Best Selling Books by Fareed Zakaria

What turns rich nations into great powers? How do wealthy countries begin extending their influence abroad? These questions are vital to understanding one of the most important sources of instability in international politics: the emergence of a new power. In From Wealth to Power, Fareed Zakaria seeks to answer these questions by examining the most puzzling case of a rising power in modern history--that of the United States. If rich nations routinely become great powers, Zakaria asks, then how do we explain the strange inactivity of the United States in the late nineteenth century? By 1885, the U.S. was the richest country in the world. And yet, by all military, political, and diplomatic measures, it was a minor power. To explain this discrepancy, Zakaria considers a wide variety of cases between 1865 and 1908 when the U.S. considered expanding its influence in such diverse places as Canada, the Dominican Republic, and Iceland. Consistent with the realist theory of international relations, he argues that the President and his administration tried to increase the country''s political influence abroad when they saw an increase in the nation''s relative economic power. But they frequently had to curtail their plans for expansion, he shows, because they lacked a strong central government that could harness that economic power for the purposes of foreign policy. America was an unusual power--a strong nation with a weak state. It was not until late in the century, when power shifted from states to the federal government and from the legislative to the executive branch, that leaders in Washington could mobilize the nation''s resources for international influence. Zakaria''s exploration of this tension between national power and state structure will change how we view the emergence of new powers and deepen our understanding of America''s exceptional history.

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A Wall Street Journal Best Book of 2024 The CNN host and best-selling author explores the revolutions—past and present—that define the polarized and unstable age in which we live. Populist rage, ideological fracture, economic and technological shocks, war, and an international system studded with catastrophic risk—the early decades of the twenty-first century may be the most revolutionary period in modern history. But it is not the first. Humans have lived, and thrived, through more than one great realignment. What are these revolutions, and how can they help us to understand our fraught world? In this major work, Fareed Zakaria masterfully investigates the eras and movements that have shaken norms while shaping the modern world. Three such periods hold profound lessons for today. First, in the seventeenth-century Netherlands, a fascinating series of transformations made that tiny land the richest in the world—and created politics as we know it today. Next, the French Revolution, an explosive era that devoured its ideological children and left a bloody legacy that haunts us today. Finally, the mother of all revolutions, the Industrial Revolution, which catapulted Great Britain and the US to global dominance and created the modern world. Alongside these paradigm-shifting historical events, Zakaria probes four present-day revolutions: globalization, technology, identity, and geopolitics. For all their benefits, the globalization and technology revolutions have produced profound disruptions and pervasive anxiety and our identity. And increasingly, identity is the battlefield on which the twenty-first century’s polarized politics are fought. All this is set against a geopolitical revolution as great as the one that catapulted the United States to world power in the late nineteenth century. Now we are entering a world in which the US is no longer the dominant power. As we find ourselves at the nexus of four seismic revolutions, we can easily imagine a dark future. But Zakaria proves that pessimism is premature. If we act wisely, the liberal international order can be revived and populism relegated to the ash heap of history. As few public intellectuals can, Zakaria combines intellectual range, deep historical insight, and uncanny prescience to once again reframe and illuminate our turbulent present. His bold, compelling arguments make this book essential reading in our age of revolutions.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “A relentlessly intelligent book.” —Joseph Joffe, New York Times Book Review “This is not a book about the decline of America, but rather about the rise of everyone else.” So begins Fareed Zakaria’s blockbuster on the United States in the twenty-first century, and the trends he identifies have proceeded faster than anyone anticipated. How might the nation continue to thrive in a truly global era? In this fully updated 2.0 edition, Zakaria answers these questions with his customary lucidity, insight, and imagination.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER CNN host and best-selling author Fareed Zakaria argues for a renewed commitment to the world’s most valuable educational tradition. The liberal arts are under attack. The governors of Florida, Texas, and North Carolina have all pledged that they will not spend taxpayer money subsidizing the liberal arts, and they seem to have an unlikely ally in President Obama. While at a General Electric plant in early 2014, Obama remarked, "I promise you, folks can make a lot more, potentially, with skilled manufacturing or the trades than they might with an art history degree." These messages are hitting home: majors like English and history, once very popular and highly respected, are in steep decline. "I get it," writes Fareed Zakaria, recalling the atmosphere in India where he grew up, which was even more obsessed with getting a skills-based education. However, the CNN host and best-selling author explains why this widely held view is mistaken and shortsighted. Zakaria eloquently expounds on the virtues of a liberal arts education—how to write clearly, how to express yourself convincingly, and how to think analytically. He turns our leaders'' vocational argument on its head. American routine manufacturing jobs continue to get automated or outsourced, and specific vocational knowledge is often outdated within a few years. Engineering is a great profession, but key value-added skills you will also need are creativity, lateral thinking, design, communication, storytelling, and, more than anything, the ability to continually learn and enjoy learning—precisely the gifts of a liberal education. Zakaria argues that technology is transforming education, opening up access to the best courses and classes in a vast variety of subjects for millions around the world. We are at the dawn of the greatest expansion of the idea of a liberal education in human history.

