From the former secretary of state and bestselling author -- a
sweeping look at the global struggle for democracy and why America must
continue to support the cause of human freedom.
"This heartfelt and at times very moving book shows why democracy
proponents are so committed to their work...Both supporters and skeptics
of democracy promotion will come away from this book wiser and better
informed." -- The New York Times
From the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union to the
ongoing struggle for human rights in the Middle East, Condoleezza Rice
has served on the front lines of history. As a child, she was an
eyewitness to a third awakening of freedom, when her hometown of
Birmingham, Alabama, became the epicenter of the civil rights movement
for black Americans.
In this book, Rice explains what these epochal events teach us about
democracy. At a time when people around the world are wondering whether
democracy is in decline, Rice shares insights from her experiences as a
policymaker, scholar, and citizen, in order to put democracy's
challenges into perspective.
When the United States was founded, it was the only attempt at
self-government in the world. Today more than half of all countries
qualify as democracies, and in the long run that number will continue to
grow. Yet nothing worthwhile ever comes easily. Using America's long
struggle as a template, Rice draws lessons for democracy around the
world -- from Russia, Poland, and Ukraine, to Kenya, Colombia, and the
Middle East. She finds that no transitions to democracy are the same
because every country starts in a different place. Pathways diverge and
sometimes circle backward. Time frames for success vary dramatically,
and countries often suffer false starts before getting it right. But,
Rice argues, that does not mean they should not try. While the ideal
conditions for democracy are well known in academia, they never exist in
the real world. The question is not how to create perfect circumstances
but how to move forward under difficult ones.
These same insights apply in overcoming the challenges faced by
governments today. The pursuit of democracy is a continuing struggle
shared by people around the world, whether they are opposing
authoritarian regimes, establishing new democratic institutions, or
reforming mature democracies to better live up to their ideals. The work
of securing it is never finished.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
