Fareed Zakaria with Malcolm Gladwell: Age of Revolutions

Fareed Zakaria and Malcolm Gladwell discuss Fareed’s new book, The Age of Revolutions, which investigates three historic eras that have shattered and shaped humanity and hold profound lessons for today. These include the economic revolution in the Netherlands in the 17th century, the political revolution in France in the 18th Century, and the Industrial Revolution in Britain in the 19th Century. Against these paradigm-shifting historical eras, Zakaria describes our current situation, unpacking the four revolutions we are living through now in globalization, technology, identity, and geopolitics.
Recorded March 26, 2024, at The 92nd Street Y, New York.
Your support helps us continue creating online content for our community. Donate now: www.92NY.org/Donate
Facebook: / 92ndstreety
Instagram: / 92ndstreety
Twitter: / 92ndstreety
Archives: www.92ny.org/archives

[@DottieStanley]

What a great interview! I love Fareed! He is so knowledgeable of our world. We need more people like him spreading the truth and teaching us about the history of the world.

[@allinballsout1]

😂 So was his wife also brought from India and delivered to him? The one with the PhD?

[@lostcat9lives322]

Except for the plagiarism.

[@DottieStanley]

@@allinballsout1 Research what the divorce rate is for those "arranged" marriages compared to the divorce rate in the U.S. or Europe. Both parties consent to the marriages, it's not like women are forced into anything they do not want.

[@Sam_Ardern_II]

​@@DottieStanleyon the surface the arranged marriages are not forced , but trust me I am an Indian , if you live here and understand the culture , arranged marriage is just a very cute name for socially sanctioned r*pe

[@Dctosd]

Mr. Gladwell's tangents always makes things interesting - excellent interviewer. He needs a Charlie Rose-like show.

[@laurascholz1540]

I could listen to these two all day. So smart and interesting!

[@ronalddearman4871]

Absolutely fantastic interview. I tip my hat to you, Mr. Gladwell.

[@appropriatelyinappropriate13]

I love that it takes 40 mins to start talking about Fareed's book:) I could listen to these guys exchange stories and thoughts all day. It's incredible how much can be learned about global hot button issues by listening to 2 guys talking about their experiences growing up and interacting with different cultures--while contextualizing that experience expertly. Both men are voracious consumers of other people's stories with a purpose (seemingly) to find hope, connection and insight that we can all apply in our lives. Their analysis of the outside world carries more weight with me because they appear to have applied that analysis inward first. Big fan.

[@thinktwice-me7ie]

Thank you. So lovely to listen to the two of you. I don´t know if anyone on earth equals Malcolm´s ability to listen and ask questions .

[@justafewquestions3647]

Fareed Zakaria with Malcolm Gladwell excellent!!!!!!! It was great that Malcolm Gladwell did do another basic interview.😎

[@JoseAngelHernandez-PhD]

Amazing interview. I tip my hat to Malcom for his interviewing/conversational chops and to Fareed for writing this book.

[@busa7414]

My two fav authors. One of the best interviews I’ve seen. Enjoyed it throughly.

[@carmencortelyou9463]

I’ve been an admirer of Fareed Zakaria for several years and have read a couple of his previous books. I’m reading this one now and I think it’s possibly his best yet.

[@shashanks.k855]

Thank you for bringing the 2 together. ❤

[@ugluduck2]

A Genuine man . . . very Humble and Wise . I real joy to listen and a LOT to learn from . Thank you so much Fareed !!

[@majozishow]

Great dialogue! Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@indiacenterofwestchester8944]

Loved this interview! It would be wonderful to have Farid in Westchester! We need to learn his perspective on a better world to live in and share it with dignity, respect and peace!

[@sumitradas6241]

He talks about being glad that his dad didn’t live to see today’s India . He Hopes true Hinduism prevail , many millions here too do🙏

[@RR-pc7yv]

True Hinduism is prevailing. No matter whatever Zakaria and company keeps ranting about. Irony is that his own father was an Isl...mist who pressurised the then Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi to ban Salman Rushdie's book Satanic Verses in 1980s, without even reading it. This is Zakaria's family's secularism and liberalism for you.

