Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
The World
- A Brief Introduction
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
£0.00 for first 30 days
Buy Now for £12.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Summary
The New York Times bestseller
“A clear and concise account of the history, diplomacy, economics, and societal forces that have molded the modern global system.”—Foreign Affairs
An invaluable primer from Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, that will help anyone, expert and non-expert alike, navigate a time in which many of our biggest challenges come from the world beyond our borders.
Like it or not, we live in a global era, in which what happens thousands of miles away has the ability to affect our lives. This time, it is a Coronavirus known as Covid-19, which originated in a Chinese city many had never heard of but has spread to the corners of the earth. Next time it could well be another infectious disease from somewhere else. Twenty years ago it was a group of terrorists trained in Afghanistan and armed with box-cutters who commandeered four airplanes and flew them into buildings (and in one case a field) and claimed nearly three thousand lives. Next time it could be terrorists who use a truck bomb or gain access to a weapon of mass destruction. In 2016 hackers in a nondescript office building in Russia traveled virtually in cyberspace to manipulate America's elections. Now they have burrowed into our political life. In recent years, severe hurricanes and large fires linked to climate change have ravaged parts of the earth; in the future we can anticipate even more serious natural disasters. In 2008, it was a global financial crisis caused by mortgage-backed securities in America, but one day it could well be a financial contagion originating in Europe, Asia, or Africa. This is the new normal of the 21st century.
The World is designed to provide listeners of any age and experience with the essential background and building blocks they need to make sense of this complicated and interconnected world. It will empower them to manage the flood of daily news. Listeners will become more informed, discerning citizens, better able to arrive at sound, independent judgments. While it is impossible to predict what the next crisis will be or where it will originate, those who explore The World will have what they need to understand its basics and the principal choices for how to respond.
In short, this book will make readers more globally literate and put them in a position to make sense of this era. Global literacy—knowing how the world works—is a must, as what goes on outside a country matters enormously to what happens inside. Although the United States is bordered by two oceans, those oceans are not moats. And the so-called Vegas rule—what happens there stays there—does not apply in today's world to anyone anywhere. U.S. foreign policy is uniquely American, but the world Americans seek to shape is not. Globalization can be both good and bad, but it is not something that individuals or countries can opt out of. Even if we want to ignore the world, it will not ignore us. The choice we face is how to respond.
We are connected to this world in all sorts of ways. We need to better understand it, both its promise and its threats, in order to make informed choices, be it as students, citizens, voters, parents, employees, or investors. To help listeners do just that, The World focuses on essential history, what makes each region of the world tick, the many challenges globalization presents, and the most influential countries, events, and ideas. Explaining complex ideas with wisdom and clarity, Richard Haass's The World is an evergreen book that will remain relevant and useful as history continues to unfold.
Critic reviews
“This book is a superb introduction to the world and global issues. Richard Haass has been able to write something that is brief, readable and yet comprehensive—marked throughout by his trademark intelligence and common sense.”—Fareed Zakaria
“A clear and concise account of the history, diplomacy, economics, and societal forces that have molded the modern global system.”—Foreign Affairs
“Condensing so much complexity into a lucid 400 pages is no small accomplishment.”—The New York Times
What listeners say about The World
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jimmy's
- 11-05-22
love it
great read and insightful. some may argue that it favours western ideas but I advise that it is objective enough as it also pin points out the opposing arguments.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anna Athanassiou
- 23-06-20
Excellent World Politics General Picture
Dear Author,
I surfed gladly from back to back, learning a few details from the past and insights from the insider who you definitely are. The book really gives an honest overview of world politics, from the US point of view of course.
One issue, though got me distressed, namely: why on earth didn't you mention Poland in the Fall of communism credits?! Not even one phrase! In my, and not only, view the Berlin Wall would not fall if Wałęsa didn't do his bit!
It would be great to hear your explanation of the omission.
With kind regards!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 10-06-20
No heading
fascinating and lucid explanation of conditions prevailing in the world today. and that is all I have to say
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Luke
- 21-04-24
Excellent overview
The author makes a host of topics central to how the world works both understandable and interesting to those of us with no prior exposure to them.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!