"The ''Future of freedom'' is a modern classic that uses historical analysis to shed light on the present, examining how democracy has changed our politics, economics, and social relations"--Back cover.

New York Times Bestseller COVID-19 is speeding up history, but how? What is the shape of the world to come? Lenin once said, "There are decades when nothing happens and weeks when decades happen." This is one of those times when history has sped up. CNN host and best-selling author Fareed Zakaria helps readers to understand the nature of a post-pandemic world: the political, social, technological, and economic consequences that may take years to unfold. Written in the form of ten "lessons," covering topics from natural and biological risks to the rise of "digital life" to an emerging bipolar world order, Zakaria helps readers to begin thinking beyond the immediate effects of COVID-19. Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World speaks to past, present, and future, and, while urgent and timely, is sure to become an enduring reflection on life in the early twenty-first century.

The twentieth semi-annual Munk Debate pits Niall Ferguson against Fareed Zakaria to debate the end of the liberal international order. Since the end of World War II, global affairs have been shaped by the increasing free movement of people and goods, international rules setting, and a broad appreciation of the mutual benefits of a more interdependent world. Together these factors defined the liberal international order and sustained an era of rising global prosperity and declining international conflict. But now, for the first time in a generation, the pillars of liberal internationalism are being shaken to their core by the reassertion of national borders, national interests, and nationalist politics across the globe. Can liberal internationalism survive these challenges and remain the defining rules-based system of the future? Or, are we witnessing the beginning of the end of the liberal international order? The twentieth semi-annual Munk Debate, held on April 28th, 2017, pits prominent historian Niall Ferguson against CNN’s Fareed Zakaria to debate the future of liberal internationalism.

The fourteenth semi-annual Munk Debate, which will be held in Toronto on November 5, 2014, pits Bret Stephens and Robert Kagan against Fareed Zakaria and Anne-Marie Slaughter to debate the legacy of President Obama. From Ukraine to the Middle East to China, the United States is redefining its role in international affairs. Alliance building, public diplomacy, and eschewing traditional warfare in favour of the focused use of hard power such as drones and special forces are all hallmarks of the so-called Obama Doctrine. Is this a farsighted foreign policy for the United States and the world in the twenty-first century — one that acknowledges and embraces the increasing diffusion of power among states and non-state actors? Or, is an America “leading from behind” a boon for the nations and blocs who want to roll back economic globalization, international law, and the spread of democracy and human rights? In this edition of the Munk Debates, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Bret Stephens and famed historian and foreign policy commentator Robert Kagan square off against CNN’s Fareed Zakaria and noted academic and political commentator Anne-Marie Slaughter to debate the legacy of President Obama. With ISIS looking to reshape the Middle East, Russia increasingly at odds with the rest of the West, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at a standstill, the Munk Debate on Foreign Policy asks: Has Obama’s foreign policy taken the U.S. in the right direction?

With tensions between Iran, Israel, and Western powers reaching new highs over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear enrichment program, the tenth edition of the Munk Debates investigates how the world should respond to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. For some, the case for a pre-emptive strike on Iran is ironclad. An Iranian bomb would flood the volatile Middle East with nuclear weapons and trap Israel in a state of perilous insecurity — along with much of the world’s oil supply. Others argue that a nuclear Iran could be the very stabilizing force that the region needs, as the threat of nuclear war makes conventional conflicts more risky. These same voices also ask: can the West and Israel afford to attack Iran when doing so could roll back the Arab Spring and re-entrench reactionary forces throughout the Middle East? In this edition of the Munk Debates — Canada’s premier international debate series — former Israel Defense Forces head of military intelligence Amos Yadlin, Pulitzer Prize–winning political commentator Charles Krauthammer, CNN host Fareed Zakaria, and Iranian-born academic Vali Nasr debate the consequences of a nuclear-armed Iran. For the first time ever, this electrifying debate, which played to a sold-out audience, is now available in print, along with candid interviews with the debaters. With tempers flaring between governments, the world’s oil supply in peril, and global security at risk, the Munk Debate on Iran tries to answer: Can the world tolerate an Iran with nuclear weapons?