[@gutsglory7493]

True Hinduism was trying to prevail in Kashmir, Sindh, Bangladesh, and many parts of Kerela, WB and UP. Now 'fake radical' Hindus are trying to save themselves

[@gutsglory7493]

Fareeds dad should have been a practicing Hindu living in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kashmir or WB or Kerela and he would appreciate whatever Hindu nationalism is

[@joneeboi9303]

@gutsglory7493 uhh nop, not in kerala

[@patrioticindian57]

What a treat to see two greatly admired people in such a nice conversation.

[@chrisc9836]

Fareed is one of our great intellectual leaders at this time. Loved the interview

[@gutsglory7493]

Fareed doesn't mention why this Hindu Nationalism came to be. What happened to Hindus in Kashmir, Pakistan, Bangladesh. Or what is happening to them in West Bangal and Kerela. He will talk endlessly about the danger of Hindus but not not muslims😊

[@joneeboi9303]

@gutsglory7493 as an Indian Christian, I couldn't agree more. The muslims take tolerance for granted and they try to establish the Sharia law. They kidnap hindu and Christian women, convert them and sometimes even do violence against men of other religion.

[@jaymacpherson8167]

Fareed taught me that my Alma mater was established by William of Orange, as I did not know he was the William of William and Mary. He teaches me many things, though I am embarrassed to have not known the William of Orange connection and thus mention it here.

[@PetrBenesPBE]

I enjoyed every second of this interview, thank you. A combination of knowledge and wisdom delivered with charm and humility. Inspiring!

[@Mary-Mar]

This conversation is fascinating on so many levels. I love the question of if history should be written by the immigrants. A very good question!

[@sachalgidwani2933]

Impressive interview, great conversation, model for how interviews should be. Thank you enlightening us.

[@bobsingh7949]

Superb questions by Mr Gladwell.

[@cocoatmidnight7611]

My first trip overseas was to Italy in 1978. In Rome’s airport there were soldiers with guns & signs to vote communist. Very scary for the first time out of America. Since then I have the wonderful experience of traveling to many countries to learn their culture. Fortunate life.

[@Ana84262]

Breath taking interview ❤

[@robaustin3013]

A breath of fresh air. Thank you

[@KathyDennis-fy3bg]

Perfect, "a family cult". That says it all. Great interview to both of you.

[@reggienoble3195]

Haven't learned so much from one interview in quite some time...Really great questions and insight by Malcolm and Fareed...brilliant!

[@sirirobinson124]

Love the conversation.

[@onelemonadestand]

I was just starting a book called Year 501 by Noam Chomsky that discusses the Dutch East India Company and all the stuff that came after it in terms of horrifying exploitation of colonies. It's just a matter of whether you focus on the losers or the winners...I like Fareed Zakaria, it was just different.

[@carolynrobe5957]

And different is putting it mildly. Glossing over the effects of cultural and (literal) genocides is common but cannot be ignored....

[@terriashby1285]

This conversation was a refreshing oasis.

[@klarakrok]

Precious,Fareed

[@rekhagarg9073]

Excellent conversation!! Learned so much 👍

[@PaulaTerryLancaster]

Britain's always had a disproportionately massive creative and cultural yield or output, in both the arts and the sciences. Excellent interview. Well done!

[@debbiedelgado3722]

Great interview! Thank you!

[@hulasista1918]

I'm sitting here, jaw dropped. The Dutch? Now I GOT to buy the book! This was a great interview!

[@djdollase]

Love this interview! One of the best, most informative AND entertaining of these I’ve ever seen. Makes me want to get Fareed’s book… which is the whole point, eh? 😊

[@dlcs1406]

What a fascinating interview!

[@sunburstrose7860]

Love Zakaria, but I was a little taken aback when he said, "This whole idea of ancient Greece as this paradise was a Victorian invention." What about the Renaissance of the 13th century?

