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Aftershocks: Pandemic Politics and the End of the Old International Order by Colin Kahl and Thomas Wright takes a look at the global impact of COVID-19, including the political outcomes for the future. Mr. Kahl and Mr. Wright are America national security expects.

It’s important to realize that we’re still far away from the end of COVID-19, but books about the mishandling of the pandemic on a global level are starting to come out. Aftershocks: Pandemic Politics and the End of the Old International Order by Colin Kahl and Thomas Wright is certainly one of them.

Unlike other books I read, such as Preventable, this one touches on the international community as well, not the US specifically. The book is well outlined, and furthermore sourced to a fault.

The year 2020 has been a strange one, some people certainly fared well… I felt as if I aged five years. The authors point out that this is the first crisis in several decades lacking American leadership, as well as international cooperation. Furthermore, the authors assess that the damage to United States prestige and diplomatic power done by the Trump Administration’s actions will forever hinder America’s soft power and trust among allies.

The book was very informative, as well as very readable. The authors go to great lengths to make sure all of their information is, indeed, sourced. If not from an academic work specifically, then from a person who spoke “on the record”, for the most part.

The book discusses the past, present, and future of many countries and their readiness. Equally important, the success and failures are also being discussed in an analytical, apolitical manner.

That being said, this book is not all doom and gloom. The concerns going forward are discussed towards the end in a very efficient manner.

Whether or not COVID-19 is going to have the significant geopolitical ramifications the book states remains to be seen. However, we can already see the signs on the wall for the next pandemic.

I went in hopeful about this one, but I was let down. When learning about something like this, I try to learn from as unbiased sources as possible or many diverse perspectives (while understanding it’s hard for any person to be 100% unbiased). The first chapter is more of a shit-On-Trump fest than informative in my opinion. There were parts that were super informative and I could tell the authors know what they’re taking about, but they failed to leave their personal bias out & that instantly made me question their motives and insights.