The End of Power

Starred review from January 14, 2013
Over the past few years, grassroots movements have redirected global conversations about power and rights, though the status quo in many cases has proved more resistant to change. Nevertheless, Naím (Illicit: How Smugglers, Traffickers and Copycats are Hijacking the Global Economy) contends that traditional forms of power are being transformed and shifted onto new shoulders. Having served as editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy and the executive director of the World Bank, Naím knows better than most what power on a global scale looks like. He first guides readers through an understanding of “How Power Got Big,” before demonstrating the myriad ways in which the dominance of hierarchical organizations is eroding. Technological developments have empowered individuals to group together for the betterment of society, but they have also enabled extremists to wreak havoc with very few resources. “The implications of the decay of power are momentous and manifold,” Naím argues. He says that our best defense is to be prepared: we must eschew “dangerously antiquated” notions of power and shift our focus from rising to the top to “inhabit the middle of the curve in a time of massive and rapid change.” It’s a timely, insightful, and eloquent message. Agent: Rafe Sagalyn, Sagalyn Literary.