Book Club: After the Fall

Abstract

In After the Fall, Ben Rhodes reflects on how America has shaped the world we live in and recent world events. He spent three years interviewing a wide-ranging set of players across the globe who are confronting the threats of nationalism and authoritarianism in their own countries that includes Cuban rebels, a Russian opposition leader, and Hong Kong protestors. It became clear that what was happening here in America was not some black swan event, it was part of a wake of events in the wider world. Decades of American capitalism, technology, and the politicized pursuit of national security helped set the stage for nationalistic appeal across the globe. Through his travels Rhodes learns that looking squarely at where America has gone wrong makes clear how essential it is to fight for what America is supposed to be, for our own country and the entire world.

About the Author

Ben Rhodes is a best-selling author and co-host of Pod Save the World. From 2009 to 2017, he served as deputy national security advisor to President Barak Obama, managing presidential communications on national security issues. Rhodes also formerly served under Congressman Lee Hamilton (2002-2007). Rhodes holds an M.F.A. from New York University and a B.A. from Rice University.