本書對西方世界的傲慢作出一個有力又合時的挑戰：
如果西方還不改變他們的方式，很快就完蛋了？！

幾世紀之前，處於全球財富和權力中心的西方世界地位即將結束。一股新權力冉冉升起，從亞洲的中國和印度，還有其他來自非洲和南美洲的國家，逐漸爬升世界的啄食順序（pecking order：指群居動物通過爭鬥取得社群地位的階層化，社會學用以解釋人類通過爭鬥取得社群地位的階層化和支配現象）的頂峰。面對新的世界局勢，西方國家如何應對與接招？

本書作者Kishore Mahbubani揭露，西方國家早已失去他們在全球的絕對權力和理想，只是不願承認罷了。自相矛盾的是，他們必須承認自己衰落，才能夠為自己建立一個長遠的成功策略。然而，西方國家有注意到當中的巨大變化嗎？這些變化足以讓他們變得聰明，而不是僅做出一些簡單無效的應對？美國能否抓住全球變化的契機嗎？

作者以局外人的批判眼光，深入研究西方世界對力量的迷思和狂傲不羈，並從他的地緣政治分析提出令人震懾的新觀念。無論是西方人、政治思想家，還是關注世界局勢的讀者，作者提供一個嶄新思考方法和不同視野。

 

Kishore Mahbubani，是新加坡國立大學（National University of Singapore）李光耀公共學院的院長和公共政策實踐教系教授，他也為多家在新加坡、亞洲、歐洲和北美洲的機構委員會和董事局服務，他的論文被廣泛地刊登在不同的學術期刊和報章，包括《Financial Times》、《Time》、《Newsweek》和《New York Times》等，著作有《Can Asians Think》、《The ASEAN Miracle》和《The Great Convergence》等。

 

“Kishore Mahbubani offers a penetrating analysis of the West’s predicament. His optimistic view is a welcome antidote to so much prevailing wisdom. It deserves to be widely read and debated”── Lawrence H. Summers, former Vice President of Development Economics and Chief Economist of the World Bank

“As Asia steadily advances to the centre of the world’s stage, has the West properly noticed that huge change? Can it amend itself intelligently, and without as simple knee-jerk reaction? Can the United States in particular come to grips with global transformations? These questions are at the center of Kishore Mahbubani’s pointed and provocative new discourse, based upon his long acquaintance with both East and West. It’s a powerful, disputatious book, and provides much meat for all readers who will want to dispute it. It's not comfortable reading, and it wasn't meant to be”──Paul Kennedy, author of THE RISE AND FALL OF THE GREAT POWERS

“Kishore Mahbubani's depiction of Western thought leaders as not willing to read the writing on the wall reminds me of the confident mandarins of late Qing China who dismissed the possibility of a world emerging that could challenge their superior system. His call for action suggests that, if the West takes heed, they could escape the Qing mandarins’ fate”──Wang Gungwu, Professor, National University of Singapore