A review by liberrydude
Earning the Rockies: How Geography Shapes America's Role in the World by Robert D. Kaplan

4.0

An introspective and personal reflection on geography and American exceptionalism. Reminded me of a modern Tocqueville's "Democracy in America." Kaplan introduces us to his father, a bus driver, who took him on road trips through the East Coast. Now Kaplan is on the road in 2015 reflecting on America then and now. He introduces us to Bernard DeVoto, Wallace Stegner, and Walter Prescott Webb, among other chroniclers of American history and geography. Kaplan maintains that our unique geography and frontier experience mandates our role as a world power. He talks of the role of the individual and the role of community and how the the Great American Desert militated individualism. It's deep thoughts and when he finally reaches San Diego in sight of the Navy's ships he embarks on more thoughts about our role in the world with a discussion of imperialism. Humanitarianism could be considered imperialism. Democracy and human rights have replaced Christianity as the new flag to rally around. It's thought provoking with its foreign policy observations as well as the personal experience and observations of being a fly on the wall in dying and prospering towns along the route.