[@okee7]

Brilliant conversation; being an Indian immigrant from Bombay; I completely understand his narrative coz for me secular India of Nehru & Gandhi defines India! My story is the same of Fareed Zakaria coz like him I too grew up in Bombay & therefore he to me is smart & brilliant to articulate and express his views through this book and I can and have a tolerance to any criticism

[@RR-pc7yv]

Then you know nothing of India. That was so-called secular India was neither truly secular nor true India. That is why it is getting exposed and is dying as its logical conclusion. Please try understand and see the reality. Not from the lens of these buffoons sitting in US.

[@gutsglory7493]

Yeah the secular India of Nehru and Gandhi were so good right. They led to Kerela and West Bengal where not a single Hindu will be found in a few years. Kashmir already happened

[@gutsglory7493]

This was one sided secularism. If you demand secularism from both sides (i.e, from Muslims), they will shout 'sar tan se juda' (their h3ads be cut 0ff)

[@okee7]

@@gutsglory7493 I feel your pain brother

[@okee7]

@@gutsglory7493 they were why do you have any doubts

[@mathrocker]

Lawrence of Arabia is an awesome movie. Random comment, but he brought it up.

[@brendaghantous-strehler3685]

Excellent

[@shikharsrivastava3558]

this was brilliant !

[@jonathanwexler2047]

Wow. I thought the book was not as strong as it could have been because I hold Fareed in such high esteeem but listening to this, with some more background, I perhaps judged too quickly. Anyway loved this interview Bravo!

[@nazvannorel970]

Love to learn from Fareed

[@Vera-kh8zj]

exciting - I just discovered this

[@Ravi-ot6xj]

Dutch has high agricultural exports because it has ports through which most of the Europes exports go from and the volume is included in netherlands registry

[@ravindra7791]

Great talk. I see Fareeds shows regularly. In the Indian context it's worth noting 2 things 1. The Congress party is a dynastic socialist party. The only time they were liberal economically were when the dynasty was not in charge (90s) 2. Secularism in India is not French style. It is not secular at all. It allows different minority religions to have personal laws that silo them and keep them trapped in medieval laws. Unfortunately most people in the west have nothing to say about this.

[@sandykr3380]

Outstanding line & tenor of questioning Mr Gladwell (fan of your books in everyway)… You made Mr. Fareed flip-flop on his responses about India, which made the interview very spicy! He belongs to the class of “Brown Sahibs” who are most fond of deriding India’s social fabric. Thanks to your questioning, we at least, heard him, though tell a little reluctantly, India’s story of an ongoing economic miracle.

[@5mintify]

Generations from now, when historians write about these times, they might note that, in the early decades of the 21st century, the US succeeded in its great and historic mission--it globalized the world. But along the way, they might write, it forgot to globalize itself. ~Fareed Zakaria

[@DerekWoolverton]

@57:37 "This is so fascinating to see the book as reflected through Malcom Gladwell's mind, you see how if he wrote it it would sell 10 times as many copies." Malcolm, "That's true."

[@kshyne]

Amazing

[@kleeath]

@Fareed: Among the hymns you had to sing, did you encounter "Once to Every Man and Nation" (from the old Presbyterian hymnal)? I've long thought of it as the defining decision for our times. (Based on the poem "The Present Crisis" by James Russell Lowell, set to a traditional Welsh melody. Wikipedia tells us the lyrics were written in protest to the Mexican-American war. It can, of course, be listened to in several versions on KZbin.)

[@nancya7289]

Now I want to join Malcolm and Fareed for a nice Italian dinner. Wine's on me.

[@user-pq7jj3vs3e]

I’m the first one here. Someone please validate me with a like/comment

[@SMF314]

(52:38 -53:39) Interesting similarity to the city-states of Ancient Greece - which was also subdivided into small pockets by rough terrain.

[@raleighrotary6949]

Is there a podcast of this?

[@nathanngumi8467]

Word.

[@TheRoysman12]

Does anyone know the jacket Malcolm is wearing? Thank you!

