15 Books recommended by Fareed Zakaria
Fareed Rafiq Zakaria is an Indian-American journalist, political commentator, and author. He is the host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS and writes a weekly paid column for The Washington Post.
Fareed Zakaria
Book Recommendations
Democracy and Dictatorship in Europe
Democracy and Dictatorship in Europe
Sheri Berman
DemocracyAt the end of the twentieth century, many believed the story of european political development had come to an end. modern democracy began in europe, but for hundreds of years it competed with various forms of dictatorship. now, though, the entire continent was in the democratic camp for the first time in history. but within a decade, this story had already begun to unravel. some of the continent's newer democracies slid back towards dictatorship, while citizens in many of its older democracies began questioning democracy's functioning and even its legitimacy.in
“This is a superb historical study of the forces that produce democracy and threaten its survival.”
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The American Story
The American Story
David M. Rubenstein
HistoryIn these lively dialogues, the biggest names in american history explore the subjects they’ve come to so intimately know and understand. — on john adams — on thomas jefferson — on alexander hamilton — on benjamin franklin — on abraham lincoln — on charles lindbergh — on martin luther king — on lyndon b. johnson — on richard nixon — through his popular program the david rubenstein show, david rubenstein has established himself as one of our most thoughtful interviewers. now, in the american story, david captures the brilliance of
“It is superbly done, making for a rich wide-ranging discussion of American history...one that is very easy to read and reread”
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The Great Reversal
The Great Reversal
Thomas Philippon
Business & EconomicsWhy are cell-phone plans so much more expensive in the united states than in europe? it seems a simple question. but the search for an answer took thomas philippon on an unexpected journey through some of the most complex and hotly debated issues in modern economics. ultimately he reached his surprising conclusion: american markets, once a model for the world, are giving up on healthy competition. sector after economic sector is more concentrated than it was twenty years ago, dominated by fewer and bigger players who lobby politicians aggressively to
“This is the most important book on economics I've read in a while”
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The Hundred-Year Marathon
The Hundred-Year Marathon
Michael Pillsbury
Political ScienceFor more than forty years, the united states has played an indispensable role helping the chinese government build a booming economy, develop its scientific and military capabilities, and take its place on the world stage, in the belief that china's rise will bring us cooperation, diplomacy, and free trade. but what if the "china dream" is to replace us, just as america replaced the british empire, without firing a shot?based on interviews with chinese defectors and newly declassified, previously undisclosed national security documents, the hundred-year marathon reveals china's secret strategy
“I very much advocate people read it because it's a very thoughtful book about what China might -- you know, what Chinese intentions are in this longer term. ”
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The Professor and the Madman
The Professor and the Madman
Simon Winchester
Biography & AutobiographyThe professor and the madman, masterfully researched and eloquently written, is an extraordinary tale of madness, genius, and the incredible obsessions of two remarkable men that led to the making of the oxford english dictionary -- and literary history. the compilation of the oed, begun in 1857, was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken. as definitions were collected, the overseeing committee, led by professor james murray, discovered that one man, dr. w. c. minor, had submitted more than ten thousand. when the committee insisted on honoring him, a
“But it is an unbelievable tale, one that reminds us of the extraordinary range, depth and beauty of the English language. It will be a perfect book for the beach.”
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Erdogan's Empire
Erdogan's Empire
Soner Cagaptay
Political ScienceGradually since 2003, turkey's autocratic leader recep tayyip erdogan has sought to make turkey a great power -- in the tradition of past turkish leaders from the late ottoman sultans to ataturk, the founder of modern turkey. here the leading authority soner cagaptay, author of the new sultan -- the first biography of president erdogan -- provides a masterful overview of the power politics in the middle east and turkey's place in it. erdogan has picked an unorthodox model in the context of recent turkish history, attempting to cast his
“Recommemded on CNN”
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The Death of Truth
The Death of Truth
Michiko Kakutani
HistoryOver the last three decades, michiko kakutani has been thinking and writing about the demise of objective truth in popular culture, academia, and contemporary politics. in the death of truth, she connects the dots to reveal the slow march of untruth up to our present moment, when red state and blue state america have little common ground, proven science is once more up for debate, and all opinions are held to be equally valid. (and, more often than not, rudely declared online.) the wisdom of the crowd has diminished the
“a Must read”
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21 Lessons for the 21st Century
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari
HistoryHow do computers and robots change the meaning of being human? how do we deal with the epidemic of fake news? are nations and religions still relevant? what should we teach our children?yuval noah harari's 21 lessons for the 21st century is a probing and visionary investigation into today's most urgent issues as we move into the uncharted territory of the future. as technology advances faster than our understanding of it, hacking becomes a tactic of war, and the world feels more polarized than ever, harari addresses the challenge of
“you will enjoy this wide-ranging, speculative look at the world today and where it is going -- fascinating big think.”
