Synopses & Reviews
and#147;A world in which the leading liberal-democratic nation does not assume its role as world policeman will become a world in which dictatorships contend, or unite, to fill the breach. Americans seeking a return to an isolationist garden of Edenand#151;alone and undisturbed in the world, knowing neither good nor eviland#151;will soon find themselves living within shooting range of global pandemonium.and#8221;and#151;From the Introduction
In a brilliant book that will elevate foreign policy in the national conversation, Pulitzer Prizeand#150;winning columnist Bret Stephens makes a powerful case for American intervention abroad.
In December 2011 the last American soldier left Iraq. and#147;Weand#8217;re leaving behind a sovereign, stable, and self-reliant Iraq,and#8221; boasted President Obama. He was proved devastatingly wrong less than three years later as jihadists seized the Iraqi city of Mosul. The event cast another dark shadow over the future of global orderand#151;a shadow, which, Bret Stephens argues, we ignore at our peril.
America in Retreat identifies a profound crisis on the global horizon. As Americans seek to withdraw from the world to tend to domestic problems, Americaand#8217;s adversaries spy opportunity. Vladimir Putinand#8217;s ambitions to restore the glory of the czarist empire go effectively unchecked, as do Chinaand#8217;s attempts to expand its maritime claims in the South China Sea, as do Iranand#8217;s efforts to develop nuclear capabilities. Civil war in Syria displaces millions throughout the Middle East while turbocharging the forces of radical Islam. Long-time allies such as Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, doubting the credibility of American security guarantees, are tempted to freelance their foreign policy, irrespective of U.S. interests.
Deploying his characteristic stylistic flair and intellectual prowess, Stephens argues for American reengagement abroad. He explains how military intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan was the right course of action, foolishly executed. He traces the intellectual continuity between anti-interventionist statesmen such as Henry Wallace and Robert Taft in the late 1940s and Barack Obama and Rand Paul today. And he makes an unapologetic case for Pax Americana, and#147;a world in which English is the default language of business, diplomacy, tourism, and technology; in which markets are global, capital is mobile, and trade is increasingly free; in which values of openness and tolerance are, when not the norm, often the aspiration.and#8221;
In a terrifying chapter imagining the world of 2019, Stephens shows what could lie in store if Americans continue on their current course. Yet we are not doomed to this future. Stephens makes a passionate rejoinder to those who argue that America is in decline, a process that is often beyond the reach of political cures. Instead, we are in retreatand#151;the result of faulty, but reversible, policy choices. By embracing its historic responsibility as the worldand#8217;s policeman, America can safeguard not only greater peace in the world but also greater prosperity at home.
At once lively and sobering, America in Retreat offers trenchant analysis of the gravest threat to global order, from a rising star of political commentary.and#160;
Review
"Many scholars have begun to analyze state capitalism. One of the clearest and most comprehensive treatments is The End of the Free Market by Ian Bremmer."
-David Brooks, New York Times
"Mr. Bremmer... provides a wide-ranging account of the rise of state capitalism and he litters his prose with apposite examples and acute insights. Nobody with a serious interest in the current dilemma should pass it by."
-The Economist
"Brilliant and indispensible. One of the preeminent political analysts of our time with the must-read book for how politics and global markets are converging at our peril."
-Nouriel Roubini, Chairman of Roubini Global Economics
"From the stories of deadly rioting at a Chinese factory to the Russian prime minister's grocery shopping to the construction site of an entirely new Saudi city, this is a fascinating story with a timely and important message: American- style free-market democracy might not be the wave of the future."
- Fareed Zakaria, editor, Newsweek International; author of The Post- American World
"The End of the Free Market is both fresh and provocative. It illuminates the subtle, yet powerful, geopolitical and economic undercurrents that must be understood by all of us."
- Greg Brown, CEO of Motorola
"Ian Bremmer's understanding of international commerce and politics is peerless. The End of the Free Market holds essential insights for anyone conducting business on the global level."
- Sallie Krawcheck, President, global wealth and investment management, Bank of America
"A powerful analysis of the new emerging world order by an author who is always full of insights."
- George Osborne, MP, shadow chancellor of the Exchequer
"Ian Bremmer's book couldn't have come at a better time. An essential guide to the future of the world economy, The End of the Free Market describes the coming war for the soul of capitalism. It offers useful insights for investors, business leaders, and anyone interested in how to survive this coming global confrontation."
