Outrageous Fortunes: The Twelve Surprising Trends That Will Reshape the Global Economy Book

Preface to the Paperback Edition ix

Introduction 1

Part I Limits

1 China will get richer, and then it will get poorer again 11

2 The European Union will disintegrate as an economic entity 29

Part II Obstacles

3 The new colonialism will leave the colonizers and the colonized worse off in the long term 49

4 Changing immigration policies in rich countries will worsen the brain drain from poor countries, even as they get richer 71

5 The backlash against capitalism won't last, but it won't be replaced by political stability, either 89

Part III Opportunities

6 Americans will become the world's sales force 111

7 As the global economy integrates, the middleman will win 129

8 The collapse of the World Trade Organization will unlock new gains from trade 142

9 A new set of lifestyle hubs will replace today's business hubs 158

Part IV Risks

10 An enormous financial black market will arise outside of traditional centers 177

11 Global warming will make rich countries cleaner and richer and poor countries dirtier and poorer 200

12 The structure of political institutions will stop the world from solving its biggest problems 215

Afterword 221

Notes 225

Acknowledgments 243

Index 245