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The Ideas That Conquered The World: Peace, Democracy, And Free Markets In The Twenty-first Century
 
 

The Ideas That Conquered The World: Peace, Democracy, And Free Markets In The Twenty-first Century [Kindle Edition]

Michael Mandelbaum

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Product Description

Product Description

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, three ideas dominate the world: peace as the preferred basis for relations between and among different countries, democracy as the optimal way to organize political life, and free markets as the indispensable vehicle for the creation of wealth. While not practiced everywhere, these ideas have--for the first time in history--no serious rivals. And although the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, were terrible and traumatic, they did not "change everything," as so many commentators have asserted. Instead, these events served to illuminate even more brightly the world that emerged from the end of the Cold War.

In The Ideas That Conquered the World, Michael Mandelbaum describes the uneven spread (over the past two centuries) of peace, democracy, and free markets from the wealthy and powerful countries of the world's core, where they originated, to the weaker and poorer countries of its periphery. And he assesses the prospects for these ideas in the years to come, giving particular attention to the United States, which bears the greatest responsibility for protecting and promoting them, and to Russia, China, and the Middle East, in which they are not well established and where their fate will affect the rest of the world.

Drawing on history, politics, and economics, this incisive book provides a clear and original guide to the main trends of the twenty-first century, from globalization to terrorism, through the perspective of one of our era's most provocative thinkers.


Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 947 KB
  • Print Length: 530 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1586482068
  • Publisher: PublicAffairs (8 Jan 2004)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language English
  • ASIN: B004PYDBSU
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
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Michael Mandelbaum
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Amazon.com:  10 reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Beautifully written, with plenty of food for thought 19 Oct 2002
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Michael Mandelbaum, one of America's foremost thinkers on world politics, has written a book about the political and economic forces shaping the world. His analysis is a model of clarity and incisiveness and offers a refreshing alternative to the now-standard prophecies of gloom and doom. Mandelbaum is a professor, but he writes like a novelist, and in this book, which gives the average reader a wonderful framework for understanding everything in the news today and tomorrow, he makes his points with great stories, and even some jokes. He's a great writer, and I recommend this book without hesitation. It's a pleasure to read, from start to finish. It makes sense of our world, which many say has been irrevocably changed by the September 11 attacks, without getting caught in the weeds and by highlighting the critical, long-term ideas and trends that are shaping it. There's no better book out there if you want to understand where we are headed and why. A great buy--and a great read.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Bold, and Brilliant 13 Sep 2003
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
It is rare these days to find a book on world affairs that has an original and provocative thesis and that is also a pleasure to read. Mandelbaum has written just such a volume. His purpose is nothing less than to identify the main forces--markets and democracy--shaping the contemporary world, and he does so by moving effortlessly from the overall claim to real-world examples and back again. The lines of the forest are always in view but there are plenty of trees, and the main argument is made with compelling clarity, conviction, and the occasional bit of humor. Despite Mandelbaum's crystal clear prose, it's apparent that some reviewers (see below) fail to grasp his main points. Fundamentalist Islam as an alternative to liberal democratic capitalism? Just where exactly have people, when given the opportunity to freely elect their leaders, chosen a Taliban-like model? And what have such regimes, when they have grabbed power, brought people except poverty and brutality? As for the absence of capitalism in the Judeo-Christian world in the 7th and 8th centuries (!), one need not have read Karl Polanyi's "Great Transformation" to understand that many complex changes had to unfold before national markets arose; any regular history book should suffice. Modern democracy, too, could not have taken root over a thousand years ago for precisely the same reason. Mandelbaum is not saying that all you need for markets and democracy is the Judeo-Christian ethic; he identifies it as being AMONG the critical factors that promoted their growth. Alas, even the most lucid writer is fated to have his ideas misunderstood. Buy the book; it's terrific.
28 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Outstanding, thought-provoking book 27 Jan 2003
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
If you, like me, have become a follower of the thoughts of Thomas Friedman, you'll love this book, too. Its clear, entertaining detail of "liberal" history---and in this context, even Newt Gingrich was a liberal---and the triumph of the ideas of Woodrow Wilson is a great read. I credit Friedmen with awakening interest in foreign policy analysis, but I credit people like Mandelbaum, Friedman and Walter Russell Mead for providing foreign policy analysis that is passionate and engaging, rather than what I expected, which was dry and over-informative.

My only criticism of the book was the first third was a little repetitive. He kept repeating the part about the triumph of Wilson's ideas, but I started to say, "Hey, I GET IT already."

Anyway, that shouldn't scare anyone off. If you are interested in this type of reading, I would highly recommend reading this one.


Popular Highlights

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&quote;
three major ideas: peace as the preferred basis for relations among countries; democracy as the optimal way to organize political life within them; and the free market as the indispensable vehicle for producing wealth. &quote;
Highlighted by 3 Kindle users
&quote;
For his vision of a world transformed, of a new postwar order that would prevent any recurrence of the ordeal of 191418, went beyond the establishment of a League of Nations. &quote;
Highlighted by 3 Kindle users
&quote;
restraints on armaments, popular government, and the unimpeded flow of commerce across national borders. &quote;
Highlighted by 3 Kindle users

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