That Used to Be Us How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back

As America wakes up to China's educational successes, industrial might and technological prowess, it is reminded of its own past -- and the paralyzed political system and eroding American values that have made it impossible to maintain its international position. In this prescient and controversial rallying cry, journalist and bestselling author Thomas Friedman and foreign policy scholar Michael Mandelbaum analyze the four key challenges facing America -- globalization, the revolution in information technology, the nation's chronic deficits and the pattern of excessive energy consumption -- and map out the changes needed to resurrect the American dream. Friedman and Mandelbaum believe that the recovery of American greatness is within reach, and propose a clear way out of the trap into which the country has fallen -- a way that includes the rediscovery of some of America's most vital traditions and the creation of a new third-party movement to galvanize the country.