- David Smick, Global policy strategist and author of The World Is Curved: Hidden Dangers to the Global Economy
Review
“Global political economy has no sharper or more prescient analyst than Ian Bremmer.”—Lawrence Summers
Review
“Global political economy has no sharper or more prescient analyst than Ian Bremmer.”
—Lawrence Summers
“Ian Bremmer combines shrewd analysis with colorful storytelling to reveal the risks and opportunities in a world without leadership. This is a fascinating and important book.”
—Fareed Zakaria, author of The Post-American World
“Required reading for anyone interested in the current state and near-term future of global affairs.”
—Muhtar Kent, chairman and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company
“Every Nation for Itself is a provocative and important book about what comes next. Ian Bremmer has again turned conventional wisdom on its head.”
—Nouriel Roubini, chairman, Roubini Global Economics
Review
"A fast-paced and apocalyptic look at the financial future, taking in financiers' greed, central banks' incompetence and impending Armageddon for the dollar...Rickards may be right that 'the system is going wobbly.'"
and#8212;The Financial Times
The Death of Money makes a valuable contribution to our economic discourse."
and#8212;Forbes
"James Rickards' The Death of Money is ... making it a veritable golden age for smart books on the current state of the global economy."and#160;
and#8212;Politico
and#8220;A terrifically interesting and useful book . . . fascinating.and#8221;
and#8212;KENNETH W. DAMand#160;former deputy secretary of theand#160;Treasury and adviser to three presidents
and#8220;The Death of Money contains very big, provocative ideas clearly explained andand#160;delivered in an evenhanded tone that steers away from the sensational proclamationand#160;yet successfully undercuts conventional market wisdom. Rickardsand#8217;sand#160;insight enables him to connect the dots in a way that few others can. A worthyand#160;successor to Currency Wars.and#8221;
and#8212;JOHN HATHAWAYand#160;portfolio manager, Tocqueville Gold Fund
and#8220;The Death of Money is an engrossing account of the massive stresses accumulatingand#160;in the global financial system, especially since the 2008 financial crisis. Jimand#160;Rickards is a natural teacher. Any serious student of financial crises and theirand#160;root causes needs to read this book.and#8221;
and#8212;JOHN H. MAKIN, PH.D.and#160;resident scholar, American Enterpriseand#160;Institute; former chief economist, Caxton Associates
and#8220;A crucial primer for investors and consumers for what lies immediately aheadand#160;for the United States and a world that remains entirely dependent upon the dollar.and#160;The Death of Money is an important new book for those who worry about theand#160;future of our country.and#8221;
and#8212;R. CHRISTOPHER WHALENand#160;noted bank analyst; author of Inflated
and#8220;Rickardsand#8217;s analysis of the inflation-deflation paradox, dangerous adversaries toand#160;the dollar, and the Fedand#8217;s strategy is insightful. Following his bestseller Currencyand#160;Wars, this book is even better. A great book makes you think differently aboutand#160;the worldand#8212;and this one does just that.and#8221;
and#8212;DON YOUNGand#160;twenty-five-time Institutionaland#160;Investor All-Star Analyst; former board member,and#160;Financial Accounting Standards Board
Review
and#8220;This book is the
Wall Street Journal columnist at his best: substantive, historically informed, and with the kind of cutting style that helped him earn his Pulitzer Prize two years ago.and#8221;
and#8212;The Weekly Standard
"With a command of American history, a mastery of big foreign policy ideas, and a supple grasp of the conundrums of current events, Stephens shows that the dichotomy between domestic and international responsibilities is facile. For the worldand#8217;s sole superpower, international affairs inevitably impinge on our economy and our security. Defending our principles abroad advances our interests at home.and#8221;
and#8212;PETER BERKOWITZ, RealClearPolitics
and#8220;Given the U.S.and#8217;s recently renewed commitments in the Middle East, Stephensand#8217;s clear, convincing apologia for American power will make especially timely reading for American foreign policyand#8217;s skeptics and opponents.and#8221;
and#8212;Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
and#8220;A provocative, carefully reasoned argument, anathema to politicians as disparate as Barack Obama and Rand Paul.and#8221;
and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
and#8220;Although you can read the 288 pages of this well-researched, well-written, and passionately argued book over a weekend, its message will stay with you for years . . . . [Stephens] arguesand#8212;with impeccable logic, a dizzying array of well-sourced quotations, and reliable statisticsand#8212;that if the United States continues to retreat from its position as the worldand#8217;s policeman, disaster will strike both the world and the United States sooner rather than later.and#8221;
