An essential account of the major events of the twenty-first century

Allegations that lab leaks led to a global pandemic. The astounding rise and fall of cryptocurrency. The proliferation of polarizing leaders. The continuous unrest in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Ukraine. It is clear that the world as we know it is rapidly unravelling. If you've ever caught yourself wondering: 'What's going on? How did we get here? Where are we headed?' this book has some answers for you.

In clear prose, economist Rohit Prasad examines the major economic, geopolitical and social events of the current century, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the US debacle in Afghanistan, the rise of Trump, the appeal of Putin, the influence of Big Tech and the erosion of human relationships. Along the way, Prasad reveals how the ideology of 'rationality' helped build our world, and how the current fault lines represent its highest development as well as its last dance.