T.R. Reid
$25.95 (USD)
This is an amazing book that dispels the notion that the United States is the only superpower left on the planet. It should be mandatory reading for the every elected official in Washington, D.C. Through scary and detailed examples, this book shows the influence of the new Europe on everything that we Americans buy and even do. Because it represents a larger market than even the United States, the new European Union is shaping policy globally. This policy is not limited to what will be sold in Europe, but what will be sold by multinational corporations globally. The impact of this new Europe has been felt on companies as large and powerful as General Electric and Microsoft. Microsoft, for example, has still not been able to stop the anti-trust actions in Europe.
Here is a list of some of the chapters:
The Almighty Undollar
Welch’s Waterloo
L’Europe Qui Gagne
The European Social Model
Showdown of Capability Gap
Generation E
Waking Up to the Revolution
The Almighty Undollar is about the Euro. It is now the standard currency for all countries in the European Union or joining it. It provides a mechanism for all European countries to trade without tariffs or currency conversions and provides the world an alternative to the U.S. Dollar as a reserve currency. A reserve currency is a currency that is accepted by sellers from buyers regardless of the location of the buyer and seller. This has given the United States a great amount of economic power in the world. Unfortunately, this power is quickly being eroded by the Euro.
Welch’s Waterloo is about General Electric’s Jack Welch losing in his bid to merge Honeywell when the European Union decided that it was anti-competitive.
Less I get in to too much detail and ruin this superbly written and researched book, I will just say that it is sobering to read about the changes that are taking place in Europe and the fact these changes are hurting the United States in the world stage.
I recommend this book wholeheartedly.
