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The Great Wave: The Era of Radical Disruption and the Rise of the Outsider
An urgent examination of how disruptive politics, technology, and art are capsizing old assumptions in a great wave of change breaking over today’s world, creating both opportunity and peril—from the Pulitzer Prize–winning critic and author of the New York Times bestseller The Death of Truth .
The twenty-first century is experiencing a watershed moment defined by chaos and uncertainty, as one emergency cascades into another, underscoring the larger dynamics of change that are fueling instability across the world.
Since the global financial crisis of 2008, people have increasingly lost trust in institutions and elites, while seizing upon new digital tools to sidestep traditional gatekeepers. As a result, powerful new voices—once regarded as radical, unorthodox, or marginal—are disrupting the status quo in politics, business, and culture. Meanwhile, social and economic inequalities are stoking populist rage across the world, toxic partisanship is undermining democratic ideals, and the internet and AI have become high-speed vectors for the spread of misinformation.
Writing with a critic’s understanding of cultural trends and a journalist’s eye for historical detail, Michiko Kakutani looks at the consequences of these new asymmetries of power. She maps the migration of ideas from the margins to the mainstream and explores the growing influence of outsiders—those who have sown chaos and fear (like Donald Trump), and those who have provided inspirational leadership (like Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky). At the same time, she situates today’s multiplying crises in context with those that defined earlier hinge moments in history, from the waning of the Middle Ages to the transition between the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era at the end of the nineteenth century.
Kakutani argues that today’s crises are not only signs of an interconnected globe’s profound vulnerabilities, but also stress tests pointing to the essential changes needed to survive this tumultuous era and build a more sustainable future.
The twenty-first century is experiencing a watershed moment defined by chaos and uncertainty, as one emergency cascades into another, underscoring the larger dynamics of change that are fueling instability across the world.
Since the global financial crisis of 2008, people have increasingly lost trust in institutions and elites, while seizing upon new digital tools to sidestep traditional gatekeepers. As a result, powerful new voices—once regarded as radical, unorthodox, or marginal—are disrupting the status quo in politics, business, and culture. Meanwhile, social and economic inequalities are stoking populist rage across the world, toxic partisanship is undermining democratic ideals, and the internet and AI have become high-speed vectors for the spread of misinformation.
Writing with a critic’s understanding of cultural trends and a journalist’s eye for historical detail, Michiko Kakutani looks at the consequences of these new asymmetries of power. She maps the migration of ideas from the margins to the mainstream and explores the growing influence of outsiders—those who have sown chaos and fear (like Donald Trump), and those who have provided inspirational leadership (like Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky). At the same time, she situates today’s multiplying crises in context with those that defined earlier hinge moments in history, from the waning of the Middle Ages to the transition between the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era at the end of the nineteenth century.
Kakutani argues that today’s crises are not only signs of an interconnected globe’s profound vulnerabilities, but also stress tests pointing to the essential changes needed to survive this tumultuous era and build a more sustainable future.
190 pages, Paperback
First published February 20, 2024
48 people are currently reading
697 people want to read
About the author
Michiko Kakutani
9 books435 followersMichiko Kakutani is a Pulitzer Prize-winning literary critic and the former chief book critic of The New York Times.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
July 5, 2024
I get where this book comes from - an attempt to understand why the world is getting so messed up lately. But there's nothing new here. It's a recital of random facts and anecdotes loosely connected in the form of a common narrative. The narrative thinks of itself as a "why", but honestly it's just a more detailed version of the "what" or "how".
May 29, 2024
This had all the makings of an excellent book in principle but unfortunately, fell way short in the execution. It was a dizzying grocery list of all of today’s major decisive issues sprinkled in with all the key terms of the current political zeitgeist. I actually felt like I got more out of the book in the epilogue summation than the main book. It’s a shame as I do broadly agree with the author’s views and despite my personal issues with the book, her warnings about the far right and other dangerous groups should not go unheeded.
November 10, 2024
Michiko Kakutani is a well-known literary critic, but this was my first exposure to her. The title and premise intrigued me (and, of course, the awesome cover art). Kakutani sets out to examine the current state of things through the lens of radical disruptors—in other words, outsiders who promise change and a break from tradition/the status quo. Understanding this concept is more relevant than ever.
Through this lens, Kakutani addresses politics, history, technology, and art. While she introduces several ideas and ties in interesting bits of information throughout, I often felt that the book lacked a necessary cohesion. Chapters felt like islands unto themselves. While the information itself could be engaging, at times I wondered how Kakutani would tie certain things to her overall argument. Nevertheless, her writing style is direct and thoughtfully construed; she is able to convey information in a pleasant, almost narrative style.
Perhaps the author was preaching to the choir a bit for me, but I still anticipated more examination and arguments around her central thesis. The chapter plates with different images from Hokusai’s ‘Views of Mt. Fuji’ series were a clever part of the design, along with the cover. However, this could not sufficiently make up for the lack of substance. I suppose one positive aspect of the novel is that it does broach a lot of topics relevant to modern political and social thought; since I haven’t delved too much into those spheres, I did appreciate that this was somewhat a refresher on those topics. Yet, it remains surface-level at best.