[@brementmark]

“All in the Family “

[@seanwebb605]

It's weird to think that Malcolm Gladwell ran into so many Indian people in Waterloo, Ontario at that time. I attended college nearby in Kitchener and there were very few Indians in the area. Much different than growing up in Hamilton with my Indian friends.

[@wardbell7252]

This curiously structured interview, that confines the ostensible object of the interview - the promotion of FZ’s new book - to ten minutes at the end, … compelled me to buy that book. It’s a brilliant 3 rail bank shot into the far corner.

[@lynnstone6998]

❤

[@rogersimpson6509]

Historians are not policemen.. Historians shed light for discussion and not to shut it down..discussions are guided by evidence and not contemporary attitudes

[@manoharnotani]

My humble suggestion that being India born American, Fareed should write a history of india

[@gutsglory7493]

He won't. Because he'll also have to write the causes of the rise of Hindu nationalism which are heavily rooted in the islamic t3rr0r mindset

[@skywalker8940]

No Thanks !

[@joneeboi9303]

That would be heavily flawed

[@MattyV001]

We need to end the filibuster, so we can amend the constitution. Then it’s Fareed 2028 baby. Center left, brilliant, man of humility and compassion.

[@Namuchat]

The protestants of the early modern age lived for the future, whereas the catholics lived for the present. (Historically, it may have been the other way round - but who cares.) That's why the communities evolved differently.

[@alexandrakarl2487]

Fareed Zakaria is always brilliant however he is wrong about the Greeks being the first to embrace nostalgia. It was the Jews and the authors (scribes) of the Book of Genesis who invented the idea of Eden, some 1400 BCE. That is to my knowledge the West's first piece of Ur-nostalgia.

[@cynthiadavis3102]

Good point.

[@rajalwa]

William of Orange. Wow! And there's the Orange of Mara Lago, Drumph

[@CyberspacedLoner]

WASP Nationalism ?

[@harinisridharan1188]

Completely agree with the comments by Fareed at the 8:30 mark 🤣🤣 yeah its a combination of India and that time (as an Indian born in 1993).

[@sandykr3380]

53:56 - no word on the divisive relationship between flanders and wallonia ! And quoting BBC - “For more than 250 years the Netherlands had extensive colonies in the regions that are now known as Indonesia, South Africa, Curaçao, New Guinea - and beyond - where enslaved men, women and children were treated as barely human.”

[@raziaghani9843]

Wonderful interview

[@indiacenterofwestchester8944]

Fareed, sorry for the typo! Sent too soon!

[@korathmathew]

You try to fit in.integrate, that's what the world needs... Not birds of the same feather flock together and scheme for subjugating other communities.

[@samuele.marcora]

You eliminate the Roman Empire and the Renaissance?

[@natedogg890]

I love how Fareed would remove Russia from history, but it was Leo Tolstoy and his writings that inspired Gandhi to embrace non violence. They corresponded heavily while Gandhi was imprisoned in South Africa and Tolstoy neared the end of his life. Tolstoy wrote "Letter to a Hindu" which Gandhi translated into Gujarati himself and is, what I believe to be, one of the most profound examples of moral leadership and solidarity against global imperialism across cultures and nations. India might not even exist in it's modern form if it wasn't for Russia

[@extremeraheem]

What do you mean he would remove Russia from history

[@extremeraheem]

Never mind! I heard it!

[@davkumi]

I don't understand how Israel is included in the list of nations that have a significant intellectual and cultural center of energy outside of their borders? 37:20

[@amiteshraj2522]

It appears that Fareed may not be aware that over 95% of Muslims in undivided India had voted in favor of partition. It is unclear if his father was part of the remaining 5%. There was widespread support for the Khilafat movement, which aimed to support the Ottomans in their fight against the British. Hence, the majority of Indian Muslims were not secular. It is difficult to believe that his father considered Gandhi and Nehru as secular back then, given that information did not flow as easily as it does today. The prevailing argument is that most people believed that Pakistan would be carved out from different parts of the continuous landmass, and when that did not happen, they chose to remain in their current comfortable situations. Those who want to dispute please do your research before commenting.

