One Planet, One People: Beyond "Us vs. Them"

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Summary: All of human history--oh, and the future, too.
Review: Like books packed with Big Ideas unafraid to try to wrap themselves around the whole of this little experiment we humans have going on this planet? Like them even more when they are crisp, lively, and maximize your already overwhelmed reading time by being brief? Finally, do you lament the lack of common sense, rationality, and humanism in today's neo-medieval world of beheading and bible-thumping? This book will hit you like a fresh breeze. Coon has been around a while, has traveled widely, has an authoritative perspective on the U.S. Government as a former diplomat, has an open and curious mind, and ultimately has hope for us. The central (yet liberally enbroidered-upon) thesis of his book is that, when you step back and take the long view of human history, this history is one of ever-expanding social and political groups, from family to tribe all the way to the nation-state, the dominant grouping for the past few hundred years. Now we are in a transition from the nation-state to the final stage, a global identification. (Conservatives and U.N.-haters: don't turn your mind off; you'll get something out of this book even if you disagree with it.) Good thing, too, since the main problems we humans face are global and best addressed globally. But what form might this arrangement take? What are the obstacles to it? These and many other fascinating questions are explored illuminatingly in this miraculously slim volume, drawing on various fields including psychology, anthropology, geography, and others.