The author’s argument and understanding of outsiders is an important one, and I do not mean to dismiss it on the lack of merits for this book. However, if she were to develop these ideas further and with greater nuance, this book would have been much more compelling.
Through this lens, Kakutani addresses politics, history, technology, and art. While she introduces several ideas and ties in interesting bits of information throughout, I often felt that the book lacked a necessary cohesion. Chapters felt like islands unto themselves. While the information itself could be engaging, at times I wondered how Kakutani would tie certain things to her overall argument. Nevertheless, her writing style is direct and thoughtfully construed; she is able to convey information in a pleasant, almost narrative style.
Perhaps the author was preaching to the choir a bit for me, but I still anticipated more examination and arguments around her central thesis. The chapter plates with different images from Hokusai’s ‘Views of Mt. Fuji’ series were a clever part of the design, along with the cover. However, this could not sufficiently make up for the lack of substance. I suppose one positive aspect of the novel is that it does broach a lot of topics relevant to modern political and social thought; since I haven’t delved too much into those spheres, I did appreciate that this was somewhat a refresher on those topics. Yet, it remains surface-level at best.
The author’s argument and understanding of outsiders is an important one, and I do not mean to dismiss it on the lack of merits for this book. However, if she were to develop these ideas further and with greater nuance, this book would have been much more compelling.
April 17, 2024
وإذن فقد اختارت كاكوتاني الرمز الأمثل للحياة في عام 2024، وهي تكتب في المقدمة أن الموجة الهائلة ’صورة تجسد مشاعر الخوف والرجاء التي تصاحب التغيرات السريعة التي لا يمكن التنبؤ بها’. وترينا كاكوتاني ببراعة في كتابها أن التغير الهائل يأتي بتحولات ثقافية هائلة. والأمثلة التي تضربها لها صداها، فالكتاب تذكرة ثقيلة بأن من التغيرات (بادية) السلبية ما لا يبقى سلبياً إلى الأبد، بل إنها كثيراً ما تكون شديدة الأهمية وضرورية لإحداث أي شكل من التطور". وتقول كاكوتاني إن كثيراً للغاية من أزمات العالم قد يعد "تحذيرات جادة" أو "اختبارات ضغط". وتكتب أن "الخطر والأزمة قد يصدمان الناس ويخرجانهم من الرضا عن الذات". وتعلق روزنتال قائلة إننا "حينما نفكر في توابع صدمات كوفيد وانتخابات الرئاسة الأميركية لعام 2016 وحركة "حياة السود مهمة" في عام 2020، نجد أن تقديرها دقيق".
"وعلى مدار الكتاب تواصل كاكوتاني هذا النهج: تخبرنا بتغيير أو حركة كبرى في التاريخ، مما يتسم في الغالب بالضخامة والراديكالية، لترينا كيف نتحرك انطلاقاً منه. ورغم سعادتي بالمراجعة التي تقدمها لهذا التاريخ واهتمامي بتحليلاتها، فكثيراً ما وجدت نفسي أتساءل عن الغرض الحقيقي من الكتاب. لأن أقساماً منه تجعلني أتصور أن هدف كاكوتاني الحقيقي هو ثني الناس عن انتخاب ترمب في 2024، فكأنها من خلال مراجعتها للتاريخ وأمثلته تقول ’إننا ارتكبنا هذه الأخطاء وتعلمنا منها ولا ينبغي أن نرتكبها مجدداً’".
وتدلل روزنتال على ذلك بأن كاكوتاني تنتهز فرصة حديثها عن "دعم الصحافة المستقلة بوصفها أساساً للديمقراطية الناجحة لتؤكد أن ’الشعب لا بد أن يدرك مخاطر فوز ترمب وإعادة انتخابه في 2024’، أو لتناقش وعوداً انتخابية معينة قطعها ومن شأنها أن تجعل ولاية ثانية له ’أشد استبدادية من الأولى’". وتوشك روزنتال أن تنفي أي قيمة لذلك الجهد لأن "طبيعة القارئ الذي قد يقرأ لكاكوتاني هي بصفة عامة طبيعة الناخب الذي يؤثر بايدن أو أي ديمقراطي آخر، فهو يقرأ هذا الكتاب ليؤكد قناعات راسخة عنده أصلاً. ورغم أن كتاب ’الموجة الهائلة’ يشتبك مع مواضيع ثقيلة ورغم أهميته الثقافية التي لا جدال فيها، لا أعتقد أنه سيصل إلى الجمهور الذي يحتاج إليه أشد الاحتياج".
إلا أن "الموجة الهائلة" لم تغفر لكاوكاتاني ماضيها وخبرتها المهنية التي يبدو أنها التصقت بها فلم يعد يمكن تجاوزها عند قراءة كتاب لها. وكأن لعنة التصنيف التي تجعلنا في العالم العربي لا نقبل رواية من شاعر أو نقداً من روائي أو رأياً في الدين من أقل من نبي، هي لعنة عالمية تحول فعلاً دون قراءة منصفة لكتاب مثل "الموجة الهائلة" ولكتب أخرى كثيرة يكتبها غير "أهل الاختصاص"، مهما يكن الاختصاص.
