2020: China experiences a severe crisis triggered by conflicts between the poor and rich populations, and disappears from the world stage. 2050: Poland surpasses Germany economically and politically. 2080: Solar power from space secures global energy supply. 2100: Mexico challenges the USA as the heavyweight of the American continent. George Friedman, an internationally renowned expert in political strategy, paints a provocative picture of our future. Based on the analyses from the research institute Stratfor, which he founded, he explains geopolitical patterns of the last centuries and provides contentious yet well-founded answers to the major economic and socio-political questions of our time.