Connectography: Mapping the Future of Global Civilization

Connectography is the third volume in a trilogy on "the future world order" by Parag Khanna (How to Run the World), the director of the Global Governance Initiative at the New America Foundation. Khanna sees a future organized around chains of supply and demand, in which efficient connections to trade and travel hubs will matter more than political boundaries. Khanna argues that the United States is falling behind because "Europeans and Asians have learned to measure their robustness by their infrastructure spending, while America still measures its strength by its military spending." National borders will still exist as regulatory filters to prevent illegal activities, but not as solid obstacles to the flow of labor, ideas and goods. And we may have even more of them, as countries fragment into smaller nations, which must then build new economic alliances with each other and with powerful private entities to survive. "Today we don't get to choose between a world of great power competition, globalized interdependence, and powerful private networks; we have all three at the same time." He believes that our increased interdependence will mean fewer wars, though he also discusses violent uprisings against Chinese industry in Pakistan and Africa.

This is an extensive study filled with examples from every industry and continent. If the reader wants even more, Khanna provides many recommendations for further reading. Connectography is likely to appeal to anyone with a serious interest in how our rapidly changing world is evolving. --Sara Catterall

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