Every Nation for Itself: Winners and Losers in a G-zero World - Hardcover

Bremmer, Ian

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1591844681 ISBN 13: 9781591844686

Publisher: Portfolio, 2012

Synopsis

G-Zero — \JEE-ZEER-oh\ —nA world order in which no single country or durable alliance of countries can meet the challenges of global leadership. What happens when the G20 doesn’t work and the G7 is history. 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? The United States, with its paralyzed politics and battered balance sheet? A European Union reeling from self-inflicted wounds? China’s “people’s democracy”? Perhaps Brazil, Turkey, or India, the geopolitical Rookies of the Year? Or some grand coalition of survivors, the last nations stand­ing after half a decade of recession-induced turmoil? How about none of the above? 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. A lack of global leadership will provoke uncertainty, volatility, competition, and, in some cases, open conflict. Bremmer explains the risk that the world will become a series of gated commu­nities as power is regionalized instead of globalized. In the generation to come, negotiations on economic and trade issues are likely to be just as fraught as recent debates over nuclear nonproliferation and climate change. Disaster, thankfully, is never assured, and Brem­mer details where the levers of power can still be found and how to exercise them for the common good. That’s important, because the one certainty of weakened nations and enfeebled institutions is that someone will try to take advantage of them. Every Nation for Itself offers essential insights for anyone attempting to navigate the new global play­ing field.

About this title

Review

"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

"An insightful look at the relative decline of postwar international institutions, the must-evolve nature of American leadership, and the growing need for long-term, multifaceted cooperation between the United States and China. Required reading for anyone interested in the current state and near-term future of global affairs."

-- MUHTAR KENT, CEO, The Coca-Cola Company

"We have entered a new era where challenges are increasingly stretching across geographical borders. Every Nation for Itself is a must-read for any global executive who aspires to accurately assess the risks and exploit the opportunities created by this new environment."

-- DUNCAN NIEDERAUER, CEO, NYSE Euronext

"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

"Bremmer's astute assessment of how the shifting geopolitical landscape will impact political and economic alliances provides essential insights for anyone conducting business at the global level."

-- DOMINIC BARTON, global managing director, McKinsey & Company

"Bremmer has written an essential navigational guide for all national and corporate leaders in the new leaderless world."

-- SIR MARTIN SORRELL, CEO, WPP

"Global political economy has no sharper or more prescient analyst than Ian Bremmer. Everyone who cares about our collective future will need to carefully consider this book's impressive arguments."

-- LAWRENCE SUMMERS, former U.S. Treasury Secretary

About the Author

IAN BREMMER is the president of Eurasia Group, the world’s leading global political risk research and consulting firm. He has written for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Foreign Affairs, and other publi­cations. His eight books include the international bestseller The End of the Free Market and The J Curve. He lives in New York City and Washington, DC. Visit www.ianbremmer.com

About this edition

• Publisher: Portfolio
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1591844681
• ISBN 13: 9781591844686
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 229