NewYorkTimesBestsellerAninvaluableprimerfromRichardHaass,presidentoftheCouncilonForeignRelations,thatwillhelpanyone,expertandnon-expertalike,navigateatimeinwhichmanyofourbiggestchallengescomefromtheworldbeyondourborders.Likeitornot,weliveinaglobalera,inwhichwhathappensthousandsofmilesawayhastheabilitytoaffectourlives.Thistime,itisaCoronavirusknownasCovid-19,whichoriginatedinaChinesecitymanyhadneverheardofbuthasspreadtothecornersoftheearth.Nexttimeitcouldwellbeanotherinfectiousdiseasefromsomewhereelse.TwentyyearsagoitwasagroupofterroriststrainedinAfghanistanandarmedwithbox-cutterswhocommandeeredfourairplanesandflewthemintobuildings(andinonecaseafield)andclaimednearlythreethousandlives.Nexttimeitcouldbeterroristswhouseatruckbomborgainaccesstoaweaponofmassdestruction.In2016hackersinanondescriptofficebuildinginRussiatraveledvirtuallyincyberspacetomanipulateAmerica’selections.Nowtheyhaveburrowedintoourpoliticallife.Inrecentyears,severehurricanesandlargefireslinkedtoclimatechangehaveravagedpartsoftheearth;inthefuturewecananticipateevenmoreseriousnaturaldisasters.In2008,itwasaglobalfinancialcrisiscausedbymortgage-backedsecuritiesinAmerica,butonedayitcouldwellbeafinancialcontagionoriginatinginEurope,Asia,orAfrica.Thisisthenewnormalofthe21stcentury.TheWorldisdesignedtoprovidereadersofanyageandexperiencewiththeessentialbackgroundandbuildingblockstheyneedtomakesenseofthiscomplicatedandinterconnectedworld.Itwillempowerthemtomanagethefloodofdailynews.Readerswillbecomemoreinformed,discerningcitizens,betterabletoarriveatsound,independentjudgments.Whileitisimpossibletopredictwhatthenextcrisiswillbeorwhereitwilloriginate,thosewhoreadTheWorldwillhavewhattheyneedtounderstanditsbasicsandtheprincipalchoicesforhowtorespond.Inshort,thisbookwillmakereadersmoregloballyliterateandputtheminapositiontomakesenseofthisera.Globalliteracy--knowinghowtheworldworks--isamust,aswhatgoesonoutsideacountrymattersenormouslytowhathappensinside.AlthoughtheUnitedStatesisborderedbytwooceans,thoseoceansarenotmoats.Andtheso-calledVegasrule--whathappenstherestaysthere--doesnotapplyintoday’sworldtoanyoneanywhere.U.S.foreignpolicyisuniquelyAmerican,buttheworldAmericansseektoshapeisnot.Globalizationcanbebothgoodandbad,butitisnotsomethingthatindividualsorcountriescanoptoutof.Evenifwewanttoignoretheworld,itwillnotignoreus.Thechoicewefaceishowtorespond.Weareconnectedtothisworldinallsortsofways.Weneedtobetterunderstandit,bothitspromiseanditsthreats,inordertomakeinformedchoices,beitasstudents,citizens,voters,parents,employees,orinvestors.Tohelpreadersdojustthat,TheWorldfocusesonessentialhistory,whatmakeseachregionoftheworldtick,themanychallengesglobalizationpresents,andthemostinfluentialcountries,events,andideas.Explainingcomplexideaswithwisdomandclarity,RichardHaass’sTheWorldisanevergreenbookthatwillremainrelevantandusefulashistorycontinuestounfold.
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