The Fix

June 20, 2016
Tepperman, managing editor of Foreign Affairs, examines global problem solving in this survey of how 10 countries and their respective leaders addressed concerns such as Islamic fundamentalism, inequality, and political corruption. His survey is global, providing an in-depth look at such controversial figures as Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Harry Lee of Singapore, and Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico. He tells the story of how Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in Canada devised an immigration policy that “abandoned ethnicity” in favor of “educational, professional, and technical qualifications.” He explains how Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s welfare program “Bolsa Família” (Family Grant) curbed inequality by providing cash assistance to its recipients. In the United States, he looks at how the fracking industry was developed under President Gerald Ford’s leadership, and how former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg tackled post-9/11 security issues. He concludes that the world’s leaders will only solve the biggest problems by putting party alliances and ideology aside. The book is an enjoyable read, even for those less informed about foreign policy. Tepperman’s attempt to provide solutions rather than mere analysis of the problems is noble, even if many readers will disagree with the solutions he puts forward.

April 15, 2016

The world in decline? Not so fast, says Tepperman, managing editor of Foreign Affairs. Here he highlights ten huge challenges, then offers solutions grounded in the accomplishments of governments worldwide, e.g., Indonesia's campaign against extremism. Read it and don't weep; with a 75,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2016

Tepperman (managing editor, Foreign Affairs) doesn't deny that things in the world are bad. In fact, the introduction to his engrossing book outlines ten areas--from inequality to energy to Islamic extremism--that are seemingly intractable problems. After this bleak setup, Tepperman shares ten case studies of leaders who have taken on major issues and succeeded in effecting positive change. For example, he describes Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's Bolsa Familia program in Brazil, which gave cash directly to the poor and brought millions of citizens into the middle class. Others come from Indonesia, Singapore, Botswana, the United States, South Korea, and Mexico, demonstrating that these optimistic accounts are not restricted to one part of the world nor to a particular form of government. While the individual pieces are riveting and well told, Tepperman is after more than simply highlighting "good news" among the bad. He concludes by elucidating what is common across these situations and what leaders--of nations or any other kind of organization--might learn through the crisis. VERDICT This well-written and surprisingly accessible volume will attract general readers interested in current affairs and political science as well as academic audiences at all levels. [See Prepub Alert, 3/28/16.]--Rachel Bridgewater, Portland Community Coll. Lib., OR

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.