... a shot in the arm to many who have watched their public administrations struggle with the challenges of the modern world.

The pandemic has prompted an outpouring of works by public intellectuals purporting to draw meaning from the crisis, and to prescribe the necessary solutions. But as with so many entrants in this growing genre, the virus is more visible in Micklethwait and Wooldridge’s account of the problems than in their menu of solutions. Covid-19 may be a wake-up call, but it is apparently no reason to reconsider longstanding political views.

Sometimes instant books can be too instant.

Thought-provoking, somewhat wonky reading for those looking beyond the current plague toward future geopolitical trends..

... thought-provoking yet flawed.