New Old World : An Indian Journalist Discovers the Changing Face of Europe

After several years documenting the rise of China, award-winning Indian journalist Pallavi Aiyar moved to Brussels, the headquarters of the European Union, to discover a Europe plagued by a financial crisis, and unsure of its place in a world where new Asian challengers are eroding its old and comfortable certainties. With a lively mix of memoir, reportage and analysis, Aiyar takes the reader on a romp across the continent, meeting workaholic Indian diamond merchants in Antwerp, upstart Chinese wine barons in Bordeaux, Sikh farmhands in the Italian countryside, and Indian engineers running offshore energy turbines in Belgium.

In the Europe of today everything is in flux, as she discovers through conversations with Muslim immigrants struggling to define their identities, the austere bosses of Germany's world-beating companies, and bewildered Eurocrats struggling to keep the European Union from splitting apart. Examining the diverse challenges the continent faces today—among them, bloated welfare states, the accommodation of Islam, the European ambitions of Indian and Chinese entrepreneurs, and ancient intra-cultural fissures — New Old World offers a panoramic look at Europe's first-world crisis from a unique Asian perspective.

"I’ve been waiting for a book like this to be written, and now it exists. It’s fun, and full of good humor." —Tyler Cowen

"Aiyar is sharp, funny and knowledgeable. She brings an outsider's skepticism to the much-discussed problems of the European Union and what she considers its declining global importance, leadership and economic strength." --Shelf Awareness

“Fresh insight into how Europeans might learn valuable lessons from developing countries.” —Kirkus Reviews

“[Aiyar] brings a fresh, thought-provoking perspective to Europe's woes. Her trenchant and often humorous conversations with immigrants, entrepreneurs, politicians, and diplomats illuminate the paradoxes and inconsistencies of Europe's approach to multiculturalism... Through her travels around the continent, Aiyar is able to humanize those who are most frequently represented in the media as alarming statistics.” —Publisher's Weekly

“With a fluidly pleasing writing style, the author has tackled a potentially dry topic in a way that keeps the reader engaged. A solid addition for anyone with an interest in political, cultural, or economic studies.” —Library Journal