What Freakonomics does for understanding the economy, The J Curve does for better understanding how nations behave. Bremmer's tour of the nations of the world--our friends, our foes, and others in between--shows us how to see the world fresh, get rid of shopworn attitudes, and discover a new and useful way of thinking.
Chapter One: Stability, Openness, and the J Curve
Chapter Two: The Far Left Side of the J Curve
Chapter Three: The Slide Toward Instability
Chapter Four: The Depths of the J Curve
Chapter Five: The Right Side of the J Curve
Chapter Six: China's Dilemma
Chapter Seven: Conclusion
"A rare book that manages to be intellectually ambitious, policy-relevant, and layman-friendly. Bremmer convincingly argues that smart American diplomacy, harnessing the forces of globalization, can induce closed societies to open up without falling apart. Timely, thoughtful, and written with verve and clarity, this is an impressive work of analysis and prescription."
--Strobe Talbott, president of the Brookings Institution, former deputy secretary of state--
"In one simple graphic, arguably the world's most pressing geopolitical challenge."
--The Economist--