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Book details

Great powers

by Thomas P. M. Barnett

Published 2009488 pagesISBN 978-0-3991-5537-6

The Bush administration did much to disconnect or alienate America from the world. Now, with a chance to start over, what do we do? Where's the world going, and how do we become a leader again in the most profound reordering since the end of World War II? The "great powers" are no longer just the world's major nation-states, but powerful forces moving with us and past us. Here, strategist Barnett offers an analysis of the grand realignments already here or coming up fast in economics, diplomacy, defense, technology, security, the environment, and much more. The opportunities they present are far greater than the perils, and Barnett gives us a fundamental understanding of both. Many say America is in decline, and we just have to deal with it. Barnett says no: Globalization as it exists today was built by America--and it's time for America to shape and redefine what comes next.--From publisher description.

Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Philosophy, Nonfiction, Fiction. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.

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Full BookenDeX details

What the reading experience may hold

A fuller profile for choosing with more confidence—not just another copy of the preview.

Themes to notice

Philosophy · Nonfiction · Fiction

Use these as starting points rather than limits; the most memorable books often stretch beyond their catalog labels.

Content notes

Catalog signals suggest warfare and conflict. These notes may not be complete; consult a publisher or reader-supplied guide when detailed warnings matter.

These notes are inferred from available catalog information and may not be complete. Check a publisher or reader-supplied guide if you need comprehensive warnings.

Reading experience

Dark tone · Measured pace

Best when you want to settle into a longer reading experience.

Who it may suit

A good fit if…

Readers looking for a substantial, immersive commitment with room for a world or argument to unfold.

At a glance

This book's DNA

A visual estimate based on this edition's categories, description, and length. Select a star to explore the signals.

ToneDark
LuminousDark

This signal is descriptive, not a rating. It helps compare the kind of reading experience this edition may offer.

No plot details

Spoiler-Free Emotional Arc

A broad estimate of the book’s emotional rhythm, shown without story events or outcomes.

Spoiler-free
12345
PeakRelative emotional intensity
Great powersThomas P. M. Barnett
Powerful5/5

This visualization is an interpretive estimate based on catalog description, categories, tone, pace, and content signals. It does not describe specific scenes.

Before you choose

A quick reading snapshot

Edition facts and catalog signals to help you decide whether this book fits what you want to read next.

Reading lengthA longer, immersive read488 pages in this edition
Publication eraModernFirst published or edition dated 2009
Primary categoryPhilosophyAlso cataloged under Nonfiction and Fiction
ISBN-13
978-0-3991-5537-6
Language
English
Edition record
OL22665970M
BookenDeX editorial lens

A more thoughtful way into this book

This guide uses the edition details and category signals above to help you choose deliberately. It does not replace the author's work or a full review.

Good to know

Best when you want to settle into a longer reading experience.

Begin with its place in Philosophy, then notice where the book resists that label.

Try this reading approach

Read for connection, not completion.

Mark one passage that sharpens the book's central concern and one that complicates it. That tension often reveals more than a quick summary.

Three questions to carry with you

  1. What question is the author really asking beneath the book’s main argument?
  2. Which claim challenges one of your familiar assumptions?
  3. What remains unresolved—and is that uncertainty useful?

Editorial framework by Wesley Bryan, BookenDeX Founder and Editor.