'Michiko Kakutani offers a profoundly inspiring and prophetic perspective on the contemporary world. The Great Wave is an exceptionally rare book, marked by its deep, sincere, and precise comprehension of the formidable challenges that humanity faces in the third millennium. This may well be a pivotal turning point' Ai Weiwei '[A] deeply researched book . Useful lines to remember in this year of political choices' Tim Adams, The Guardian, Book of the Day 'In this dazzling and brilliant book, Michiko Kakutani explains the cascading chaos of our era and points to ways that we can regain some stability' Walter Isaacson 'Michiko Kakutani has somehow synthesized all the pain, promise and hope of our wild and dangerous times into a slim but potent volume full of elegant thought and perfectly worded analysis' Gary Shteyngart 'Michiko Kakutani is not only an invaluable literary denizen, but also a brilliant observer of how politics and culture disrupt the mechanics of power and influence . she argues for how our deeply interconnected world might better weather the competing crises that threaten to submerge us, should we not choose to better understand them' ELLE, Best Nonfiction Books of 2024 'Kakutani has chosen what may be a perfect symbol for life in 2024 . Important and culturally significant' Chicago Review of Books 'Kakutani contextualizes today's crises--from rampant populism to rising instability to environmental destruction--in the broad sweep of world history and points to ways to move past this era' Foreign Policy Magazine 'Kakutani may no longer be the New York Times' most-feared book critic, but a critic she remains. She brings effortless erudition . a confident and compelling writer' Minneapolis Star Tribune.