OP-ED: "Obama Needs a Better Reading List," by Thomas Frank, Wall Street Journal, 4 June 2008, p. A19. BOOK REVIEW: "America Dethroned: The Post-American World," by Parag Khanna, Washington Post National Weekly Edition, 2-8 June 2008, p. 39.

Some decent criticism of Zakaria's book from Frank, but he misses the big point: the "rise of the rest" is not to be fought, a key bit of advice to both Obama and "League of democracies" McCain. Zakaria says, in effect, the "rest" (or my New Core) rise within the liberal trade order of our making. I make the same basic point in Great Powers, albeit with a lot more vehemence, arguing, as I have for some time, that America naturally allies itself with the rising players. Where Zakaria sees a happy outcome to be encouraged, I see a purposeful one that must be exploited, but we see basically the same world: I just see opportunity where he first spots challenge. So fair for Khanna to say that "Zakaria leaves policymakers to figure out how to rank challenges and restore U.S. legitimacy," especially since that's my primary purpose in Great Powers! But also fair to point out (for me, that is), that Fareed and I see a world moving more and not less in our favor, if only America does not turn on it mindlessly--the big danger right now among the Dems. So it's a great thing for Obama to be reading Zakaria. Franks offers Galbraith's "Predator State" instead--enough said.