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Peter Zeihan
Peter Zeihan in October 2022
Born (1973-01-18) January 18, 1973 (age 51)
NationalityAmerican
Occupations
  • Geopolitical analyst
  • Author
Websitezeihan.com

Peter Henry Zeihan (/z.ən/; born January 18, 1973) is an American author whose books span geopolitics.[1][2] He is the author of The Absent Superpower (2017), Disunited Nations (2020), and The End of the World Is Just the Beginning (2022).

Early life and education[edit]

Zeihan was born in 1973,[3] and grew up as the adopted son of educators Jerald and Agnes Zeihan in Marshalltown, Iowa. He graduated from Marshalltown High School in 1992.[4] In 1995, he obtained a BS in political science at Northeast Missouri State University and in 1997 a postgraduate diploma in Asian studies at the University of Otago.[citation needed]

According to Zeihan, he was discouraged by his experiences during his work at the American Embassy in Australia and at Susan Eisenhower's think tank, the Center for Political and Strategic Studies, he began working as an analyst for Austin-based geopolitical intelligence firm Stratfor in 2000.[4][5][6] Zeihan spent 12 years at Stratfor, eventually rising to vice-president.[6]

While still at Stratfor, Zeihan coauthored his first book, A Crucible of Nations, with Lauren Goodrich in 2011. He left Stratfor in 2012, founding a consulting firm Zeihan on Geopolitics that same year. His client list reportedly grew to include energy companies, financial institutions, business associations, agricultural interests, universities, and other government organizations.[7]

Career[edit]

In 2014 he released Accidental Superpower. The book was reviewed by The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Kirkus Reviews.[5][8][9] The book focused on topographical and geographical landmarks (rivers, oceans, mountains, etc.) as distinct advantages in a state's ability to dominate other countries economically, industrially, and militarily. With the use of maps, Zeihan pointed out that navigable rivers, or access to the oceans, along with a reliable road or rail network make a critical difference.[5] Accidental Superpower also used demographic calculations of national populations to forecast how different countries will maintain an edge in the geopolitical future.[10] He subsequently published three more books The Absent Superpower (2017), Disunited Nations (2020), and The End of the World Is Just the Beginning (2022).

Accolades and honors[edit]

Writing for The Independent Review, Robert Gmeiner of Methodist University praised Peter's The End of the World Is Just the Beginning saying "Realism and competence are hallmarks of Zeihan’s book."[11]

Publications[edit]

  • Stratfor; Goodrich, Lauren; Zeihan, Peter (April 27, 2011). A Crucible of Nations. ISBN 9781461109426.
  • The Accidental Superpower: The Next Generation of American Preeminence and the Coming Global Disaster. Twelve. February 23, 2016 [2014]. ISBN 9781455583683.
  • The Absent Superpower: The Shale Revolution and a World without America. January 1, 2017. ISBN 9780998505206.
  • Disunited Nations: The Scramble for Power in an Ungoverned World. Harper Business. March 3, 2020. ISBN 9780062913685.
  • The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization. Harper Business. June 14, 2022. ISBN 9780063230477.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Pen and Sword: Disunited Nations, with Peter Zeihan (podcast)". Stratfor. April 2, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  2. ^ Whittemore, Nathaniel (April 1, 2020). "How Coronavirus Is Accelerating the End of Globalism, Feat. Peter Zeihan". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  3. ^ "Executive Profile – Zeihan on Geopolitics – Peter Zeihan – Customer Intelligence". www.boardroominsiders.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Maharry, Robert (May 10, 2022). "Marshalltown native prepares to publish fourth book on geopolitics, demography". Times Republican. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Denning, Liam (December 3, 2014). "The Coming Hobbesian World." Review of The Accidental Superpower, by Peter Zeihan. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  6. ^ a b Immerwahr, Daniel (November 10, 2022). "Are we really prisoners of geography?". The Guardian. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  7. ^ "Peter Zeihan – Geopolitics Speaker & Strategist". National Speakers Bureau. July 20, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  8. ^ Zakaria, Fareed. "America's prospects are promising indeed". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  9. ^ The Accidental Superpower by Peter Zeihan. Kirkus Reviews.
  10. ^ Ikenberry, G. John (February 16, 2015). "The Accidental Superpower: The Next Generation of American Preeminence and the Coming Global Disorder". Foreign Affairs. No. March/April 2015. ISSN 0015-7120. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  11. ^ "The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization By Peter Zeihan". The Independent Review. 27 (4).

External links[edit]

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