Frustrated With America? You’re Not Alone

The economy is in shambles, the government is divided on every important issue and there is yet another disappointment to add to the list: the country has fallen behind. “In what?” one might ask. In everything, according to Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum in their new book, That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World it Invented and How We Can Come Back.

This book is the product of the collaboration between a New York Times columnist (Friedman) and a professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (Mandelbaum).  Though both men have made careers out of their interest with international affairs, the domestic issues that have arisen in the last decade and their subsequent effects on America’s international reputation have compelled Friedman and Mandelbaum to change focus.

Split into five parts, Friedman and Mandelbaum’s book describes the various ways that America is losing its title as “head honcho” to other up-and-coming nations in categories ranging from technology to education. Part I, titled “The Diagnosis,” begins with the discussion of China and the advancements it has made that have allowed it to surpass America in technological innovation and efficiency. While I find that any talk of China becoming the next world superpower as trite, no matter how true it may be, Friedman and Mandelbaum succeed in portraying China and the strides they have made over the last few decades as an inspiration to America. One of America’s biggest problems, the authors explain, is that innovation in America has died, and all citizens need is to look to China to see just how crucial innovation is.

Though the first four parts of the book can leave the reader feeling depressed about the future of America, by the time I reached the end, it was clear that causing us to fear the fate of our nation was not the authors’ intention in writing this book. In fact, the final part, titled “Rediscovering America,” proves just the opposite. Holding true to their self-determined description as “frustrated optimists,” Friedman and Mandelbaum use an entire 59 pages to suggest solutions to the problems laid out in the first 13 chapters. This part of the book may have been the best, as it was made up of personal accounts of interactions with amazing Americans who are challenging the nation’s willingness to take the backseat in areas that it used to excel at.

For anyone on the verge of entering the workforce who is trying to determine what role to play in the country or the world (ahem, college students), this book is everything one needs to get both direction and inspiration. Friedman and Mandelbaum outline what this country needs in order to reach its full potential; now it is up to Americans to execute those changes.