وها هو دان كُويْس يتساءل "لماذا ترغب ناقدة كتب مرهوبة الجانب في التحول إلى تأليف الكتب، وتأليف هذه النوعية من الكتب بالذات؟ لماذا ترغب ميتشيكو كاكوتاني في أن تصبح ديفيد بروكس أو يوفال نوح هراري؟". ثم يقول في نهاية مقاله إن "كاكوتاني، خبيرة مراجعات الكتب، راجعت السنوات الـ10 الماضية، فقرأت كل ما يمكن قراءته على الإنترنت، ودونت ملاحظات مسهبة، وهي الآن تقدم لنا هذه الملاحظات". وعلى طريقة كاكوتاني التي لم تكن تتحرج من تقييم الكتب يتساءل دان كُويْس: "هل ما تقدمه جيد؟ لا، إنما هو سيئ".
قد يكون ما تفعله كاكوتاني محض "مراجعة" ضحلة، وقد يكون أخف مما ينبغي، قد يكون التفاؤل أو الرغبة في بث التفاؤل، سبباً في زيغ بعض تحليلاتها، وقد يكون الفزع من ولاية جديدة لدونالد ترمب قد غلبها في مواضع من الكتاب، ولكن تشخيص كاكوتاني دقيق للأزمة التي تعتري العالم الآن، وإحساسها مبرر بأن عشرينيات القرن الحالي لحظة مفصلية لن يكون العالم بعدها مثلما عهدناه قبلها، ودعوتها إلى الخروج بخير من هذه الفوضى العارمة لا ينبغي أن تقابل بالرفض.
"وعلى مدار الكتاب تواصل كاكوتاني هذا النهج: تخبرنا بتغيير أو حركة كبرى في التاريخ، مما يتسم في الغالب بالضخامة والراديكالية، لترينا كيف نتحرك انطلاقاً منه. ورغم سعادتي بالمراجعة التي تقدمها لهذا التاريخ واهتمامي بتحليلاتها، فكثيراً ما وجدت نفسي أتساءل عن الغرض الحقيقي من الكتاب. لأن أقساماً منه تجعلني أتصور أن هدف كاكوتاني الحقيقي هو ثني الناس عن انتخاب ترمب في 2024، فكأنها من خلال مراجعتها للتاريخ وأمثلته تقول ’إننا ارتكبنا هذه الأخطاء وتعلمنا منها ولا ينبغي أن نرتكبها مجدداً’".
وتدلل روزنتال على ذلك بأن كاكوتاني تنتهز فرصة حديثها عن "دعم الصحافة المستقلة بوصفها أساساً للديمقراطية الناجحة لتؤكد أن ’الشعب لا بد أن يدرك مخاطر فوز ترمب وإعادة انتخابه في 2024’، أو لتناقش وعوداً انتخابية معينة قطعها ومن شأنها أن تجعل ولاية ثانية له ’أشد استبدادية من الأولى’". وتوشك روزنتال أن تنفي أي قيمة لذلك الجهد لأن "طبيعة القارئ الذي قد يقرأ لكاكوتاني هي بصفة عامة طبيعة الناخب الذي يؤثر بايدن أو أي ديمقراطي آخر، فهو يقرأ هذا الكتاب ليؤكد قناعات راسخة عنده أصلاً. ورغم أن كتاب ’الموجة الهائلة’ يشتبك مع مواضيع ثقيلة ورغم أهميته الثقافية التي لا جدال فيها، لا أعتقد أنه سيصل إلى الجمهور الذي يحتاج إليه أشد الاحتياج".
إلا أن "الموجة الهائلة" لم تغفر لكاوكاتاني ماضيها وخبرتها المهنية التي يبدو أنها التصقت بها فلم يعد يمكن تجاوزها عند قراءة كتاب لها. وكأن لعنة التصنيف التي تجعلنا في العالم العربي لا نقبل رواية من شاعر أو نقداً من روائي أو رأياً في الدين من أقل من نبي، هي لعنة عالمية تحول فعلاً دون قراءة منصفة لكتاب مثل "الموجة الهائلة" ولكتب أخرى كثيرة يكتبها غير "أهل الاختصاص"، مهما يكن الاختصاص.
وها هو دان كُويْس يتساءل "لماذا ترغب ناقدة كتب مرهوبة الجانب في التحول إلى تأليف الكتب، وتأليف هذه النوعية من الكتب بالذات؟ لماذا ترغب ميتشيكو كاكوتاني في أن تصبح ديفيد بروكس أو يوفال نوح هراري؟". ثم يقول في نهاية مقاله إن "كاكوتاني، خبيرة مراجعات الكتب، راجعت السنوات الـ10 الماضية، فقرأت كل ما يمكن قراءته على الإنترنت، ودونت ملاحظات مسهبة، وهي الآن تقدم لنا هذه الملاحظات". وعلى طريقة كاكوتاني التي لم تكن تتحرج من تقييم الكتب يتساءل دان كُويْس: "هل ما تقدمه جيد؟ لا، إنما هو سيئ".
