An invaluable primer from Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, that will help experts and non-experts alike navigate our fast-changing world
Today's headlines generate more questions than answers. Should the United States attack North Korea and Iran or negotiate with them? How real is climate change and what should be done about it? Are tariffs a good idea? What do we owe refugees and others who want to enter our country? Should democratic countries promote democracy and human rights elsewhere? What can be done to stop terrorism? Are the United States and China heading for a second cold war and, if so, what are the consequences?
The World is designed to provide readers with the essential background and building blocks needed to answer these and other critical questions for themselves. It will empower them to manage the flood of daily news. Readers will become more informed, discerning citizens, better able to arrive at sound, independent judgments and to hold elected representatives to account. Those who read The World will be less vulnerable to being misled by politicians and others claiming to be experts.
In short, this book will make readers more globally literate. Global literacy knowing how the world works--is a must, as what goes on outside a country matters enormously to what happens inside. Although the United States is bordered by two oceans, those oceans are not moats. And the so-called Vegas rule what happens there stays there does not apply in today's globalized world to anyone anywhere. U.S. foreign policy is uniquely American, but the world Americans seek to shape is not.
The tectonic plates of international relations are moving. This is a critical time to understand what is taking place around the world, why it is taking place, and how it will affect our lives. Toward these ends, The World focuses on essential history, what makes each region of the world tick, the many challenges globalization presents, and the most influential countries, events, and ideas. Explaining complex ideas with wisdom and clarity, Richard Haass's The World is an evergreen book that will remain relevant and useful even as history continues to unfold.
Industry Reviews
"This book is a superb introduction to the world and global issues. Richard Haass has been able to write something that is brief, readable and yet comprehensive - marked throughout by his trademark intelligence and common sense."
Fareed Zakaria
"Condensing so much complexity into a lucid 400 pages is no small accomplishment."
The New York Times
"This is the book that explains how the world really works, how it is changing, and why it matters. Just what every citizen and student needs to read."
Madeleine Albright
"This terrific work delivers completely on its promise to provide readers with a basic understanding of the world. It is hard to imagine anyone more suited for this ambitious task than Richard Haass. His narrative flair, depth of experience, and wide-ranging knowledge sparkle on every page."
Doris Kearns Goodwin
"Richard Haass has just reinvented the primer--something for everyone to read this summer. High school students, undergrads, grads in all disciplines and a few people in the nation's capital will benefit."
Rachel Kyte, Dean The Fletcher School, Tufts University
"An essential book just what the world needs now to put things in perspective."
Ray Dalio
"Richard Haass explains the world to us in a thoughtful, comprehensive and accessible way. At a time when our world is changing faster than ever and becoming more interconnected and complex it has never been more important to be globally literate. Our future depends on it."
Arne Duncan
