Age of Revolutions

Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present

De: Fareed Zakaria

Narrado por: Fareed Zakaria

The internationally bestselling author explores the revolutions—past and present—that define the chaotic, polarized, and unstable age in which we live.

Populist rage, ideological fracture, economic and technological shocks, geopolitical dangers, and an international system studded with catastrophic risk—the early decades of the 21st century may be one of the most revolutionary periods in modern history. But they are not the first. Humans have lived, and thrived, through more than one great realignment. What makes an age a revolutionary one? And how do they end?

In this major new work, Fareed Zakaria masterfully investigates eras that have shattered and shaped humanity. Four such periods hold profound lessons for today. First, in 17th-century Netherlands a series of transformations made that tiny land the richest in the world—and created modern politics as we know it today. The “Glorious Revolution” in Britain showed that major political change could happen peacefully. Next, the French Revolution, a dramatic decade and a half that devoured its ideological children and left a bloody legacy that haunts us to this day. Finally, the mother of all revolutions, the Industrial Revolution, which catapulted Britain and the US to global dominance and created the modern world. Against these paradigm-shifting historical eras, Zakaria describes our current situation, unpacking the four revolutions we are living through now; in globalization, technology, identity, and geopolitics.

As few public intellectuals can, Zakaria combines intellectual range, deep historical insight, and uncanny prescience to reframe and illuminate a turbulent present.

©2024 Fareed Zakaria (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

Clarity of presentation

Brilliant! Makes a very complex subject so clear and understandable. Worthy of a Pulitzer Prize!

Wonderful audio

I love listening to Fareed speak. You can see that is genuinely excited about his ideas. Book is beautifully and thoughtfully written and researched. It is easy to listen to even for the lay person or someone who doesn’t know much about politics.

progress will be made steadily although slowly

Great beginning and end. The middle was long; it needed editing.

A useful passage for getting through the 2024 election:

‘If liberals can realize that time is on their side, and that their opponents are not always evil or stupid, then they might find that they are able to gain broader acceptance and that progress will be made steadily although slowly. Those who seek to restrain these disruptions for their part, should recall how resisting any change at all can simply bottle up frustration until it erupts in revolution.’

Insightful

A must read to understand the cycles that shape us. Well framed and researched. A critical guide as we navigate the ever increasing pace of change.

The more things change.....

I enjoyed Fareed's historical chronology of past revolutions and just how strikingly relevant they are today. Well done!

Excellent

The author was able to bring together multiple different stories into a cohesive organized understanding of modern history. From the multiple sources quoted the author has meticulously crafted and understandable and thoughtful of the forces that have resulted in the modern world. This is a book that was long overdue. It is historical and entertaining, which is a rarity in my experience. I hope that anyone who listens to Joyce said as much as I did.

Compelling

Excellent book. I expect nothing less from this author. The book gave me a lot to think about.

informative

Twas dope and informative. Good narration by the author and in depth analysis. He not only dwelced into the past but also into the state of affairs of today, with some information on what might be tomorrow.

Very interesting

Fareed's narration is excellent. That's all I want to say and I don't want to add more than 15 words. Thank you.

A wonderful compilation of history from various mostly contemporary sources

Loved the narrator’s voice & diction - the statistics were often startling & informed the narrative. I really enjoyed hearing other contemporary historians talking about our present world.