The list of countries that make it all work is smaller than you think. In The End of the World is Just the Beginning, author and geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan maps out the next world: a world where countries or regions will have no choice but to make their own goods, grow their own food, secure their own energy, fight their own battles, and do it all with populations that are both shrinking and aging. Billions of people have been fed and educated as the American-led trade system spread across the globe.Īll of this was artificial. American security policy forced warring nations to lay down their arms. Complex, innovative industries were created to satisfy American consumers. Globe-spanning supply chains are only possible with the protection of the U.S. Navy. The American dollar underpins internationalized energy and financial markets. Finally, we reached the point that almost anything you could ever want could be sent to your home within days - even hours - of when you decided you wanted it.Īmerica made that happen, but now America has lost interest in keeping it going. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.2019 was the last great year for the world economy.įor generations, everything has been getting faster, better, and cheaper. A world beginning. Zeihan brings readers along for an illuminating (and a bit terrifying) ride packed with foresight, wit, and his trademark irreverence. Which means everything about our interconnected world - from how we manufacture products, to how we grow food, to how we keep the lights on, to how we shuttle stuff about, to how we pay for it all - is about to change.Ī world ending. 2019 was the last great year for the world economy.įor generations, everything has been getting faster, better, and cheaper.

Zeihan the end of the world