WACHH BoOK CLUB

The Book Club is the newest addition to the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head (WACHH) program offerings. The Book Club presents an opportunity for us all to learn more broadly and deeply about both world affairs and domestic politics, to engage in stimulating discussions, and to make new friendships.

The Book Club is free and open to WACHH members and the public, but advance registration is required. Registration for each book club discussion will open one month in advance and is limited to 35 participants.

The Book Club meets the second Thursday of each month from 4:30 to 6:00 pm at The Island Rec Center Board Room, 20 Wilborn Rd, Hilton Head Island (next to the High school).

December 12, 2024

The End of the World is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse by Peter Zeihan

The End of the World is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization by Peter Zeihan

 

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.
In customary Zeihan fashion, rather than yelling fire in the geoeconomic theatre, he narrates the accumulation of matchsticks, gasoline, and dynamite in the hands of the oblivious audience, suggesting we might want to call the fire department.

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.

Peter is a New York Times bestselling author whose first three books — The Accidental Superpower, The Absent Superpower and Disunited Nations — have been recommended by Mitt Romney, Fareed Zakaria and Ian Bremmer. Peter is also a highly sought after public speaker. With a keen eye toward what will drive tomorrow’s headlines, his irreverent approach transforms topics that are normally dense and heavy into accessible, relevant takeaways for audiences of all types.

Register here
Book Club - The End of the World is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization by Peter Zeihan

January 9, 2025

Unshackling India by Ajay Chhibber

"Ajay Chhibber and Salman Anees Soz have written a truly wonderful book on India’s current economic predicament and the way forward to achieving shared prosperity by 2047.” — Shankar Acharya, former Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India

As India enters its seventy-fifth year of independence, conventional policy is unlikely to combat the breadth of its economic challenges. Across a range of areas-human capital, technology, agriculture, finance, trade, public service delivery and more-new ideas must now be on the table. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only cost India many lives and livelihoods, it has also exposed major structural weaknesses in the economy.

A huge farm and jobs crisis, rising and massive inequalities, tepid investment growth, and chronic banking sector challenges have plagued the economy, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It has also exposed the limitations of the Indian state, which tries to control too much-and ends up stifling the economy and the inherent energies of its young population. Climate change is no longer a distant threat, while disruptive technology has huge implications for India's demographic dividend. In addition, the dangerous lurch towards majoritarianism will cast its shadow on India's pursuit of prosperity for all.

Unshackling India examines the question: Can India use the next twenty-five years, when it will reach the hundredth year of independence, to restructure not only its economy but rejuvenate its democratic energy and unshackle its potential-to become a genuinely developed economy by 2047? The book argues that India can foster a prosperous and inclusive economy if it sets its mind to it, acknowledges the hard truths, and lays out the clear choices and new ideas India must adopt towards that end.

Register here: Book Club - Unshackling India by Ajay Chhibber

February 13, 2025

Algorithms of Armageddon: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Future Wars  by George Galdorisi and Sam J. Tangredi 

“Algorithms of Armageddon is the essential book for anyone trying to understand why the United States must win the “AI arms race” with our potential adversaries, China and Russia.”—Adm. James Stavridis, USN (Ret.), former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO

Today, the United States’ peer adversaries—China and Russia—have made clear their intentions to make major investments in AI and insert this technology into their military systems, sensors and weapons. Their goal is to gain an asymmetric advantage over the U.S. military. The implications for our national security are many and complex. Algorithms of Armageddon examines this most pressing security issue in a clear, insightful delivery.  The authors address the manner by which AI is being developed and used by Russia and China, explore the dangers of  AI-enabled military weapons systems  leading to full-scale global war and the possibility of humans failing to control military AI applications. This book provides a time-critical understanding of why AI is being implemented through state weaponization, the realities for the global power balance, and more importantly, U.S. national security. Authors Galdorisi and Tangredi propose a national dialogue that focuses on the need for U.S. military to have access to the latest AI-enabled technology in order to provide security and prosperity to the American people.

Register here:  Book Club - Algorithms of Armageddon: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Future Wars by George Galdorisi and Sam J. Tangredi

March 13, 2025

Oil, the State, and War: The Foreign Policies of Petrostates  by Emma Ashford 

"Ashford's book is frequently an exercise in myth-busting: she applies rigorous analysis to some of the most pervasive and widely held ideas surrounding oil and oil-states, and draws conclusions that are...often compelling and thought provoking."—H-Diplo

A comprehensive challenge to prevailing understanding of international implications of oil wealth that shows why it can create bad actors

In a world where oil-rich states are more likely to start war than their oil-dependent counterparts, it's surprising how little attention is still paid to these so-called petrostates. These states' wealth props up the global arms trade, provides diplomatic leverage, and allows them to support violent and nonviolent proxies. In Oil, the State, and War, Emma Ashford explores the many potential links between domestic oil production and foreign policy behavior and how oil production influences global politics. Through a combination of case studies and analysis, she illustrates how oil shapes petrostates' behavior, filling a major gap in our understanding of the international implications of oil wealth. 

Register here:   Book Club - Oil, the State, and War: The Foreign Policies of Petrostates by Emma Ashford

April 10, 2025

 How the World Ran Out of Everything: Inside the Global Supply Chain by Peter S. Goodman  

“[A] colorful and very readable look at how the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc with supply chains.” — Wall Street Journal

The last few years, particularly during the pandemic, have radically highlighted the intricacy and fragility of the global supply chain. Enormous ships were stuck at sea, warehouses overflowed, and delivery trucks stalled. The result was a scarcity of everything from breakfast cereal to medical devices, from frivolous goods to lifesaving necessities. Sabotaged by financial interests, loss of transparency in markets, and worsening working conditions for the people tasked with keeping the gears turning, our global supply chain has become perpetually on the brink of collapse. In How the World Ran Out of Everything, award-winning journalist Peter S. Goodman reveals the fascinating innerworkings of our global supply chain and the factors that have led to its constant, dangerous vulnerability. Through the stories of the human players who operate it, Goodman weaves a powerful argument for why reforming our supply chain is crucial. 

Register here:   Book Club - How the World Ran Out of Everything: Inside the Global Supply Chain by Peter S. Goodman

Past Book Club Selections

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