World on the Brink

An Economist Best Book of 2024

“Alperovitch and Graff make clear how gravely they view Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s threat to Taiwan by beginning with a carefully drawn description of a hypothetical Chinese invasion of the island in the days immediately following the 2028 U.S. presidential election.”

“A breezy and mercifully jargon-light book and an excellent source for the layman. Dmitri Alperovitch, chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator, a think-tank in Washington, and Garrett Graff, a journalist, neatly sketch the relevant history and current predicament, quote intelligently from a range of top 'China hands' and suggest a number of prescriptions... This book’s biggest contribution is that it also proposes a single goal for American policy, which is deceptively simple: America should just play for time.”

“World on the Brink serves as an alarm bell. It successfully highlights aspects of Sino-American competition that have long been overlooked by policymakers — for example, the significance of rare earth metals and critical minerals. Better still, it does so engagingly, which is no mean feat given the technical and hypothetical and jargon-laden way these discussions usually are written about.”

“An important book that stands apart from much of the current writing (and posturing) on China by its lack of hype, a clear exploration of the challenge China poses, and practical and well considered policy options… In the upcoming election, regardless of who wins, there will be changes (perhaps wholesale) in the national security team and whoever those people are – they would do well to spend time reading this book.”

"A thorough investigation of 'America’s top foreign policy challenge'...Deeply insightful advice for the coming decades."

“World on the Brink is a clear-eyed analysis of Cold War II and a game plan for winning it. Provocative and insightful, this is essential reading for understanding the American-made world order and the threats it faces.”

“An urgent, thought-provoking warning about one of the biggest challenges facing America today. A must-read on the most important issue in the world!”

“The stakes of Cold War II could not be greater. Alperovitch, one of our nation’s foremost experts on technology and national security, has skillfully crafted a game plan for freedom to once again be the victor. This is a book that needs to be read by all Americans.”

“Deeply researched and provocative, this is a powerful call to arms for Washington’s policy makers and a must-read for anyone watching global affairs, the twenty-first-century tech sector, and international business.”

“This is the first book to read if you want to understand the geopolitical landscape, what choices must be made, and how that will impact all of us.”

“Alperovitch and Graff make clear how gravely they view Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s threat to Taiwan by beginning with a carefully drawn description of a hypothetical Chinese invasion of the island in the days immediately following the 2028 U.S. presidential election.”

“In World on the Brink, Alperovitch delivers a clear-eyed, modernized strategy for confronting China and winning, one that acknowledges hard truths and, hopefully, will capture the attention of Washington policymakers and shape not just the conversation, but also policy itself.”

“World on the Brink should be required reading across the Defense Department, from U.S. warfighters to civilian policymakers alike. Its readable and cogent survey of the key aspects of great power competition makes it an excellent book for any reader to focus how they might make a contribution to winning the Second Cold War.”

“Alperovitch is to be commended for weaving such a varied panoply of policy ideas into a coherent, attractive, and practicable set of solutions.”