قد يكون ما تفعله كاكوتاني محض "مراجعة" ضحلة، وقد يكون أخف مما ينبغي، قد يكون التفاؤل أو الرغبة في بث التفاؤل، سبباً في زيغ بعض تحليلاتها، وقد يكون الفزع من ولاية جديدة لدونالد ترمب قد غلبها في مواضع من الكتاب، ولكن تشخيص كاكوتاني دقيق للأزمة التي تعتري العالم الآن، وإحساسها مبرر بأن عشرينيات القرن الحالي لحظة مفصلية لن يكون العالم بعدها مثلما عهدناه قبلها، ودعوتها إلى الخروج بخير من هذه الفوضى العارمة لا ينبغي أن تقابل بالرفض.
June 12, 2024
Surprisingly delightful
I’m not sure where I got this recommendation but this book offers a coherent and enjoyable view of how change occurs in societies and the good that can come from disruption.
I’m not sure where I got this recommendation but this book offers a coherent and enjoyable view of how change occurs in societies and the good that can come from disruption.
April 26, 2024
I don't get what the author wants to convey. Maybe this book is just not for me. It seems that the author is simply happy to throw in any global, pop culture, and viral references that might shape the current context.
Bought this book based on Kinokuniya March 2024 reference. I had high expectations at first regarding how the author would describe these 'great waves' in shaping our future. But after reading it, it might be more suitable for Western readers.
One thing that struck me the most is that the author only bothers to mention the Palestine situation in just one paragraph, and tries so 'carefully' to remain neutral. Hey, this book is published in 2024, and don't you think that the Palestine situation deserves better place as one of the great waves for the current global context? At least, it is for me, but not for the author. So, one star.
Bought this book based on Kinokuniya March 2024 reference. I had high expectations at first regarding how the author would describe these 'great waves' in shaping our future. But after reading it, it might be more suitable for Western readers.
One thing that struck me the most is that the author only bothers to mention the Palestine situation in just one paragraph, and tries so 'carefully' to remain neutral. Hey, this book is published in 2024, and don't you think that the Palestine situation deserves better place as one of the great waves for the current global context? At least, it is for me, but not for the author. So, one star.
July 25, 2024
EN: “The Great Wave” by Michiko Kakutani left me a bit disappointed. While the audiobook addresses important issues like misinformation and cultural changes, it felt more like a collection of commonly known facts rather than offering new insights. I agree with the author’s views, but the way the ideas were presented didn’t keep me engaged. If you’re familiar with these topics, you might not find much new here.
December 27, 2024
“The delusions of American liberalism”
I actually enjoyed the part where Michiko Kakutani wrote about literature and found her analysis interesting and well thought. But that is about it. The rest were useful as an insight into the failure of imagination of the American Liberal intelligentsia.
There are 5 issues with the book. But perhaps the biggest failure is that in her attempt to warn of the dangers of Trump, she ends up exemplifying why much of the world (and at least half of the US) hates American liberalism, it is self-righteous, classiest and brutal.
First, the writer clearly lacks understanding of international affairs, leading to a situation where she recycles shallow explanations of current and historical events. She repeats old and tried American liberal explanations of history and politics, without questioning how did these narratives became the dominant one in the first place. The minimal mentions of Israel/Palestine Ukraine/Russia, could have been written by a random journalist at NYT who cannot speak Hebrew, Arabic, Ukrainian or Russian. This shallow reading of politics leads to flawed understanding of the world and the subject of the book, the outsider.
Second, there are several contradictions in the book. While celebrating BLM and even quoting MLK for his criticism of white allies, she then unironically copy pastes Israeli talking points about security concerns and completely erases the Palestinian side of the story. She celebrates the anti-apartheid movement, but not a word about Israeli settler colonialism or apartheid. She talks about the great replacement theory, but no mention of the Islamophobia inherent to it, she talks about antisemitism, but no mention of anti-arab hate. The failure to take note of these contradictions is a clear mark of american liberalism. In a sense, for all her writings about misinformation, she seems very happy to peddle misinformation if it suits her worldview.
Third, there is virtually no self-reflection on the contradictions above or on the role of the Democratic (and republican) party mainstream in paving the way for this moment. The liberal double standards have long been acknowledged by everyone outside the democratic establishment. Whether in launching wars of aggression, use of force, surveillance, propaganda, disinformation, torture, repression, censorship, enabling billionaires to shape politics, undermining international and national laws, and so on. To her, the new republican party is the first one that adopted these tactics. However, for anyone following closely, these tactics have long been used by democrats & republicans alike.
