First published 2009
George Friedman challenges standard political analysis by examining geopolitical patterns spanning centuries. He argues that conventional thinking mistakes temporary developments for permanent changes while missing major long-term transformations happening in plain sight. Friedman forecasts specific global shifts for the twenty-first century. He predicts the U.S.-Jihadist conflict will end, giving way to a new cold war with Russia. China will face severe internal upheaval while Mexico rises as a major world power. A global conflict will emerge mid-century between America and an alliance from Eastern Europe, Eurasia, and the Far East, though future armies will be smaller and conflicts less lethal. Space technology will dominate both military strategy and energy production, creating significant environmental changes. The United States will enter a golden age during the century's second half. The book offers readers a systematic framework for understanding how historical patterns shape future events.
Genres: history, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century, current-affairs, academic, american-history
Vibes: analytical, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: systematic-framework, unconventional-analysis
Setting: United States, Russia, China, Mexico, Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Far East
Period: 21st Century
272 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday