Why Don't They Teach This Stuff?

In "The Importance of Being Earnest," Oscar Wilde's very upright English aristocrat Lady Bracknell says something like " I hate arguments; they are so often convincing."

Well, this book is a convincing and not-altogether-welcome argument, but an important and sobering one nevertheless. Using rock-solid evidence from lots of sources (modern and historical), Robert Kaplan tells us why we shouldn't dismiss geography as a determiner of politics simply because technology has made the world so "small". Our assumption that the whole world would be democratic if it just had the chance and the right example has tripped the US (and others) up most recently in Afghanistan and Iraq. The overturn of oppressive governments in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and potentially Syria may not be turning out the way we thought/hoped they would either.

So, woe to those who don't know or heed the lessons of history and the enormous influence that geography has always had on the peoples of the world! I suppose this should be self-evident, but it wasn't made clear in the history classes I took.

Many of the theories of geopolitical history and warfare are quite detailed and scholarly and will be more than some readers wish to explore. The lessons, though, seem to me to be essential in understanding not only the past but in preparing for the future.

These truths may be unpalatable and frightening for those of us who believe that, at heart, all human beings basically think alike and want the same things. I suspect Kaplan's more realistic and more cautionary view of the world is correct, and we should all hear about it.

I was often uncomfortable listening to this, but I recommend it highly for those who want a clear-eyed view of what may be coming in the future!

25 people found this helpful

Painful to listen to

I really wanted to like this book because I love history and current events. Maybe my opinion of the book would have been different if I had read it instead of listening to it as an audiobook. The narration was so painful. He would stop in the dead center of a sentence so it sounded like this: "The mountains kept forces at bay." (stop) .......... (extremely long pause) "and this affected the type of army that the county would build." He especially did this after the word "which" and as you can easily imagine, that inappropriate pause broke up the entire train of thought.

The theory behind the book is that geography affects countries which affects war which affects current events. But the book is very disorganized - shooting from one country to another, with ancient history followed by current events. There has to be a better way to organize the topics.

This is the first time I have not finished a book but I couldn't take it anymore. I intend on making another effort but the fact that I consider reading this to be a chore says plenty.

25 people found this helpful

Like Sitting in a Verrrrrrrrrrry Long Lecture

I was initially very excited to listen to the book because of my interest in the subject. However, the first part of the book is like listening to someone reading a textbook aloud. 80 Percent of the first part of the download is a historical framing of the subject. This was, frankly, tedious (in large part due to the narration). I was twice tempted to just delete the book from my IPOD, but decided to continue. Finally, the book started to deliver on its premise and presented several insightful vistas of the future.

I generally do not like to post negative reviews, however, unless you are a die-hard devotee of the subject you may want to pass this one over.

15 people found this helpful

Slow to pick up

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I can only think of a very select few who'd be interested in this material.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Revenge of Geography?

Learning modern military national strategy

What aspect of Michael Prichard’s performance would you have changed?

It could have been more lively

Any additional comments?

I think another review I read on this book nailed it. The book was slow to pick up, the first half was pretty boring and read like a dry text book, but after that it got more interesting.

Learning about why Russia, Turkey, China and some other nations did X, or what some of China's actions say about it, or the importance of Mexico was really interesting. Long detailed summaries of academics was... dry..

7 people found this helpful

Decent read as a poli-sci textbook

Decent book but far too much "name dropping" of other political scientists and too little original thought. Author is a bit pretentious with frequent French phrases and bragging about his travels. Narrator reminded me of my old world history professor and he seemed almost bored speaking the material. Was hoping for interesting conclusions and analysis along the lines of George Friedman but was disappointed that he referred more often to the conclusions of others than developing his own.

2 people found this helpful

William Shatner Lectures You

What would have made The Revenge of Geography better?

I was so interested in this story, but I couldn't get past the first fifteen minutes. The narration is awful.

Would you ever listen to anything by Robert D. Kaplan again?

Absolutely not. There is a huge difference between a comma and a full stop. It was like listening to William Shatner read poetry.

What didn’t you like about Michael Prichard’s performance?

There is a huge difference between a comma and a full stop. It was like listening to William Shatner read poetry.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

I'll have to let you know after I check it out and read it myself.

12 people found this helpful

Weirdly racist

I am very fond of geographical analises of history and the new trends onwards, which truly is an under studied and under appreciated craft. However the book often loses its focus and start arguing how Geography is not stopping any of those "scary muslins" that are "coming for us" so we should pay more attention to that.
One of the main arguments of the last chapter literally is that the US should not wear itself down fighting wars in the Middle East because their muslins can't really get to "us", but the Mexicans can and they will ruin "our good culture". It really is a waste of what could have been a good book....
Signed: a latino reader

11 people found this helpful

Eye Opener

This audiobook does a good job of looking at regional issues and logically attempts to explain what to look out for and how it could impact the region and the rest of the world.

1 person found this helpful

A very good look at potential hot spots in the fut

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend it to a friend. The author is a very educated man who has traveled far and wide. His life experiences are a huge bonus in understanding geographic hotspots and the reasons behind the conflicts.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The author shares many stories of his world wide journies to help the listener understand the different areas. It is very helpful for a fuller understanding of the situation.

Which scene was your favorite?

I especially enjoyed the overview of China and the Middle East. It is helpful to know some geography before listening to this book.

Any additional comments?

A very thorough overview of potential conflicts in both the near term and long term.

2 people found this helpful

Geography in an entirely new light.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It is a fascinating history of the importance of geography in shaping world events.

Have you listened to any of Michael Prichard’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

3 people found this helpful