Wonder and Worry

Contemporary History in an Age of Uncertainty

Nuanced contemporary history from a surprisingly optimistic viewpoint

The current global order appears to be collapsing. Long forgotten challenges, such as the return of great power competition and the specter of nuclear war, demand fresh attention, while novel, complex, and menacing planetary crises ranging from climate and disease to emerging technology loom. Meanwhile, the United States—the most consequential nation in the international system, behaves erratically and seems willing to abandon its decades-long strategy of building strong alliances, countering authoritarianism and supporting openness. Legacy institutions, and in particular, elite universities, appear unable to meet the moment and provide the scholarly insight and training needed to navigate this new world. How should we understand these unsettling trends?Wonder and Worry offers Francis J. Gavin's best insights on the pressing, fundamental questions we face. What is the state of world politics and the international system? What has been and should be America’s role in the global order? And what is the most effective way to evaluate, generate insight, and teach the next generation how to answer the first two questions? Gavin’s answers are nuanced, counterintuitive, and often surprisingly optimistic. Wonder and Worry is an incisive and accessible contemporary history for our uncertain age.

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