How to Run the World: Charting a Course to the Next Renaissance book cover

How to Run the World Summary

Charting a Course to the Next Renaissance

Parag Khanna
3.36(238 Reviews)

How to Run the World Summary Overview

In "How to Run the World," geopolitical visionary Parag Khanna reimagines global governance through "mega-diplomacy" - a revolutionary framework endorsed by Google's Eric Schmidt. Could this provocative blueprint, blending corporate power with diplomatic finesse, be our roadmap through the "new Middle Ages" into a modern Renaissance?

Key Themes in the How to Run the World Summary

  • neo-medieval geopolitics
  • mega-diplomacy
  • multi-stakeholder governance
  • non-state actors
  • global city-states

Best Quotes from the How to Run the World Summary

  • Cities, not nations, form the building blocks of global activity.

  • We live again in an age of superstition.

  • NGOs and corporations constitute a new colonialism.

  • Action-oriented networks have become the cornerstone of twenty-first-century diplomacy.

  • Govern globally, act locally.

Characters in the How to Run the World Summary

  • Parag KhannaAuthor and strategist proposing mega-diplomacy
  • Andry RajoelinaLeader who seized power in Madagascar in 2009
  • Zbigniew BrzezinskiDiplomatic luminary who praised Khanna's vision

About the Author

About the Author of How to Run the World

Parag Khanna, internationally bestselling author of How to Run the World: Charting a Course to the Next Renaissance, is a leading global strategist and founder of AI-driven geospatial analytics firm AlphaGeo.

A Georgetown and London School of Economics graduate, Khanna’s work explores geopolitics, global governance, and civilizational evolution, informed by his roles at the Brookings Institution, U.S. National Intelligence Council, and Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. His trilogy on world order—The Second World, How to Run the World, and Connectography—establishes frameworks for 21st-century diplomacy, while The Future is Asian (2019) redefines regional power dynamics.

A frequent commentator on CNN, BBC, and TED (with talks exceeding three million views), Khanna’s insights stem from advising governments and traveling to 150+ nations, including conflict zones like Iraq and Afghanistan. Recognized among Esquire’s “75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century,” his books have been translated into 20+ languages, cementing his status as a visionary in global affairs.

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