Chaos Under Heaven by Josh Rogin Summary
Overview of Chaos Under Heaven
In "Chaos Under Heaven," veteran journalist Josh Rogin reveals the explosive truth behind Trump and Xi's high-stakes rivalry. With unprecedented access - including Trump's own reflections - this book exposes China's hidden influence tactics that have policymakers and intelligence officials urgently taking notes.
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Key takeaways
When the Dragon Met the Deal Maker
Winter 2016. In Jared Kushner's Manhattan office, China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi delivered what amounted to a lecture to Trump's transition team. Respect our territorial claims. Accept our vision of great power relations. The Americans responded with defiance mixed with confusion - a chaotic cocktail that would define the next four years. That meeting marked more than a diplomatic encounter; it signaled the end of decades of American assumptions about China. What followed wasn't just policy shifts or trade disputes. It was a fundamental awakening to a reality many had refused to see: China wasn't becoming more like us. We were becoming more vulnerable to them. Inside the Trump White House, three distinct tribes waged war over China policy, each convinced they alone understood the threat. The "Superhawks" - Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro - saw existential danger requiring immediate confrontation. "We're at economic war with China. It's all about jobs," Bannon declared during one heated meeting. They wanted nothing less than hastening the Communist Party's collapse through economic decoupling. The national security hardliners took a different approach. Matthew Pottinger, a former Marine who'd spent years as a Wall Street Journal reporter in China, became the intellectual architect of robust confrontation without regime change. Alongside John Bolton, Mike Pompeo, and Mike Pence, this faction focused on countering military expansion, technological theft, and influence operations. Then came the "Wall Street clique" - Steven Mnuchin, Gary Cohn, and Kushner himself - who viewed China primarily through the lens of market access and financial opportunity. They maintained cozy relationships with business titans like Blackstone's Stephen Schwarzman, who had sold nearly 10% of his company to a Chinese government firm for $3 billion. Trump oscillated wildly between these factions, sometimes embracing trade war rhetoric while simultaneously praising his "very, very good friend" Xi Jinping. One official captured the chaos perfectly: "Trump was great at flipping over the chess board, but he couldn't set the board back up again."
The Family Business of Diplomacy and Failed Summits
The Quiet War for America's Soul
When Silicon Valley Met the Great Firewall
The Greatest Financial Scandal and Hidden Atrocities
When the Cover-Up Became a Pandemic
The Reckoning We Can No Longer Avoid
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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