[@fayezqureshi8774]

You are completely wrong. Did people had the universal suffrage at that time. Did each person had a right to vote. Even after the partition people had the option to go to the other country and most Muslims chose to stay in India. So your arguement falls flat.

[@gutsglory7493]

​@@fayezqureshi8774Many muslims decided to stay in India because they knew they could live peacefully. Negligible Hindus, Sikhs, Christians remain in Islamic Pakistan and Bangladesh. Truly shows the victim card mentality of muslims

[@amiteshraj2522]

​@@fayezqureshi8774 Muslims in India, both before and after the partition, have not been secular, as evidenced by their actions and writings. There were significant rioting incidents before independence that support this assertion, including: - Direct Action Day - Moplah - Noakhali - Cawnpore - among others. Some predate many decades before partition. The present condition of Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh further reinforces this point. Research topics such as "who voted for Pakistan" and "Hindu-Muslim riots before the independence of India" for more information

[@fexcab]

56:25 this game😂

[@apdanielski]

Still haven't forgiven Malcolm for his racist comments at the Munk debate, but I'll give him a second chance for Farhed

[@billnickels6667]

Political parties are going the way of late night TV and magazines. We want reality tv!

[@klarakrok]

Induism Buddism should Preveil

[@chrisdissanayake6979]

After much thought, I am sorry that I couldn’t ignore what I heard: “While filming Doc Hollywood in 1991, Michael J. Fox developed a tremor in his pinky finger. A consultation with a neurologist revealed a surprising and devastating diagnosis: he had young-onset Parkinson's disease (PD).”

[@carolynrobe5957]

The one exception in America is the African American experience. There is a debt to the Dutch who set up the English as an economic colonial power....Well let us not forget another debt, That would have to do with another exception: The debt owed to the Indigenous peoples whose land was taken to enable American prosperity and ability to thrive. There are scholars who see American prosperity as based on slavery and on cultural and literal genocide of the Americans. Empire building does come at a cost. We have two engaging enlightened popularizing writers who are not in tune with a post colonial scholarly perspective. As a Canadian I would think Gladwell would not gloss over or forget the original peoples whose land was taken over.(stolen).

[@evelynramos445]

Ask them for capital

[@eklim2034]

Just to name a tip of iceberg of gifts to the world by: US gave Digital Revolution, Silicon Valley, NASA, world policing, world reserve currency Dutch gave Europe's decentralised political system and etc England gave Newtonian physics, Maxwell electromagnetism, Industrial Revolution Germany gave modern/quantum physics from Planck, Einstein, Heisenberg, Schrodinger (Austrian), Robert Goddard (then founder of NASA rocket) Switzerland gave secret banking for the world's filthy rich Russian gave world class chess players, Sputnik moment, space tech, Tetris, world's largest number of nuclear warheads able to "destroy the world many times over":Putin

[@carolynrobe5957]

Indigenous First Nations gave USA trillions of dollars worth of unspoiled land.

[@eklim2034]

Ingenous First Nation non-Han Uyghur "gave" Han-dominated CCP trillions of dollars of minerals reserves

[@eklim2034]

Ingenous First Nation non-Han Uyghur "gave" Han-dominated CCP trillions of dollars of minerals reserves

[@eklim2034]

Ingenous First Nation non-Han Uyghur "gave" Han-dominated CCP trillions of dollars of minerals reserves

[@eklim2034]

​@@carolynrobe5957Ingenous First Nation non-Han Uyghur "gave" Han-dominated CCP trillions of dollars of minerals reserves

[@grahamwinterbottom4933]

What a delightful and erudite discussion - thank you. BUT you are both wrong about why English food is so awful. It is because since William conquered there have only been two wars on English soil - the 30 yrs war and the very brief Civil War. So meat & veg were generally fresh, so did not need sauces to disguise their rottoness- just boil and eat...... look at the french and every generation had their war or they were being revolting - to this day (the latest being les gilets jaunes). So food was always scarce and never fresh. Pity them as they had to invent palatable sauces and crawled around on all fours searching for snails, frogs or truffles - et les tripes.... degoutant!!