and#8212;ANDREW ROBERTS, Commentary magazine
and#8220;Wise counsel for a constructive, tough-minded, and sensible foreign policy. Read and learn.and#8221; and#8212;GEORGE SHULTZ, U.S. Secretary of State, 1982and#8211;1989
and#8220;At a time when the president of the United States explicitly renounces the role of and#8216;global policemanand#8217; and a remarkable proportion of Americansand#8212;conservatives and liberals alikeand#8212;seem irresistibly drawn to isolationism in all but name, Bret Stephens has written a shrewd, sharp, and shamelessly unfashionable defense of American power as a force for good in the world. He makes it clear why now, even more than in the past, the supposed benefits of Uncle Samand#8217;s retreat will swiftly be eclipsed by the very real costs of advancing terrorism and authoritarianism.and#8221; and#8212;NIALL FERGUSON, Laurence A. Tisch Professor, Harvard University; author of The Great Degeneration and Civilization
and#8220;Bret Stephens has produced a powerful and exceptionally literate rebuttal of Americaand#8217;s neoisolationists and a practical prescription for Americaand#8217;s reemergence as the worldand#8217;s essential good cop, maintaining global order without seeking to remake the world in our own image. Americans ignore his message at their own peril.and#8221; and#8212;KAREN ELLIOTT HOUSE, Pulitzer Prizeand#8211;winning reporter, editor, and publisher; author of On Saudi Arabia
and#8220;Bret Stephens takes on the urgent question of Americaand#8217;s role in the world at a time of crises and upheavals. Writing trenchantly, he argues that the United States is drifting into a dangerous and#8216;retreat doctrine.and#8217; The result will be global disorder from which the United States will not escape. While engaging seriously with the arguments of those with whom he disagrees, Stephens also depicts a frighteningly realistic scenario of such disorder just five years hence. America in Retreat will stir vigorous debateand#8212;and stimulate sober thought.and#8221; and#8212;DANIEL YERGIN, author of The Quest and the Pulitzer Prizeand#8211;winning The Prize
and#8220;Bret Stephens has the guts to make the caseand#8212;and make it brilliantlyand#8212;for why Americans need America to be the worldand#8217;s policeman (or at least the worldand#8217;s police chief when we can get allies to join our force). This book is worth buying even if you read only chapter 9 in which Stephens foresees the chilling disorder in the world if America does not reassert its global leadership. That should be effective shock treatment for the isolationists in both parties as we think about the world we want to leave our children and grandchildren.and#8221; and#8212;JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, U.S. senator from Connecticut, 1989and#8211;2013
Review
Praise for Ian Bremmer's
The End of the Free Market:
“A fascinating book.” —The Wall Street Journal
“[A] well-crafted, thought-provoking book.” —The New York Times
Synopsis
Understanding the rise of state capitalism and its threat to global free markets The End of the Free Market details the growing phenomenon of state capitalism, a system in which governments drive local economies through ownership of market-dominant companies and large pools of excess capital, using them for political gain. This trend threatens America's competitive edge and the conduct of free markets everywhere.
An expert on the intersection of economics and politics, Ian Bremmer has followed the rise of state-owned firms in China, Russia, the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, Iran, Venezuela, and elsewhere. He demonstrates the growing challenge that state capitalism will pose for the entire global economy.
Among the questions addressed: Are we on the brink of a new kind of Cold War, one that pits competing economic systems in a battle for dominance? Can free market countries compete with state capitalist powerhouses over relations with countries that have elements of both systems-like India, Brazil, and Mexico? Does state capitalism have staying power?
This guide to the next big global economic trend includes useful insights for investors, business leaders, policymakers, and anyone who wants to understand important emerging changes in international politics and the global economy.
Synopsis
This work details the growing phenomenon of state capitalism, a system in which governments drive local economies through ownership of market-dominant companies. This trend threatens America's competitive edge and the conduct of free markets everywhere.
Synopsis
"An essential guide to the future of the world economy." -David Smick, author of The World is Curved
A number of authoritarian governments, drawn to the economic power of capitalism but wary of uncontrolled free markets, have invented something new: state capitalism. In this system, governments use markets to create wealth that can be directed as political officials see fit.