Is it time to reaffirm our liberal values? Or are we seeing the birth-pangs of a new era? Two great thinkers debate the question burning behind headlines across the world. ‘No civilization, no matter how mighty it may appear to itself, is indestructible.’ –Niall Ferguson ‘We do not need to invent the world anew. The international order established by the United States after World War II is in need of expansion and repair, but not reconception.’ –Fareed Zakaria Fears of a globalized world are rampant. Across the West, borders are being reasserted and old alliances tested to their limits. Could this be the end of the liberal order or will the major crises of the twenty-first century strengthen our resolve?

Lenin dijo una vez: «Hay décadas en las que no pasa nada y semanas en las que pasan décadas». Este es uno de esos momentos en los que la historia se ha acelerado. En estos momentos el Covid-19 ha reducido nuestros horizontes y cada día nuestros movimientos están siendo restringidos. A medida que los gobiernos hacen intentos contradictorios por controlar su reputación y el virus, se hace más evidente una creciente sensación de desunión global. Sin embargo, Fareed Zakaria sostiene que el legado de esta pandemia será la conectividad. La carrera por el 5G, la economía global digital y la pérdida de la hegemonía de Estados Unidos son grandes transformaciones que se han acelerado por el coronavirus y cambiarán drásticamente nuestras comunidades e instituciones, nuestros valores y prioridades personales. En Diez lecciones para el mundo de la postpandemia, Fareed Zakaria ayuda a los lectores a comprender la naturaleza del mundo tras la pandemia del Covid-19 así como las consecuencias políticas, sociales, tecnológicas y económicas que pueden tardar años en manifestarse. Combinando el análisis histórico con reflexiones personales sobre la vida social y la soledad, Zakaria trata de comprender cómo hemos llegado hasta aquí y expone un posible retrato del futuro. A través de breves capítulos, el autor presenta 10 lecciones para salir de la pandemia de la mejor manera posible. Entre ellas propone aprender a equilibrar el dinamismo económico con la preparación para futuros desastres; centrarse menos en el tamaño del gobierno que en su calidad; admitir que los gobiernos tienen un papel importante en la regulación de los mercados; renovar nuestro respeto por los expertos, y reducir la desigualdad en todo el mundo. Tomando ejemplos de la última pandemia mundial, la gripe española, así como de incidentes de la Guerra Fría y la Crisis Financiera Global, Zakaria ayuda a los lectores a comenzar a pensar más allá de los efectos inmediatos de Covid-19. Diez lecciones para el mundo de la postpandemia habla del pasado, el presente y el futuro y, si bien es un libro urgente y oportuno, seguramente se convertirá en una reflexión duradera sobre la vida a principios del siglo XXI.

Il virus, per il momento, ha ridotto drasticamente i nostri orizzonti. Ogni giorno i nostri movimenti sono limitati. Lavoriamo da casa, dobbiamo mantenere la distanza dagli altri, siamo separati da amici e famigliari. Per la prima volta facciamo esperienza della solitudine. È difficile guardare al futuro in un momento nel quale la nostra sicurezza economica, le libertà personali e la nostra salute sono precarie come non lo erano mai state. E c’è un senso crescente di disgregazione globale. Fareed Zakaria è una delle grandi voci del giornalismo americano. Nell’anno in cui la democrazia statunitense è stata in bilico, in tempo reale Zakaria ha costruito una mappa del nostro futuro, perché una cosa è sicura: è già cominciato. Il Covid-19 non ha stravolto il mondo che conosciamo, piuttosto sta accelerando processi che già erano in atto. Le contraddizioni si spalancano, le soluzioni da perseguire diventano più chiare. L’eredità della pandemia sarà dolorosa, turbolenta e tutt’altro che uniforme tra i diversi Paesi. Siamo già entrati in un mondo nuovo, ma è un mondo più difficile da ordinare di quello che conosciamo, soprattutto se vogliamo renderlo più giusto. Abbiamo bisogno di liberarci dei dogmi del neoliberismo sfrenato, che hanno impoverito lo stato sociale e ci hanno fatto trovare impreparati di fronte alla calamità della pandemia. D’altra parte, oggi siamo tutti più connessi. La corsa al 5G, l’economia digitale globale, l’autorità decrescente degli Stati Uniti: queste trasformazioni sono state accelerate dal coronavirus e sono destinate a portare una rivoluzione nella nostra vita in comune e nelle istituzioni, nei nostri valori, nei nostri desideri e nelle nostre priorità personali – probabilmente per sempre. Un’analisi che tiene assieme la politica, l’economia e la tecnologia per costruire una visione di questo futuro, che già oggi è la nostra nuova realtà.