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The Decadent Society
The Decadent Society
Ross Douthat
Today the western world seems to be in crisis. but beneath our social media frenzy and reality-television politics, the deeper reality is one of drift, repetition, and dead ends. the decadent society explains what happens when a rich and powerful society ceases advancing—how the combination of wealth and technological proficiency with economic stagnation, political stalemates, cultural exhaustion, and demographic decline creates a strange kind of “sustainable decadence,” a civilizational malaise that could endure for longer than we think..
“I benefitted from reading this strikingly well-written book”
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The Meritocracy Trap
The Meritocracy Trap
Daniel Markovits
EducationIt is an axiom of american life that advantage should be earned through ability and effort. even as the country divides itself at every turn, the meritocratic ideal - that social and economic rewards should follow achievement rather than breeding - reigns supreme. both democrats and republicans insistently repeat meritocratic notions. meritocracy cuts to the heart of who we are. it sustains the american dream.but what if, both up and down the social ladder, meritocracy is a sham? today, meritocracy has become exactly what it was conceived to resist: a
“This is the most interesting and provocative book I have read in a while.”
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Talking to Strangers
Talking to Strangers
Malcolm Gladwell
Social ScienceHow did fidel castro fool the cia for a generation? why did neville chamberlain think he could trust adolf hitler? why are campus sexual assaults on the rise? do television sitcoms teach us something about the way we relate to each other that isn't true?while tackling these questions, malcolm gladwell was not solely writing a book for the page. he was also producing for the ear. in the audiobook version of talking to strangers, you'll hear the voices of people he interviewed--scientists, criminologists, military psychologists. court transcripts are brought to
“A fascinating book”
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Prisoners of Geography
Prisoners of Geography
Tim Marshall
HistoryIn the bestselling tradition of why nations fail and the revenge of geography, an award-winning journalist uses ten maps of crucial regions to explain the geo-political strategies of the world powers.all leaders of nations are constrained by geography. their choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas, and concrete. to understand world events, news organizations and other authorities often focus on people, ideas, and political movements, but without geography, we never have the full picture. now, in the relevant and timely prisoners of geography, seasoned journalist tim marshall examines russia, china,
“This is a good idea superbly executed.”
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The Inevitability of Tragedy
The Inevitability of Tragedy
Barry Gewen
The inevitability of tragedy is a fascinating intellectual biography of henry kissinger that examines his unique role in government through his ideas. it analyzes the continuing controversies surrounding kissinger’s policies in such places as vietnam and chile by offering an understanding of his definition of realism; his seemingly amoral belief that foreign affairs must be conducted through a balance of power; and his “un-american” view that promoting democracy is most likely to result in repeated defeats for the united states.barry gewen places kissinger’s ideas in a european context by tracing
“Metioned on his Twitter account”
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The Guarded Gate
The Guarded Gate
Daniel Okrent
HistoryA forgotten, dark chapter of american history with implications for the current day, the guarded gate tells the story of the scientists who argued that certain nationalities were inherently inferior, providing the intellectual justification for the harshest immigration law in american history. brandished by the upper class bostonians and new yorkers—many of them progressives—who led the anti-immigration movement, the eugenic arguments helped keep hundreds of thousands of jews, italians, and other unwanted groups out of the us for more than 40 years. over five years in the writing, the guarded
“The book is a gripping account of a dark wave in American history, and, yes, it does bring to mind some of the forces that play in America right now.”
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Trade Is Not a Four-Letter Word
Trade Is Not a Four-Letter Word
Fred P. Hochberg
Political ScienceTrade—the exchange that powers the world—allows us to sell what we produce at home and purchase what we don’t. in the age of globalization, trade has joined together more people than ever before, providing access to major new markets and countless new products that have revolutionized our lives. however, for millions of people, global trade has become a popular target for blame and the frustrations of modern life. much of the public only connects trade with unfathomable, high-level deals causing the fundamental principles to often seem inaccessible and confusing. through
“...has managed to do the seemingly impossible, write a breezy, smart, funny book about trade, he weaves in stories with the data, has a refreshingly informal voice and takes the reader on an entertaining ride.”
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