Book Review: ‘The Fractured Age’ by Neil Shearing

Book Title: The Fractured Age
Author: Neil Shearing
Publisher: John Murray Business
Number of Pages: 288
ISBN: 978-1399825733
Date Published: Aug. 28, 2025
Price: INR 512

Book Review

Neil Shearing’s “The Fractured Age” offers a sharp and timely examination of a world economy in flux, as global power dynamics shift and traditional alliances strain under new pressures. Rejecting the popular notion of “deglobalization,” Shearing argues instead that we are entering an era of fracturing—a reordering of the global economy into competing blocs led by the United States and China. Drawing on his expertise as Chief Economist at Capital Economics, he uses clear, data-driven insights to explain how trade, investment, technology, and access to critical minerals are being reshaped by geopolitical rivalries. What stands out most is his ability to distill complex economic concepts into lucid prose, making this a book not just for policy analysts but also for anyone seeking to understand the world’s shifting economic landscape.

The book’s strength lies in its nuanced comparison of the two emerging power blocs. Shearing acknowledges China’s formidable rise but concludes that, aside from its dominance in critical minerals, the U.S.-led bloc still retains the upper hand in most key measures—trade, finance, and technology. His argument is balanced, backed by evidence rather than alarmism, and avoids the trap of overloading the reader with statistics. However, the review points out that Shearing may underestimate the fluidity of technological competition and the political unpredictability in the West. Recent events, such as U.S. tariffs on India and China’s accelerating advances in artificial intelligence and green technology, challenge the book’s relatively optimistic assessment of U.S. resilience.

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In conclusion, the book succeeds as both a diagnosis and a warning. Shearing captures the enormity of change underway while urging policymakers and businesses to adapt to a bifurcated world where cooperation and competition coexist uneasily. His exploration of technology, green innovation, and shifting alliances underscores how economic power is no longer static but is constantly being redefined. Insightful, measured, and deeply relevant, this book offers readers a crucial lens through which to understand the forces shaping our fractured yet interconnected age.

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