International Bestseller
"Quite simply the best guide to the global economy today." ―Fareed Zakaria
Shaped by his twenty-five years traveling the world, and enlivened by encounters with villagers from Rio to Beijing, tycoons, and presidents, Ruchir Sharma’s The Rise and Fall of Nations rethinks the "dismal science" of economics as a practical art. Narrowing the thousands of factors that can shape a country’s fortunes to ten clear rules, Sharma explains how to spot political, economic, and social changes in real time. He shows how to read political headlines, black markets, the price of onions, and billionaire rankings as signals of booms, busts, and protests. Set in a post-crisis age that has turned the world upside down, replacing fast growth with slow growth and political calm with revolt, Sharma’s pioneering book is an entertaining field guide to understanding change in this era or any era.
A Library Journal Best Book of 2016
Praise for Ruchir Sharma and Breakout Nations
One of Bloomberg’s 50 Most Influential People of 2015 and Foreign Policy’s Top Global Thinkers of 2012.
“The best book on global economic trends I’ve read in a while.”―Fareed Zakaria
“Sharma’s wealth of knowledge ... and ample experience on the ground are strong foundations for his exploration of what makes economies break out, or break down.”― Reuters
“For sheer readability and insight on the developing world drama, I dare say you won't find a better choice.”― Wall Street Journal
“Combines keen on-the-ground reporting and economic and investment analysis with lively, lucid prose.”― Forbes
“Smart geoeconomic insights.”― Foreign Policy
“Prescient.”―Washington Post
“I love this book. It really snuck up on me. It will sneak up on you too.”―Tom Keene, Bloomberg TV