Countries Can Go Broke!: The Principles and Cycle

“A must-read for leaders, investors, and engaged citizens alike.”A powerful wake-up call about the fragility of the U.S. economy from Ray Dalio, the of Principles and cycles.Is America approaching the limits of how much it can borrow? What happens when confidence in a country's currency or creditworthiness starts to erode? Could the world's most powerful economy face a sudden financial reckoning—and what would that mean for all of us?These questions have long hovered at the edges of economic debate, but in this bold and timely book, Mr. Dalio the legendary investor and global macro thinker—offers a clear, data-driven framework to answer them. Drawing on decades of research and firsthand experience navigating past crises, he introduces readers to the concept of the “Big Cycle,” a dynamic that has shaped the rise and fall of empires and economies throughout history.In How Nations Break, he also explains how debt crises unfold, how they can be anticipated, and—crucially—how they can be managed. He goes further, connecting economic vulnerabilities to broader forces like political polarization, global power shifts, climate disruptions, and rapid advances in technology, especially artificial intelligence. These interwoven pressures form what he calls the “Cycle of Change”—a sweeping transformation that is reshaping our world.Accessible, urgent, and deeply informative, this book is an essential guide for understanding the forces that are driving today’s uncertainty—and how we might still shape a better future.