Fourth, there is no mention, apart from passing references, to the economic realities that are underlying the rise of the far right. This failure to take into consideration class meant that she had to resort to simplistic explanations of why 10s of millions vote for trump. She call that “misinformation” but fails to consider that many who vote Trump have serious economic concerns, with Liberals unable and unwilling to address them, leaving only Trump and the far right solutions on display. It should not be a surprise that people will choose the one offering solutions.
Finally, and perhaps the ultimate vice of American liberalism is the self-righteousness on display throughout the book. Even referring to an alliance of the establishment consisting of all but trump democrats & republicans as the “resistance.” In that world of delusions, there is a dangerous binary of good & evil. Trump is bad, Biden is good. Current Republicans are bad, democrats and old republicans are good. This simplistic analysis inherently leads to the same cliche of the ivory tower intellectual.
I actually enjoyed the part where Michiko Kakutani wrote about literature and found her analysis interesting and well thought. But that is about it. The rest were useful as an insight into the failure of imagination of the American Liberal intelligentsia.
There are 5 issues with the book. But perhaps the biggest failure is that in her attempt to warn of the dangers of Trump, she ends up exemplifying why much of the world (and at least half of the US) hates American liberalism, it is self-righteous, classiest and brutal.
First, the writer clearly lacks understanding of international affairs, leading to a situation where she recycles shallow explanations of current and historical events. She repeats old and tried American liberal explanations of history and politics, without questioning how did these narratives became the dominant one in the first place. The minimal mentions of Israel/Palestine Ukraine/Russia, could have been written by a random journalist at NYT who cannot speak Hebrew, Arabic, Ukrainian or Russian. This shallow reading of politics leads to flawed understanding of the world and the subject of the book, the outsider.
Second, there are several contradictions in the book. While celebrating BLM and even quoting MLK for his criticism of white allies, she then unironically copy pastes Israeli talking points about security concerns and completely erases the Palestinian side of the story. She celebrates the anti-apartheid movement, but not a word about Israeli settler colonialism or apartheid. She talks about the great replacement theory, but no mention of the Islamophobia inherent to it, she talks about antisemitism, but no mention of anti-arab hate. The failure to take note of these contradictions is a clear mark of american liberalism. In a sense, for all her writings about misinformation, she seems very happy to peddle misinformation if it suits her worldview.
Third, there is virtually no self-reflection on the contradictions above or on the role of the Democratic (and republican) party mainstream in paving the way for this moment. The liberal double standards have long been acknowledged by everyone outside the democratic establishment. Whether in launching wars of aggression, use of force, surveillance, propaganda, disinformation, torture, repression, censorship, enabling billionaires to shape politics, undermining international and national laws, and so on. To her, the new republican party is the first one that adopted these tactics. However, for anyone following closely, these tactics have long been used by democrats & republicans alike.
Fourth, there is no mention, apart from passing references, to the economic realities that are underlying the rise of the far right. This failure to take into consideration class meant that she had to resort to simplistic explanations of why 10s of millions vote for trump. She call that “misinformation” but fails to consider that many who vote Trump have serious economic concerns, with Liberals unable and unwilling to address them, leaving only Trump and the far right solutions on display. It should not be a surprise that people will choose the one offering solutions.
Finally, and perhaps the ultimate vice of American liberalism is the self-righteousness on display throughout the book. Even referring to an alliance of the establishment consisting of all but trump democrats & republicans as the “resistance.” In that world of delusions, there is a dangerous binary of good & evil. Trump is bad, Biden is good. Current Republicans are bad, democrats and old republicans are good. This simplistic analysis inherently leads to the same cliche of the ivory tower intellectual.
June 21, 2024
In "The Great Wave: The Era of Radical Disruption and the Rise of the Outsider," Michiko Kakutani delivers an incisive and profound exploration of the seismic shifts reshaping the contemporary world. Known for her sharp analytical prowess, the Pulitzer Prize-winning critic examines the erosion of old certainties and the rise of outsiders challenging the established order.
Kakutani’s work is both a timely diagnosis and a historical reflection. She deftly navigates through the complexities of our current epoch, marked by political upheaval, cultural transformations, and technological advancements. The book captures the essence of an era where traditional institutions and elites are losing their grip, making way for a diverse array of radical voices. Whether they are populists, protesters, or hackers, these outsiders are wielding newfound power to disrupt the status quo. Figures such as Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky are emblematic of this wave – one representing chaotic disruption, the other inspirational leadership.
What sets "The Great Wave" apart is Kakutani's ability to contextualize the present by drawing parallels with historical hinge moments. From the decline of the Middle Ages to the post-World War II reconstruction, she highlights how periods of great turmoil have always harbored the potential for profound transformation. This historical lens not only enriches the narrative but also provides a sense of hope and direction.
Kakutani argues that in the face of such radical changes, society stands at a crossroads. We can either succumb to the chaos or harness the disruptive energy to forge a more stable and sustainable future. This duality is explored with a sense of urgency and optimism, making the book a call to action as much as it is a critique.
In sum, Kakutani’s latest offering is a masterful blend of cultural criticism, historical analysis, and forward-thinking perspective. It is a profound reminder that in the face of disruption, there is always an opportunity for renewal and transformation.
