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The End of the World Is Just the Beginning summary
Mapping the Collapse of Globalization
21 mins
Brief summary
'The End of the World Is Just the Beginning' by Peter Zeihan is a geopolitical book that explores the future of the world order. It provides a compelling analysis of the shift towards regionalism, the impact of technology and demographics on global politics, and the cracks in the current international system.
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The End of the World Is Just the Beginning
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Section One: Globalization shapes every aspect of our lives.
Zeihan says the world as we know it is ending. And we’ll get into the why in a bit. First, though, let’s talk a little about the what. In other words, what defines that world? How, in the language of geopolitics, is it ordered? Those are big questions. So let’s first make things a little less abstract.
Picture a decently sized grocery store with its aisles of well-stocked shelves, beeping scanners, and customers. Now go out back and take a look at the loading bay and the trucks, forklifts, and pallets. Wherever you look, it’s the same: endless goods everywhere. In advanced economies, today’s average grocery store offers around 40,000 individual items. To put that into perspective, at the dawn of the last century, it was closer to 200.
So what changed? Run an eye over those shelves. There’s Himalayan salt, Indonesian tuna, Italian polenta, Japanese miso, Moroccan lemons, and Argentinian merlot. Produce from every continent and ocean. Affordable. Always there, defying nature’s seasons – and flying in the face of 250,000 years of human experience which says that food is always scarce and always dear.
This kind of diversity, reliable availability, and reliably low cost is what globalization is all about. And that’s what defined our world over the last 70 years.
Globalization is about more than how supermarkets are stocked, of course. Our meals are assembled with ingredients from every corner of the Earth, but so is everything else. Smartphones, fertilizers, diesel, and single-malt whiskey – everything we buy, use, and consume has been assembled half a world away.
Goods are the blood cells; transportation networks, especially oceanic networks, are the system’s arteries. Giant freighters loaded with bulk goods – think Cambodian rice, Ukrainian grain, or Australian bauxite – provide another thumbnail image of globalization. So do the even vaster container ships that carry 90 percent of the world’s non-bulk goods – our laptops and TVs, calculators, cars, and cadmium batteries.
Interoceanic transportation is the ultimate enabler of global trade, and it drove globalization. But these networks didn’t emerge spontaneously, as you’ll learn in the next section.
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What is The End of the World Is Just the Beginning about?
The End of the World Is Just Beginning (2022) asks what happens if or when the United States stops policing the global order it established after the Second World War. The short answer is that the world as we know it will come to a grinding, potentially violent halt. The longer answer takes us on a thrilling ride through the politics and economics of trade, energy, and foreign policy.
The End of the World Is Just the Beginning Review
The End of the World Is Just the Beginning (2020) by Peter Zeihan is a thought-provoking book that explores geopolitical shifts and their impact on global economies. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It offers insightful analysis on how the decline of superpowers and the rise of new global players will shape the future.
- Through a combination of historical context and data-driven arguments, Zeihan presents a compelling case for reevaluating traditional geopolitical assumptions.
- The book's accessible language and engaging storytelling make complex geopolitical topics accessible and definitely not boring.
Who should read The End of the World Is Just the Beginning?
- History buffs
- Politicos with an interest in foreign policy
- Anyone trying to figure out global events
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The End of the World Is Just the Beginning FAQs
What is the main message of The End of the World Is Just the Beginning?
The main message of The End of the World Is Just the Beginning explores geopolitical shifts and how they impact the future.
How long does it take to read The End of the World Is Just the Beginning?
Reading time for The End of the World Is Just the Beginning varies. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is The End of the World Is Just the Beginning a good book? Is it worth reading?
The End of the World Is Just the Beginning is worth reading as it provides valuable insights into the global geopolitical landscape and its potential impact on the world.
Who is the author of The End of the World Is Just the Beginning?
The author of The End of the World Is Just the Beginning is Peter Zeihan.
What to read after The End of the World Is Just the Beginning?
If you're wondering what to read next after The End of the World Is Just the Beginning, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- How the World Really Works by Vaclav Smil
- Grand Transitions by Vaclav Smil
- Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell
- The Accidental Superpower by Peter Zeihan
- Us vs. Them by Ian Bremmer
- Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Why Taiwan Matters by Kerry Brown
- 2030 by Mauro F. Guillén
- You Deserve to Be Rich by Rashad Bilal
- Weekend Language by Andy Craig