[@CyberspacedLoner]

Lots of Indian Hindu Nationalists in the comments section

[@gutsglory7493]

Hindu nationalism is wrong. Sure, I agree What about what happened to Hindus in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kashmir and what is happening to them in Kerala, UP, WB?

[@EhsanArbabi-dj8qk]

Wow! What an extremely racist, strange, and simplified world view to end on! What countries would you get rid of first? And Io and behold, it’s the farthest ones from the Anglo sphere! Amazing way to give out your deep, probably unconscious thoughts!

[@ginger22ly]

Yesterday in DC Zakaria almost condescendingly characterized the populists of today as “these people.” I was waiting for him to say “let them eat cake.” Many already consider him elitist and have been turned off his CNN show. He barely had any original ideas in the new bookand couldn’t speak to income inequality after 2008 or as a factor at all. Many liberal politicians had ignored the affect of income inequality until it was too late. He totally missed the point. He only recently learned about the origin of left and right in politics from the time of the French Revolution. I learned that in high school years ago. Glad Gladwell made him talk about India especially since his book is pretty Eurocentric. Tom Friedman in DC did not elicit as interesting a discussion.

[@sashankasinha2352]

"Illiberal" my a#*. His family enjoys a good life here becoz we have the secularism intact. this coming from some1 accused of plagiarism should be trashed.

[@joelamthach5812]

Can you imagine that Americans are learning more about their history and culture from a Canadian and an Indian guy…!!!!!

[@seanwebb605]

Malcolm Gladwell is a two time immigrant. He was born in England to an English father and a Jamaican mother then grew up in Canada before moving to the United States after college.

[@joelamthach5812]

@@seanwebb605 do these make him an expert in US history?

[@seanwebb605]

@@joelamthach5812 It's simply a perspective that can't be found from someone who was born in the country and didn't have to work for standing in the society? Expert? Tell me who gets that designation.

[@joelamthach5812]

@@seanwebb605 history is a fact based social studies am I correct?

[@seanwebb605]

@@joelamthach5812 Feel free to define history. Then tell us if the history that is presented to us meets that definition.

[@joejohnson6327]

The Germans were actually the ones who started glorifying ancient Greece a full century before the Victorians (Winckelmann, Goethe, Schiller, von Humboldt). 😛

[@joiedevie3901]

The "lose five countries game" is weird at so many levels. Wonderful to see two men who are so engaged with their solipsism. Not surprised at Zakaria's amusement in playing, but surprised that Gladwell would even concoct such a ridiculous game.

[@DrRVPrasad]

He must also feel glad that his father didn't see his son plagiarising!!

[@haridasshenoy8334]

About India after 2014, listen to Muslims like Tariq Fateh and Arif Mohammad Khan. Take Kashmir as a case. After demonstration, no money to fund stone pelters. Tourism has got a boost. For jaundiced eyes every thing looks yellow. May be mine too.

[@RH-qk6ev]

Amazing questions by Gladwell .. Nice to hear Fareeds story of upbringing and experience . But hez completely wrong on intolerance and labelling hindu emphasis as not being secular. it just shows his bias and lack of understanding . He should live in India and observe instead of making off hand comments by 2 weeks trip that he feels uncomfortable sometimes. Sad to see bright minds clouded 😢 Nice compilation of anti- india western media reporting with mostly lies or lazy journalism. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6rVmqKupttpeacsi=fEn1k-31mR9IvbPP

[@randomishrandom]

Fareed Zakaria lookin like a brown Willem Dafoe

[@oldwaitekauri]

The opioid crisis hasn't gone away because poverty hasn't gone away.

[@mohammadahmadrocks]

Working hard for confirmation in government job. Let's see what happens after 6 months

[@evelynramos445]

Not really