PublishedBlack Inc, August 2020 |
ISBN9781760642525 |
FormatSoftcover, 256 pages |
Dimensions23.2cm × 15.3cm × 1.9cm |
An illuminating, provocative new book by the master geopolitical forecaster and New York Times bestselling author of The Next 100 Years. George Friedman turns to the future of the United States, predicting that the 2020s will bring dramatic upheaval and reshaping of government, foreign policy, economics and culture.
Examining the cycles through which the United States has developed, matured and solidified, Friedman breaks down the coming years in thrilling detail. American history is governed by cycles - an eighty-year 'institutional cycle' that has defined the nation politically, and a fifty-year 'socio-economic cycle' that has seen the formation of the industrial classes, baby boomers and the middle classes. These two cycles are converging on the late 2020s, when many of these foundations will change. The United States will have to endure upheaval and possible conflict, but also, ultimately, increased strength and stability. Friedman's analysis covers the size and scope of the federal government, the future of marriage and the social contract, shifts in corporate structures, and new cultural trends based on longer life expectancies. The result is a riveting account of current circumstances and the political upheavals that will pave the way for a new era of American prosperity and power.
Bill is one of the founders of Boffins and has been involved in selecting the books we stock since our beginning in 1989. His favourite reading is history, with psychology, current affairs, and business books coming close behind. His hobbies are reading, food, reading, drinking, reading, and sleeping.
I found this book fascinating to read. It’s a refreshing change to so many books about the United States that focus on Trump and the other political actors. It goes deep into the history, the geography, and the pattern of settlement to explain the cycles that characterise it’s growth and change over time. It looks at the social trends, the conflicts, and the economic changes that characterise the United States now, and argues that it is on the cusp of significant institutional and economic cyclical changes that will play out at the end of this decade and set the country up for another generation or two of prosperity and peacefulness. Now that goes against the grain of what I’ve read elsewhere, so it was a very rewarding read full of food for thought. Highly recommended.