Com prosa instigante, o autor best-seller e apresentador da CNN Fareed Zakaria oferece uma reflexão atemporal sobre a vida no início do século XXI Estamos, sem sombra de dúvida, vivendo uma versão acelerada do mundo que conhecemos. Desde a queda do Muro de Berlim, o planeta sofreu três grandes abalos — o Onze de Setembro, o colapso financeiro de 2008 e agora a pandemia provocada pelo novo coronavírus — que, embora pareçam distintos em quase tudo, têm algo em comum: são choques assimétricos. Começaram com consequências de menor magnitude, mas passaram a enviar ondas sísmicas pelo mundo inteiro. Ao longo de dez lições, o apresentador da CNN e autor best-seller Fareed Zakaria convida o leitor a compreender melhor a natureza de um mundo pós-pandemia: as consequências políticas, sociais, tecnológicas e econômicas que em outras circunstâncias levariam anos para ocorrer. Abordando assuntos que vão dos riscos naturais e biológicos ao crescimento da “vida digital”, passando pela nova ordem mundial dividida entre Estados Unidos e China, Zakaria leva o leitor a refletir para além dos efeitos imediatos da Covid-19. Descobrimos em primeira mão o que parecia impossível: como é vivenciar uma pandemia. A questão agora é entender o que virá pela frente.

Autor do best-seller Dez lições para o mundo pós-pandemia explora as revoluções — passadas e atuais — que definem a era polarizada e instável em que vivemos Fúria populista, fratura ideológica, impactos econômicos e tecnológicos, guerras e um sistema internacional repleto de riscos catastróficos — as primeiras décadas do século XXI podem ser consideradas o período mais revolucionário da história moderna. Mas não é o primeiro. Os seres humanos já passaram por alguns realinhamentos — e prosperaram. O que são essas revoluções e como elas podem nos auxiliar a compreender o nosso mundo em constante ebulição? Nesta grandiosa obra, Fareed Zakaria investiga as eras e os movimentos que abalaram normas e moldaram o mundo contemporâneo. Três desses períodos contêm lições profundas para os dias atuais: nos Países Baixos do século XVII, uma série de fascinantes transformações tornou o país de pequenas proporções o mais rico do mundo e criou a política como a conhecemos; no século XVIII, a Revolução Francesa destruiu seus filhos ideológicos e deixou um legado sangrento que nos assombra até hoje; e a mãe de todas as revoluções, a Revolução Industrial, catapultou a Grã-Bretanha e os Estados Unidos para o domínio global, instituindo o mundo moderno. À luz dessas históricas mudanças de paradigma, Zakaria analisa então quatro revoluções atuais: globalização, tecnologia, identidade e geopolítica. Apesar de todos os benefícios, a globalização e os avanços tecnológicos produziram grandes perturbações e uma ansiedade generalizada sobre o que se entendia por identidade — e a identidade é o campo de batalha em que se travam as políticas polarizadas deste século. Tudo isso ocorre no contexto de uma revolução geopolítica, tão profunda quanto a que alçou os Estados Unidos à potência mundial no fim do século XIX. Combinando alcance intelectual, uma visão histórica consistente e uma presciência extraordinária, Zakaria revela que, embora estejamos no meio de quatro revoluções sísmicas, o pessimismo é prematuro. Se agirmos com sensatez, a ordem internacional liberal poderá ser renovada e o populismo, relegado ao amontoado de cinzas da história.