More like Unreadable

The Age of the Unthinkable is the most underwhelming book I’ve read this year. It was written by Joshua Cooper Ramo who is a former foreign editor for Time magazine. I assumed that meant the book would be insightful and interesting but it was not. The Age of the Unthinkable reads like a really long magazine article but not even a Time article. It is way more sensationalist and bold without any facts to support the assertions. Ramo originally earned renown as the creator of the term “The Beijing Consensus,” a term that refers to the massive growth in China’s economy since the death of Mao Zedong. That is what made the book seem intriguing. It was also recommended by the Chief of Staff of the Army’s annual reading list. Thus, I assumed the book would be an interesting and beneficial read. Wrong. One Goodreads reviewer said the book is “a mile wide and an inch deep.” I couldn’t agree more.

Cooper Ramo spent most of his editing career in China and does legitimately have an interesting idea. The world does change faster now and there things that we, as a country and society, should be doing to change with it or prepare for it but Cooper Ramo never actually discusses what needs to be done. That was the greatest frustration with this book followed closely by the language. The book feels immature. It’s not written at a level befitting an editor. It’s written like a senior research paper.

Do yourself a favor and skip The Age of the Unthinkable and just read the news instead.