I once worked for a man who regularly liked to append to his overly long letters the old line that if he had had more time he would have written a shorter letter. Writing this book has demonstrated to me that what’s true for letters is certainly true for books. Writing this short one took more time in many ways than some of the longer ones I have done . . . and for good reason. Each word counts for more and keeping the structure simple requires discipline.
Fortunately for me, I had the support and guidance of the great team at TED Books, led by Michelle Quint, who is as good an editor as I have ever had the privilege of working with. That means she is smart, patient, and able to maintain her sense of humor in all situations. I’m grateful to her and to everyone at TED, including, notably, Chris Anderson, who first asked me to give the TED Talk that led to this book, and who has taught me a great deal about how a great communications organization should be run.
My agent, Esmond Harmsworth, was, as ever, a vital support throughout the process, as have been my colleagues at Foreign Policy. From the leadership team at Graham Holdings, our parent company, including Don Graham and Tim O’Shaughnessy, to each and every member of the FP team, I get more intellectual stimulation and have more good fun working with them than anyone deserves in a job they also get paid for. My assistants during the production of this book, including especially Cathryn Hunt, were enormously supportive and would certainly deserve the first Nobel Prize for assistanting as soon as that is created.
I also want to thank the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where I have long been a visiting fellow for support and to acknowledge the great leadership there of ambassador William Burns. My program there is supported by my good friend, the great philanthropist and thinker Bernard L. Schwartz, and I am deeply grateful to him not just for the support but for the many long conversations we have had on the subjects covered herein. Finally, I would also like to express my thanks to my colleagues at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, notably Dean Merit Janow.
Others who have helped me hone these ideas in conversation are too numerous to mention here, but trust me, I will thank each of you in person. Two ongoing friendships have played an especially important role in shaping my views on the subjects in this book, and those are the ones I enjoy with Tom Friedman and my longtime colleague and mentor, Jeff Garten. I will be forever grateful to them for helping me to grow intellectually and for regularly making me look much smarter than I am.
Naturally, the most patient, kind, loving, and wise people I know are my family, and for them there is more than thanks—there is also love. My mom, a writer, inspired me to do this for a living. My brother and sister have always been there for me. My daughters, Joanna and Laura, are my pride and joy, the reasons I think about the future and feel it is so vital we fight and scrape and innovate to make the best one we can. They are smart and talented and beautiful and kind and more reward than any one person deserves in a lifetime. And then, compounding that great good fortune, there is Carla. She not only fills me with love but she inspires me in infinite ways. To live and travel and enjoy life with a partner who is also a muse and wise advisor and the world’s greatest expert on where to find the best snacks . . . that’s more than I ever dreamt possible. To her, to Joanna and Laura, and to everyone else noted here or unjustly overlooked, you have my deepest gratitude.