Kakutani’s work is both a timely diagnosis and a historical reflection. She deftly navigates through the complexities of our current epoch, marked by political upheaval, cultural transformations, and technological advancements. The book captures the essence of an era where traditional institutions and elites are losing their grip, making way for a diverse array of radical voices. Whether they are populists, protesters, or hackers, these outsiders are wielding newfound power to disrupt the status quo. Figures such as Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky are emblematic of this wave – one representing chaotic disruption, the other inspirational leadership.
What sets "The Great Wave" apart is Kakutani's ability to contextualize the present by drawing parallels with historical hinge moments. From the decline of the Middle Ages to the post-World War II reconstruction, she highlights how periods of great turmoil have always harbored the potential for profound transformation. This historical lens not only enriches the narrative but also provides a sense of hope and direction.
Kakutani argues that in the face of such radical changes, society stands at a crossroads. We can either succumb to the chaos or harness the disruptive energy to forge a more stable and sustainable future. This duality is explored with a sense of urgency and optimism, making the book a call to action as much as it is a critique.
In sum, Kakutani’s latest offering is a masterful blend of cultural criticism, historical analysis, and forward-thinking perspective. It is a profound reminder that in the face of disruption, there is always an opportunity for renewal and transformation.
December 9, 2024
Exploring ways that the rapid, disruptive change in technology, politics, and society is reshaping global dynamics—these shifts fundamentally transforming society & create forces that drive unpredictability & radical change.
Current advancements like AI, the influence of millennials & gen Z generations, & the rise of unconventional leaders like Trump establishes new political landscapes that are challenging traditional institutions.
👤 Kakutani, a thought leader in socio-political analysis, examines the power of decentralisation, outsider innovation, and resilience in the face of volatility.
🗒️ Few points discussed
• Decentralisation as a Force for Change & Disruptive Leadership
How decentralisation disrupted traditional hierarchies that shift away from central control and how populist leaders like Trump represent a break from traditional political norms creating a more polarised society.
• Outsider Influence & Tech Innovations
How outsiders—whether immigrants, unconventional thinkers, or creative innovators—drives major societal shifts. AI transforming industries, creating economic shifts & ethical dilemmas, while posing risks like job displacement & surveillance issues
• Resilience in a World of Crisis & Influence of Gen Z and Millennials
How “VUCA” (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) concept leads to crises response & ways younger demographic influence modern politics & culture that pressures businesses & politicians to adapt.
Through historical lens, The Great Wave considers the impact of outsiders—from hackers to immigrants to unconventional thinkers—who challenge norms, bringing about sweeping transformation across diverse domains. Kakutani offers a framework for resilience in the face of a rapidly changing & often unpredictable world, inviting us to think critically & adaptively about our roles in this era of transformation.
Current advancements like AI, the influence of millennials & gen Z generations, & the rise of unconventional leaders like Trump establishes new political landscapes that are challenging traditional institutions.
👤 Kakutani, a thought leader in socio-political analysis, examines the power of decentralisation, outsider innovation, and resilience in the face of volatility.
🗒️ Few points discussed
• Decentralisation as a Force for Change & Disruptive Leadership
How decentralisation disrupted traditional hierarchies that shift away from central control and how populist leaders like Trump represent a break from traditional political norms creating a more polarised society.
• Outsider Influence & Tech Innovations
How outsiders—whether immigrants, unconventional thinkers, or creative innovators—drives major societal shifts. AI transforming industries, creating economic shifts & ethical dilemmas, while posing risks like job displacement & surveillance issues
• Resilience in a World of Crisis & Influence of Gen Z and Millennials
How “VUCA” (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) concept leads to crises response & ways younger demographic influence modern politics & culture that pressures businesses & politicians to adapt.
Through historical lens, The Great Wave considers the impact of outsiders—from hackers to immigrants to unconventional thinkers—who challenge norms, bringing about sweeping transformation across diverse domains. Kakutani offers a framework for resilience in the face of a rapidly changing & often unpredictable world, inviting us to think critically & adaptively about our roles in this era of transformation.
October 21, 2024
2.5 stars. I had a different idea of what I thought this book would be, though I really should've known from the subtitle what it would be about.
The biggest issue of this book, in my opinion, is the author's habit of criticizing and pointing out real issues with the establishment/status quo, and then turning around to attack the disruptive or fringe groups and characters that have arisen to challenge the status quo. Compounding this issue is the "both sides bad" mindset she seems to carry. Clearly, she does focus more on the concern of a rising far-right challenge, but that feels like more a response to recent events, especially those centered around the Trump presidency, than to a preference for "far-left" solutions.
My other issue is that, perhaps due to how small the book is, the whole story isn't told about many of the events or crises the author cites, which I feel makes them at least somewhat misleading in order to fit her narrative. For instance, she goes along with the common silicon valley founding story, of a counterculture challenging the old ways, instead of the real story that involves the silicon part of silicon valley being a reference to the chip manufacturing there for use in military weaponry. Very much a non-countercultural activity.