As an expert on the intersection between economics and politics, Ian Bremmer is uniquely qualified to illustrate the rise of state capitalism and its long-term threat to the global economy. The main characters in this story are the men who rule China, Russia, and the Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf, but their successes are attracting imitators across much of the developing world.
This guide to the next big trend includes useful insights for investors, business leaders, policymakers, and anyone else who wants to understand major emerging changes in international politics and the global economy.
Synopsis
andquot;An essential guide to the future of the world economy.andquot; -David Smick, author of The World is Curved
A number of authoritarian governments, drawn to the economic power of capitalism but wary of uncontrolled free markets, have invented something new: state capitalism. In this system, governments use markets to create wealth that can be directed as political officials see fit.
As an expert on the intersection between economics and politics, Ian Bremmer is uniquely qualified to illustrate the rise of state capitalism and its long-term threat to the global economy. The main characters in this story are the men who rule China, Russia, and the Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf, but their successes are attracting imitators across much of the developing world.
This guide to the next big trend includes useful insights for investors, business leaders, policymakers, and anyone else who wants to understand major emerging changes in international politics and the global economy.
Synopsis
If the worst threatened—a rogue nuclear state with a horrible surprise, a global health crisis, the collapse of financial institutions from New York to Shanghai and Mumbai—where would the world look for leadership? For the first time in seven decades, there is no single power or alliance of powers ready to take on the challenges of global leadership. A generation ago, the United States, Europe, and Japan were the world’s powerhouses, the free-market democracies that propelled the global economy forward. Today, they struggle just to find their footing. Acclaimed geopolitical analyst Ian Bremmer argues that the world is facing a leadership vacuum. The diverse political and economic values of the G20 have produced global gridlock. Now that so many challenges transcend borders—from the stability of the global economy and climate change to cyber-attacks, terrorism, and the security of food and water—the need for international cooperation has never been greater. Every Nation for Itself offers essential insights for anyone attempting to navigate the new global playing field.
Synopsis
G-Zero \JEE-ZEER-oh\ n A world order in which no single country or durable alliance of countries can meet the challenges of global leadership. What happens when the G20 doesnt work and the G7 is history.
If the worst threateneda rogue nuclear state, a major health crisis, the collapse of the global financial systemwhere would the world look for leadership?
For the first time in seven decades, there is no single power or alliance of powers ready to take on the challenges of global leadership. A generation ago, the United States, Europe, and Japan were the worlds powerhouses, the free-market democracies that propelled the global economy forward. But today, they struggle just to find their footing.
Acclaimed geopolitical analyst Ian Bremmer argues that this leadership vacuum is here to stay, as power is regionalized instead of globalized. Now that so many challenges transcend bordersfrom the stability of the global economy and climate change to cyber-attacks and terrorismthe need for international cooperation has never been greater.
Synopsis
The sequel to national bestseller Currency Wars predicts the next collapse of theand#160;monetary system and shows investors how to survive it The international monetary system collapsed three times in the past hundred yearsand#151;in 1914, 1939, and 1971and#151;and the next collapse is already in sight. This time the dollar wonand#8217;t save us. In fact, the dollar itself will be the cause of the crisis.
Central bankers and the head of the IMF candidly admit that monetary policy is in unchartered waters. The world is witnessing no less than a global money experiment. Savers, investors, and everyday citizens are the guinea pigs in the central bankersand#8217; laboratory.
Bestselling author James Rickards explains why money and wealth have now become separated. Money is transitory, ephemeral, and may soon be worthless if central bankers continue on their current path. Wealth is permanent, tangible, and has real value worldwide. Gold, fine art, and land are forms of wealth. Investors who convert paper money into real wealth will survive the coming monetary maelstrom. But those who do not will lose what they have.
