From renowned strategist and Russia expert, a new book on how to respond to the global crises we face today.
THE WORLD AFTER UKRAINE:
A Return to Values and the Building of a New Moral Order
by Garry Kasparov
Public Affairs, June 2023
(via The Gernert Company)
When Garry Kasparov’s 2015 book Winter is Coming predicted that Vladimir Putin would invade Ukraine, its warnings were largely ignored. But seven years later, his prophecies have come true – and it has finally shocked the West into action. America and many of its NATO allies have sent massive aid packages and defense weapons, and begun isolating Putin from his financial enablers. The effect has been powerful, and we can now begin to imagine his defeat, and what might follow it.
In THE WORLD AFTER UKRAINE, Kasparov again sees several moves ahead of the rest of us. He shows that the Ukraine crisis has brought us to a key moment: a chance to stem the rise of dictatorship across the globe. By showing the might of democracy and recommitting to a set of moral values we have allowed ourselves to ignore, we can fight back. He identifies the core tenets of this program in this book, and makes the case for how they can win the day.
Relying on his own experiences as first a Russian dissident, then an American civilian and the chairman of the Human Rights Foundation, Kasparov tells stories of oppression and autocracy across the globe, showing how they’ve been enabled by a world order that prizes strategic and financial assets above morality. He names the ideas and actions that can contain the threat of dictatorship and move us to a brighter, freer future.
Garry Kasparov is a Russian pro-democracy leader, global human rights activist, business speaker and former world chess champion. He is the author of Deep Thinking and Winter Is Coming, among other books.
Bringing the fresh perspective of a neuroscientist to a conversation long dominated by behavioral economists and social psychologists, Dr. Falk’s research is focused on a straight-forward question: What is actually happening in the brain when people make decisions? The answer is the value calculation, which has surprisingly little to do with what we typically think of as “values,” such as religion, political views, family tradition, or even our own stated goals. Dr. Falk reveals how our brains use the value calculation to balance a messy array of information to reach decisions in real time by playing a moment-to-moment, behind the scenes game of “would you rather” with a very simple set of inputs: self-relevance, social relevance, and what is front of mind in the moment. Understanding the science behind this value calculation, and how we can tip the scales in favor of the behaviors and values we want to prioritize, can allow us to make better decisions for ourselves – and make us more persuasive with others.
Red fur, amber eyes, a bushy tail: foxes are incredibly beautiful animals. We also think of them as intelligent, shrewd and playful. Yet foxes are not just smart: they have an extraordinary gift for empathy and are excellent communicators. They have a capacity for altruism and self-sacrifice, foster close emotional relationships, and are affectionate partners and loving parents. Foxes prove that you can achieve more through constructive debate than aggression, that smarts and flexibility can get us what we want, and that selflessness benefits everyone in the end.
No wonder we love trees so much. Even just a short stroll through a park or woodland helps us breathe easier and replenish our energy resources, and looking up into the leafy canopy above your head can help clear your mind. But beeches, yews, etc. also have a darker side: they commit all sorts of nefarious deeds, and are willing to poison, mutilate and kill to gain the advantage over their neighbours. In