The End of the World Is Just the Beginning

Mapping the Collapse of Globalization

By: Peter Zeihan

Narrated by: Peter Zeihan

Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

2019 was the last great year for the world economy.

For generations, everything has been getting faster, better, and cheaper. Finally, we reached the point that almost anything you could ever want could be sent to your home within days - even hours - of when you decided you wanted it.

America made that happen, but now America has lost interest in keeping it going.

Globe-spanning supply chains are only possible with the protection of the U.S. Navy. The American dollar underpins internationalized energy and financial markets. Complex, innovative industries were created to satisfy American consumers. American security policy forced warring nations to lay down their arms. Billions of people have been fed and educated as the American-led trade system spread across the globe.

All of this was artificial. All this was temporary. All this is ending.

In The End of the World is Just the Beginning, author and geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan maps out the next world: a world where countries or regions will have no choice but to make their own goods, grow their own food, secure their own energy, fight their own battles, and do it all with populations that are both shrinking and aging.

The list of countries that make it all work is smaller than you think. Which means everything about our interconnected world - from how we manufacture products, to how we grow food, to how we keep the lights on, to how we shuttle stuff about, to how we pay for it all - is about to change.

A world ending. A world beginning. Zeihan brings readers along for an illuminating (and a bit terrifying) ride packed with foresight, wit, and his trademark irreverence.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Peter Zeihan (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Dense and interesting/distracting narration

Very interesting book and would like to revisit but this is an unfortunate case where the pro writer can write but he can’t read a book. His silly and ego driven reading of his own book made his book seem silly when it is not. It really messed up an amazing and enlightening work.

The math dont lie!

This was my favorite book so far this year. Super interesting topic. The geography that we enjoy here in the US helps us immensely if the future is anything like what the author predicts. A solid work and trade agreement with Canada, Mexico and and other free countries is very important for us.
Narration was hugely entertaining!!
Mark D

Food for thought

This was a very well researched and thought provoking book. I think it is best taken as a ‘generalization’ of what is happening and what is coming because there are so many things that can happen that no one will see coming (looking at you COVID).
I’ve seen some frankly hostile reviews of this book and I’ve read many of them. I’ve yet to see a single one where the reviewer offers facts to say why this book is ‘wrong’. Most of these reviews are hitting the tired, old ‘American arrogance’ theme or rip on the authors pronunciation, that sort of thing; There were no well thought out criticisms of Peter Ziehan’s reasoning or presentation of facts. I’m no expert, but what the author has to say rings true although I’m not convinced EVERYTHING will play out exactly as he presents it. I suspect he has the general picture well in focus but as they say, the devil is in the details.
This book definitely taught me a lot about the importance of geography, demography and aspects of economics that I had never considered, I feel wiser for having listened to this book.
And, the author did a great job narrating his own material. Since this was his material, he knew exactly where to put emphasis and inflections to make this potentially dry subject matter very listenable and accessible to a general audience. Great job!

Ziehan breaks it down like no other

This compilation of intellect and humor guides the reader from uninformed to expert (feeling) by the time this book is done.

An amazing book that sums up the hard data of geo politics!

One of my favorite books that helps explains why demographics matter or geography matters.

Would recommend this to anyone interested in understanding geopolitics.

How to feel ok about the end of the world

A deeply insightful look into the next tenext 10 to 20 years based on demographics trends and and world geopolitics.

Compelling

I'm glad to see the end of this book. I couldn't put it down. I'm behind on my chores. Thanks PZ and associates for helping me see through and making sense of all the craziness in the world.

The best book of 2022

This book is the most interesting and unexpected full of analysis and data to back the arguments. Arguments that left me in shock!

Foundation

PeterZeihan is our Hari Seldon. Isaac Asimov's fictional futurist from his Foundation series. Sadly, Zeihan has a similar history of prediction accuracy and his book is nonfiction. As an optimist I want to believe that individuals can change the trajectory of humanity. But if that were true to any significant degree we wouldn’t still enjoy the works of Shakespeare. Zeihan has laid out a map of the path we are on. It’s ugly. But hope can be found for those who read this work in finding ways to take little detours off this highway to hell. I hope we can find ways to do this without losing our humanity.

Great Waves of Change - What kind of ark will you

Found Peter's work in 2019. Such future-oriented integrated global analysis is rare. It's not blue-sky optimism. In the future, there will be fewer.

Overshoot of resource depletion is recognized by some. He doesn't use that term, but many fundamental realities are explained.

Given the bleak reality for most of the world, what outcome might we work for?

My notion: It would be good if the global economy's descent were cooperatively managed to land Humanity on a new Plateau of Creative Sustainability before 2040.

I think this is the calling Peter makes at the end. With the forewarning here and in other books, like the M.V. Summers: "The Great Waves of Change," Humanity could choose to do better. It must.