The biggest issue of this book, in my opinion, is the author's habit of criticizing and pointing out real issues with the establishment/status quo, and then turning around to attack the disruptive or fringe groups and characters that have arisen to challenge the status quo. Compounding this issue is the "both sides bad" mindset she seems to carry. Clearly, she does focus more on the concern of a rising far-right challenge, but that feels like more a response to recent events, especially those centered around the Trump presidency, than to a preference for "far-left" solutions.
My other issue is that, perhaps due to how small the book is, the whole story isn't told about many of the events or crises the author cites, which I feel makes them at least somewhat misleading in order to fit her narrative. For instance, she goes along with the common silicon valley founding story, of a counterculture challenging the old ways, instead of the real story that involves the silicon part of silicon valley being a reference to the chip manufacturing there for use in military weaponry. Very much a non-countercultural activity.
February 16, 2024
I read an advanced readers copy of this book, so remarks made may not 100% accurately depict the final release.
This is a great book if you want to learn about many different subjects and historical events without getting too deep into them. I really enjoyed reading this book, especially the last half of it when Kakutani began to discuss how technology disrupted the world and social status quo. Although preachy at times, I feel like this book is a spring board to dive into a range of new information and topics. I'll be picking up a copy eventually just for the slew of topics and referenced materials to draw upon in the future.
I recommend this book to everyone who is interested in revisiting the disruptive events of the past three decades, and those who collect perspectives like foreign coins.
This is a great book if you want to learn about many different subjects and historical events without getting too deep into them. I really enjoyed reading this book, especially the last half of it when Kakutani began to discuss how technology disrupted the world and social status quo. Although preachy at times, I feel like this book is a spring board to dive into a range of new information and topics. I'll be picking up a copy eventually just for the slew of topics and referenced materials to draw upon in the future.
I recommend this book to everyone who is interested in revisiting the disruptive events of the past three decades, and those who collect perspectives like foreign coins.
September 3, 2024
The Law od Unintended Consequences in one book! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Technology has definatly had a an amazing effect on society worldwide. It's been shocking to watch the advancest of computers within my lifetime, I remember how computers were when computers enterded the homemarket, then the work place , etc,,, it hasn't all been for the better as we've learned. In these chaotic times, Ms Katutani has managed to corral all the various uprisings, wars, disease, elections, computers and other issues societies are facing to show how they have changed societies in the past. Scary days are ahead, I'm sure. The book leans heavily toward Democrates in politics, but still worth a read by anyone who wants to read about how this all may affect us in the future.
I received an ARC from Netgalley interchange for a fair review.
I received an ARC from Netgalley interchange for a fair review.
January 14, 2025
A short and easy read but I wasn't really impressed with it. To start, I'd like to preface by saying that I'm actually on the left politically and I mention that for what comes next.
This book was the same sort of whiny liberal plea to action and vague warnings about things as you can get in a thousand other books published every year. They do nothing, they fix nothing, and they don't understand why they lost two elections to Trump, so I'll offer my opinion.
Rather than Kakutani preaching to the choir and acting like she's trying to convince a bunch of people who probably already agree with her, it would be better if she spent her time trying to figure out how to talk to conservatives and the people who voted for Trump. Instead, they're just contributing to an echo chamber where everyone is sitting around going, "Yeah, that's right! Yeah!"
This book was the same sort of whiny liberal plea to action and vague warnings about things as you can get in a thousand other books published every year. They do nothing, they fix nothing, and they don't understand why they lost two elections to Trump, so I'll offer my opinion.
Rather than Kakutani preaching to the choir and acting like she's trying to convince a bunch of people who probably already agree with her, it would be better if she spent her time trying to figure out how to talk to conservatives and the people who voted for Trump. Instead, they're just contributing to an echo chamber where everyone is sitting around going, "Yeah, that's right! Yeah!"
June 6, 2024
‘In a 1996 letter to a friend, [Seamus] Heaney wrote of individuals feeling pressures from a "group's demands for loyalty" and the selfish pride that is "rampant at the moment." Change and conciliation, he concluded, require that people not only stop choosing "the intoxication of defiance" but also find their way toward "the civic, sober path of adjustment." Then maybe—maybe—they could exchange "the haughtiness of the hurt spirit for the humdrum and caritas of renewal."’
An excellent book about almost all the major crises that threaten our world today. But curiously, no mention of the genocide in Gaza. From literary criticism to political commentary, the book offers a kaleidoscopic portrait of the chaotic contemporary times. Moderately essential to read—as a primer on these issues.
An excellent book about almost all the major crises that threaten our world today. But curiously, no mention of the genocide in Gaza. From literary criticism to political commentary, the book offers a kaleidoscopic portrait of the chaotic contemporary times. Moderately essential to read—as a primer on these issues.
