The Rise and Fall of Nations

In this pioneering work, an acclaimed writer and investor outlines his system for identifying the rise and fall of economic powerShaped by his 25 years travelling the world, and enlivened by his encounters with presidents, tycoons and villagers from Rio to Beijing, The Rise and Fall of Nations rethinks the dismal science of economics as a practical art, based not just on crunching numbers but on live observation. He shows us how to read the political headlines, the world billionaire rankings, the price of onions and popular news magazine covers as signs of coming booms, busts and protests. Parsing the complicated flood of data on debt, trade and capital flows, Sharma explains exactly which numbers are most telling for a nation's fortunes, and when they signal a turn for the better or worse.In our post-crisis age that has turned the world on its head, and ended a decade of supercharged growth, replacing political calm with revolt, Sharma's pioneering book serves as a highly readable field guide to understanding change not only in this new era, but in any era.

“Filled with amazing data ... fascinating insights and revealing anecdotes, this is quite simply the best guide to the global economy today. Whether you are an observer or an investor, you cannot afford to ignore it.”

Filled with amazing data ... fascinating insights and revealing anecdotes, this is quite simply the best guide to the global economy today. Whether you are an observer or an investor, you cannot afford to ignore it. -- Fareed Zakaria
A fine guide to the great emerging market boom and bust. The Economist
Sharma's wealth of knowledge ... and ample experience on the ground are strong foundations for his exploration of what makes economies break out, or break down. Reuters
For sheer readability and insight on the developing world drama, I dare say you won't find a better choice. Wall Street Journal
A vital guide to the new economic order. -- Rana Foroohar Time

Ruchir Sharma is chairman of Rockefeller International and founder of Breakout Capital, an investment firm focused on emerging markets. He moved to Rockefeller in 2022 after 25 years at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, where he was head of emerging markets and chief global strategist. Based in New York, he is a columnist at the Financial Times and a former contributing opinion writer at The New York Times. He is the author of four books, including the international bestseller Breakout Nations and the New York Times bestseller The Rise and Fall of Nations.

'Amazing ... fascinating insights ... quite simply the best guide to the global economy today' Fareed Zakaria 'A vital guide to the new economic order' Rana Foroohar, Time 'The nub of the book is how to spot which countries are likely to succeed, and which to fail, in this impermanent world. Sharma offers a framework of 10 rules. The more of these rules countries achieve, the more they are likely to rise rather than fall ... it may just help you avoid picking losers' David Smith, Sunday Times 'Lively and informative' Martin Wolf, Financial Times 'As ambitious as it is well executed ... a mix of humble pragmatism and daring decisiveness' Reuters

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