The End of Power by Moises Naim.
From Boardrooms to Battlefields and Churches to States, Why Being In Charge Isn't What It Used to Be.
We know that power is
shifting: From West to East and North to South, from presidential
palaces to public squares, from once formidable corporate behemoths to
nimble startups and, slowly but surely, from men to women. But power is
not merely shifting and dispersing. It is also decaying. Those in power
today are more constrained in what they can do with it and more at risk
of losing it than ever before.
In The End of Power, award-winning columnist and former Foreign Policy
editor Moisés Naím illuminates the struggle between once-dominant
megaplayers and the new micropowers challenging them in every field of
human endeavor. Drawing on provocative research, Naím shows
how the antiestablishment drive of micropowers can topple tyrants,
dislodge monopolies, and open remarkable new opportunities, but it can
also lead to chaos and paralysis. Naím deftly covers the seismic changes
underway in business, religion, education, within families, and in all
matters of war and peace. Examples abound in all walks of life: In 1977,
eighty-nine countries were ruled by autocrats while today more than
half the world's population lives in democracies. CEO's are more
constrained and have shorter tenures than their predecessors. Modern
tools of war, cheaper and more accessible, make it possible for groups
like Hezbollah to afford their own drones.
In the second half of 2010, the top ten hedge funds earned more than the world's largest six banks combined.
Those
in power retain it by erecting powerful barriers to keep challengers at
bay. Today, insurgent forces dismantle those barriers more quickly and
easily than ever, only to find that they themselves become vulnerable in
the process. Accessible and captivating, Naím offers a revolutionary
look at the inevitable end of power—and how it will change your world.