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Time To Start Thinking: America and the Spectre of Decline [Hardcover]

Edward Luce
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
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Book Description

3 April 2012

On its present course, the US faces a world of rising new countries that will compete with it ever more fiecely as its own power is declining. In order to slow and improve this steady leakage of power, the US must change course internationally, economically and domestically. It must also restructure to remain the world's most competitive economy. And it must address quality of life issues and fairness at home.

But American politics is broken -- competing forces and interests have led to stasis. With change so tough, where now for a country where the middle classes are suffering as they have never suffered before, the pensions crisis is growing, the deficit out of sight, and radicalism waiting in the wings?


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Product details

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Little, Brown (3 April 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1408702754
  • ISBN-13: 978-1408702758
  • Product Dimensions: 15.8 x 2.7 x 24.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 271,350 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

Edward Luce paints a highly disturbing picture of the state of American society, and of the total failure of American elites to come to grips with the real problems facing the country. It rises far above the current political rhetoric by its measured reliance on facts rather than canned ideological posturing to reach its conclusions (Francis Fukuyama, Author Of The End Of History And The Origins Of Political Order )

Time To Start Thinking is not only a wonderful tapestry of the current state of America, it provides a deeply insightful narrative of the origins of our current economic and political malaise. Ed Luce is a brilliant reporter who has spoken to everyone: CEOs and members of the cabinet, lobbyists and small town mayors, recent MBAs and unemployed teachers. In his acutely observed, often witty and very humane portraits he succeeds in converting the abstractions of economics and bringing them to life. This is is a book that will transform the way you think of America (Liaquat Ahamed, Author Of Lords Of Finance: 1929, The Great Depression And The Bankers Who Broke The World )

'This book should be read by anyone who has an interest in the future of America, from perplexed bystanders in Europe to panicking policy makers in the White House. It is an eye opening account of a great nation grappling with the probability but not the inevitability of decline, beautifully and clearly written by a veteran observer who dissects his complicated subject with a mixture of insight, empathy and wit. Luce avoids the twin traps of adulation or revulsion that stunt so many books about America. Time to Start Thinking is a welcome and timely invitation to do just that (Matt Frei, Washington Correspondent For Channel 4 )

Book Description

The age of American global dominance is over. This brilliant new book from one of the FT's most senior writers shows how it ended and where the US needs to turn to prevent the crisis from deepening further

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Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars America on the way to become like ...France ? 4 Sep 2012
Format:Hardcover
Luce has written a very interesting and convincing case about America's decline. He examines differents themes that are associated with this situation :
- the vanishing middle class
- education
- Innovation
- Government and politics covers the last three chapters (almost half of the book)

To me, the most alarming issue was innovation, nevertheless the situation is not better with respect to the other topics.

Many books have been written about america's decline - most have been written before it was even a possibility - nevertheless, I feel the topics covered was right on the spot and very well documented. The analysis of the "tea party" movement and washington bureacracy are also very interesting - I believe especially for europeans.

If america's decline is a "lieu commun" for many people, its impacts threaten to be much more significant than the emergence of china, as The Kagan recent - and advised - "the World America Made" makes obvious.

The "olsonian nightmare" is the key explanation that Luce provides : Mancur Olson, the brilliant swedish economist that analysed the effect of vested interests on the economy (in his case, vested interests, were trade-unions in the UK). For Luce, Vested interests are dominating the politics and its inertia seem to be the dominant force ...

The book is not perfect :
- luce point repeatedly to the fact that Chinan invest huge amounts in infrastructure and america is not, as an example of decline but who said they need to invest the same % of GDP. America's infrastructure are far from perfect but China starts from a much lower point
- Also one might have the feeling that when interviewing people, the only question is "what"s bad in here ?" forgetting the "by the way, does anyting work ?" or "is there any good news ?" - but this is a reader's feeling
- Last, and more frighteningly, Luce could have written the same book about UK or France with the same "olsonian nightmare" diagnostic ... Actually, I have wrriten this book some years ago (in French though)

And that might be the unwritten key issue of the book : America is falling but we are already down there with no bottom in sight !

Let's hope that after the "olsonian nightmare" is just a nightmare a we might wake up one day !!!
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Incisive analysis of a declining power 8 April 2012
By Fang
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Just as elegantly written and easily readable as his book on India, Luce provides here a cohesive, well researched analysis of the key factors that have resulted in the U.S. losing power, influence and prosperity. Luce is both well and broadly connected and open- minded, seemingly without the burden of political agenda that so often makes the lens of other writers within the same realm less incisive.
A must-read also for U.K. citizens, as so many detrimental aspects of poltical/social/financial/educational issues raised in this book equally apply to what is increasingly evident here.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Insight. 7 July 2012
By M.C.
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Unlike many books about the US, this book comes without an agenda. It is meticulously researched and very imformative. I would urge anybody to read this book, not least, American policy makers themselves.
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