May 30, 2024
This is a nice time capsule to provide a broad overview of the insanity of the Trump to COVID era. The research and references are extensive, and yet this book is easy to consume. I wouldn't recommend this book for depth learning purposes, but it does bring to light a lot of issues that most (news-savvy and liberal space peoples) may already be aware of. I'd imagine this book is pretty difficult to write and organize, considering how so many issues (from AGI to protest countercultures to disinformation) are so inextricably tied to one another. But I didn't mind that much as it's enjoyable to go through all these examples again to read history in this way.
May 9, 2024
It is ironic that in this book about how everything is new and changing, there was nothing new. I mostly agreed with it, but I had read it all before. There were no new insights, no interesting interpretations of where the confusing and sometimes threatening and seemingly directionless trends of contemporary society are taking us, and no program for how to flourish in the face of constant change and uncertainty. It was just more of the same old stuff to further stir us up and create discomfort and cognitive dissonance. I can get this from Facebook and CNN without reading books.
July 27, 2024
This book is an interesting take on where the world is at this moment in time. We've moved past VUCA into a world that's destabilised on so many fronts its hard to keep up with them all, and even you could, hard to know what to 'do' rather than be a passive bystander.
I enjoyed the read although at times its almost as if the author is showing off how much she has read. I was looking for a bit more exploration of the outsider theme and some of the chapters don't really fit.
Worth the effort but wouldn't rush out to buy it.
I enjoyed the read although at times its almost as if the author is showing off how much she has read. I was looking for a bit more exploration of the outsider theme and some of the chapters don't really fit.
Worth the effort but wouldn't rush out to buy it.
August 8, 2024
She writes well. Quick read. Nothing mind blowing, narrative is very biased from a particular worldview. Although I happen to agree with a lot of her perspectives, it comes off as what you’d expect from a NY Times critic. She is well versed across multiple genres and disciplines. But can come off as superficial. But all in all flows well and I would think it has several use cases as more of an introductory book covering these topics, if one has not considered or looked deeply into them already.
October 15, 2024
My expectations for this book were a bit different to what it actually was about. I thought it would be an analysis of the key trends we are seeing now, such as disruptors in business, politics, social movements, and then a comparison to other times in history where this may have happened before. But no, it was more about a description of the cultural and political events over the last 5 years or so. It was interesting, but if you keep up to date with current affairs you wont find much that is new here.
March 22, 2024
An annotated bibliography on the theme of tumultuous change in the contemporary world. Kakutani's own convictions are too much in evidence for the book to serve as anything other than a kind of jeremiad, so I wouldn't recommend it as a source of information about our predicament. If you expect a guide to current thinking about political change and activism, you will be pleased.
I enjoyed the essay, but then I agree with Kakutani on her stated points.
I enjoyed the essay, but then I agree with Kakutani on her stated points.
May 5, 2024
Please note: I read and advanced reader's copy and not the final version.
It was interesting and I enjoyed the touch points of various historical events and people. However, I sometimes found myself becoming distracted by wanting more information and more connection to the subject.
There were also some moments that felt like fear mongering but I get that some folks might need that vibe to get the picture.
It was interesting and I enjoyed the touch points of various historical events and people. However, I sometimes found myself becoming distracted by wanting more information and more connection to the subject.
There were also some moments that felt like fear mongering but I get that some folks might need that vibe to get the picture.
May 30, 2024
Some really interesting points about the slew of political, social and cultural disruptions we are facing today. Unfortunately, the review in the Wall Street Journal acknowledging the unfortunate prevalence of “partisan platitudes” was spot on. The great points made by the author are minimized by the partisan and ideological blindspots. Recommended reading to find a good starting point for discussing disruptions, but take the politics with a grain of salt.
June 4, 2025
M Kakutani's better works are 'Ex Libris', and 'The Poet at the Piano'. 'The Great Wave' is a meandering, shallow book, the theme of which is unclear. What is clear is the author's disdain for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, balanced only by her near worship of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This review is not to defend Trump /Putin or an attack on Zelenskyy, but to inform that the book is biased, so that readers looking for a unbiased balanced view of the world will be disappointed.
April 21, 2024
I wanted to like this, but it's ultimately far more descriptive of current trends than offering any unique or valuable framing of these well known trends. Strangely for a book reviewer the amount of books mentioned varies widely. The chapters with lots of references offer some great quotes and reading suggestions, but many others are strangely absent.
February 14, 2024
Inarguably, we are in an age of turmoil, but Kakutani's fast-paced book offers only limited analysis or answers.
Full review is at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Full review is at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
February 26, 2024
I seem to be reading on a theme of late. This was an interesting book to follow-up “Filterworld” with, touching on a couple of shared themes, but taking it in additional directions. I would have liked this to delve deeper into its themes, but it was still an interesting read.
December 5, 2024
It was okay in highlighting what we already know, but didn't do so in a way that felt unique or robust enough to change anyone's opinion to the side of it's obvious message - and I'm already on that side.
April 28, 2025
A smooth read through the worst of subjects, where we are. Not without hope. Lots of evidence how immigrants, artists & outliers affect change. And things feel real cyclical in U.S. history. Hamilton was 21 in 1776?!
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