Rickards illuminates the death of money unfolding before our eyes, and helps readers prepare before itand#8217;s too late.
and#147; Unsettling . . . fascinating . . . a thorough analysis of how nations have manipulated their currencies . . . with disastrous consequences.and#8221; and#151;and#160;Fort Worth Star-Telegram
and#147; One of the scariest books Iand#8217;ve read this year . . . The picture that emerges is dark yet comprehensive and satisfying.and#8221; and#151;and#160;Bloomberg BusinessWeek
and#147;One of the most urgent books of the fall.and#8221; and#151; Politico
Synopsis
and#147;The next financial collapse will resembleand#160;nothing in history. . . . Deciding uponand#160;the best course to follow will requireand#160;comprehending a minefield of risks, whileand#160;poised at a crossroads, pondering theand#160;death of the dollar.and#8221; The international monetary system has collapsed threeand#160;times in the past hundred years, in 1914, 1939, and 1971.and#160;Each collapse was followed by a period of tumult: war,and#160;civil unrest, or significant damage to the stability of theand#160;global economy. Now James Rickards, the acclaimedand#160;author of Currency Wars, shows why another collapseand#160;is rapidly approachingand#151;and why this time, nothing lessand#160;than the institution of money itself is at risk.
The American dollar has been the global reserveand#160;currency since the end of the Second World War. If theand#160;dollar fails, the entire international monetary system willand#160;fail with it. No other currency has the deep, liquid poolsand#160;of assets needed to do the job.
Optimists have always said, in essence, that thereand#8217;sand#160;nothing to worry aboutand#151;that confidence in the dollarand#160;will never truly be shaken, no matter how high ourand#160;national debt or how dysfunctional our government. Butand#160;in the last few years, the risks have become too big toand#160;ignore. While Washington is gridlocked and unable toand#160;make progress on our long-term problems, our biggestand#160;economic competitorsand#151;China, Russia, and the oilproducingand#160;nations of the Middle Eastand#151;are doing everythingand#160;possible to end U.S. monetary hegemony. Theand#160;potential results: Financial warfare. Deflation. Hyperinflation.and#160;Market collapse. Chaos.
Rickards offers a bracing analysis of these andand#160;other threats to the dollar. The fundamental problem isand#160;that money and wealth have become more and moreand#160;detached. Money is transitory and ephemeral, and it mayand#160;soon be worthless if central bankers and politicians continueand#160;on their current path. But true wealth is permanentand#160;and tangible, and it has real value worldwide.
The author shows how everyday citizens who saveand#160;and invest have become guinea pigs in the centraland#160;bankersand#8217; laboratory. The worldand#8217;s major financial playersand#151;national governments, big banks, multilateraland#160;institutionsand#151;will always muddle through by patchingand#160;together new rules of the
game. The real victims of theand#160;next crisis will be small investors who assumed that whatand#160;worked for decades will keep working.
Fortunately, itand#8217;s not too late to prepare for the comingand#160;death of money. Rickards explains the power ofand#160;converting unreliable money into real wealth: gold, land,and#160;fine art, and other long-term stores of value. As he writes:and#160;and#147;The coming collapse of the dollar and the internationaland#160;monetary system is entirely foreseeable. . . . Only nationsand#160;and individuals who make provision today will surviveand#160;the maelstrom to come.and#8221;
Synopsis
From the bestselling author of The End of the Free Market, the story of three provocative choices facing the worlds sole superpower.
Global policy expert Ian Bremmer calls for a complete rethink of Americas role in tomorrows world. In an increasingly volatile international environment, the question has never been more important. Bremmer explores three choices, each with its own benefits and drawbacks:
Independent America” argues that its time for Washington to declare independence from the responsibility to solve everyone elses problems. Instead, America should lead by example by investing in Americas enormous untapped potential.
Moneyball America” acknowledges that we cant manage every international challenge but asserts that we must defend U.S. interests wherever theyre threatened. It looks beyond phony arguments about American exceptionalism with a clear-eyed assessment of U.S. strengths and limitations.
Indispensable America” insists that only Washington can promote the values on which global stability increasingly depends in our hyper-connected world. Turning inward would threaten Americas security and prosperity.
Bremmer makes his best pitch for each scenario, offers his own conclusions, and challenges the reader to choose.
About the Author
JAMES RICKARDS is the author of the national bestsellerand#160;
Currency Wars, which has been translated intoand#160;eight languages and won raves from the likes of theand#160;
Financial Times, Bloomberg, and
Politico. He is a portfolioand#160;manager at West Shore Group and an adviser onand#160;international economics and financial threats to theand#160;Department of Defense and the U.S. intelligence community.and#160;He served as facilitator of the first-ever financialand#160;war games conducted by the Pentagon. He lives in Connecticut.
Follow @JamesGRickards.