at least some of it) is doing better, and that requires that we adjust our policies to the new reality. Two detailed chapters discuss in particular the rising influence of China and India, and how we should relate to them. In general he feels that most American institutions are working well, better in fact than in most of the rest of the world. The one prominent exception is our do-nothing political system, mired in ideological trench warfare between the two parties, and frozen into inaction by myriad interest groups and well-funded private business agendas. Well worth reading. (see the reading list on the sidebar for ISBN number)