After the Fall

Being American in the World We've Made

By: Ben Rhodes

Narrated by: Ben Rhodes

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Vital reading for Americans and people anywhere who seek to understand what is happening ‘after the fall’ of the global system created by the United States” (New York Journal of Books), from the former White House aide, close confidant to President Barack Obama, and author of The World as It Is

At a time when democracy in the United States is endangered as never before, Ben Rhodes spent years traveling the world to understand why. He visited dozens of countries, meeting with politicians and activists confronting the same nationalism and authoritarianism that are tearing America apart. Along the way, he discusses the growing authoritarianism of Vladimir Putin, and his aggression towards Ukraine, with the foremost opposition leader in Russia, who was subsequently poisoned and imprisoned; he profiled Hong Kong protesters who saw their movement snuffed out by China under Xi Jinping; and America itself reached the precipice of losing democracy before giving itself a fragile second chance.

The characters and issues that Rhodes illuminates paint a picture that shows us where we are today—from Barack Obama to a rising generation of international leaders; from the authoritarian playbook endangering democracy to the flood of disinformation enabling authoritarianism. Ultimately, Rhodes writes personally and powerfully about finding hope in the belief that looking squarely at where America has gone wrong can make clear how essential it is to fight for what America is supposed to be, for our own country and the entire world.

Critic reviews

Praise for The World as It Is

“A classic coming-of-age story, about the journey from idealism to realism, told with candor and immediacy . . . [Ben Rhodes’s] achievement is rare for a political memoir: He has written a humane and honorable book.”—The New York Times Book Review

“More than any other White House memoirist, Rhodes is a creature of the man he served.”—The New Yorker

“Insightful, funny, and moving, this is a beautifully observed, essential record of what it was like to be there.”—Samantha Power

really resonates with baby boomers

Being of Hungarian heritage and living through many of the periods that Ben writes about, whether in the United States or Europe, this book really resonated with my knowledge of politics and history with the examples that Ben used throughout the book. A truthful and trustworthy example of how we got here and where we may end up in the future.

Obama’s Book

I think this is the book Obama wish that he could have written. It is extremely insightful but not something that would’ve gone over well if Obama had written it.

Amazing insights!

I absolutely enjoyed this from beginning to end! Great reading by the author, understandable and in a pleasant voice all of the way through!

Loved it

Great dive into America’s direct and indirect play with the national/international stages. If you’re looking for a book to get “up to date” book on how we got here, this is it.

Thought provoking.

A well written, thought provoking personal narrative and analysis of how and why America, and the parts of the world greatly influenced by America, changed between 1990 and 2020. A worthwhile read for any American trying to understand how we arrived at our current state - whether one is blue, red, black, white, or brown. To work together for the benefit of this democracy, we need to understand one another. I believe reading this book and evaluating the author’s perspective can help us do that.