A NEW YORK TIMES IDEA OF THE YEAR ' Takes us to a whole series of important places we might be disinclined to visit for ourselves and gives us glimpses of life on that messy borderland between the second world and the first . a great feat of reportage' Niall Ferguson, Financial Times 'Amid the recent surge of dashing political-military-international-affairs intellectuals, Khanna stands out as young, original, and roughed up.' Esquire At the end of the twentieth century, America dominated the world. No longer. We are on the verge of a new world order, and for anyone who wants to know who's holding the balance of power, Parag Khanna's bracing account of the increasing influence of the 'Second World' is vital reading. Reporting first-hand from more than fifty countries - in Eastern Europe, Central and East Asia, the Middle East and South America - Khanna travels through the heart of global power in the coming century, and takes you with him. Because America isn't the only choice anymore. These countries - from Libya to Venezuela to Azerbaijan - now have their pick of three superpowers: America, China and the EU.

Who they choose to ally themselves with will define the coming years. ' A thrilling tour d'horizon . witty, intelligent, insightful portraits of regions and countries struggling to find their way amid globalization's explosive advance' Thomas Barnett, National Review 'This is the sort of reporting newspapers can no longer afford to send correspondents to do . compelling and exciting' Malcolm Moore, Daily Telegraph Click here to view a recent talk titled 'Invisible Maps' at the TED Global conference in Oxford, England.