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

Written by Peter Zeihan

Narrated by Peter Zeihan

2019 was the last great year for the world economy.

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.

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. 

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Jun 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063230491

Peter Zeihan

Peter Zeihan is a geopolitical strategist and the founder of the consulting firm Zeihan on Geopolitics. His clients include energy corporations, financial institutions, business associations, agricultural interests, universities, and the U.S. military. He is the author of The Accidental Superpower and The Absent Superpower. He lives in Colorado.

Reviews for The End of the World is Just the Beginning

[Ethann Elwans · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A tour de force. A whirlwind tour of the vital components of civilization and a sobering warning to not take it for granted.
Zeihan’s logic seems unassailable and he extrapolates from existing technology.

Rapidly developing small nuclear reactor technology may bridge to to fusion and robotics may solve our labour problems, but this book does not assume anything we don’t have currently in widespread production.

If this book is accurate, these technologies will be life or death for many parts of the world.

[Robertas Strumila · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Some interesting thoughts indeed, but too pessimistic, sensation seeking statements, too much stupid jokes.

[Luci Luci · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Highly engaging, informative and so well presented.
Thanks, I hate it.

[Dillon Evans · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book. If Peter is correct, we have a very challenging world ahead.

[Lars Evers · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The narrator is so anoying. He thinks he is funny, but he is not

[Robert Ross · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Every politician in every western, and some eastern, country should read this and work out how we, belatedly, prepare ourselves for the shock. Read with an engaging and entertaining style by the author.

[Windhawk2019 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very entertaining delivery, but the conclusions are shallow and, I believe, misguided.

Yes, the coming demographic collapse of China is likely, but I do not believe it will be an implosion so much as a slooow unwinding.

Nor do I believe that de-globalization will lead to a dark ages disengagement where the US no longer plies the waves of Asia.

However, props for an amazing chunk of book delivery across a globe spanning range of topics.

[D W · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Immense. Immersive. Haunting. Excellent. Zeihan an team paint a picture we should all take note of.

[krishnanfromrgp · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Comprehensive look into multiple aspects of human evolution, society, nation states ; geo politics. Lots of value in it.

[Ashley Chapman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book, highly recommended. Birds eye viewpoint of large macro trends.

[colton shupe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The most interesting book I have ever listened to, we will see how accurate he is in the next 10 years

[Tim Ryder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great information presented with humor. Zeihan is a great storyteller

[Joseph Vallez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent work, rehashes a lot of the same views of his earlier works but nevertheless still a must read.

[Erik Claire · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very informative and well organized. Makes you think about what is possible if the United States bails on the rest of the world.

[Riho Friis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An amazing book about the realities of our world today, and the realities to come.

[Dice Hate Me · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The author comes with very strong credentials and experience, so it’s easy to take him seriously. The real strength of this book isn’t just his projections, but the careful reasoning he lays out for each conclusion. Zeihan is not just guessing, but basing his arguments on reasoned, sound ideas based on historical precedent and solid economic and geographic realities. Ignore the predictions in this book at your peril.

[Martin Varsavsky · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This books makes an incredible amount of prediction in a misleading tone of certainty. The most unproven assumption of this book is that Pax Americana is over and that chaos is next. Could this happen? I guess so. But according to this book it’s happened already.

[Kelly Steele · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Stunning in both scope and specificity, and written in a surprisingly wet and accessible manner this book is essential reading for leaders of any sector who plan to contend seriously with the challenges facing us in the future.

[David · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So much hard work went into this book, so many facts and figures, grow a garden and have back up power are 2 of my takeaways

[Meiyin kang · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant, fun, easy to understand. My fav book of the last month, maybe even last year. Great job!

[Marcelino Decena · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very informative as to the contemporary global affairs. Must read book!

[G A McKee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a gripping, fast moving read or, rather, listen. Narrated by the author, making it even more fluent. First impression is that he’s memorized the entire CIA Fact Book for all the 193 nation states in the world - and can rattle off statistics and data on demographics & material supply chains at a rapid pace to support his conclusions. And his conclusions as the title suggests, are not optimistic. As to Peter Ziehan’s background you can discover he was involved in the geopolitical think-tank STRATFOR but now has his own business heading a team of researchers. This book promotes pessimism and doom about the future of humanity. One antidote might be the Serenity Prayer because his predictions cannot be verified until they happen, and they might not happen.

[Jonathan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent look at the possible outcome of a world without naval security and a strong USA