Book excerpt: The classic text on the post-Cold War economic battle. Starting with the fall of communism, influential economist and former dean of MIT's Sloan School of Management Lester Thurow deftly explores how head-to-head competition -- not military might -- among Japan, the United States, and the newly united European countries would produce the next world leader. As Thurow explains, in the 1990s the race for economic supremacy was only just beginning. In a world no longer governed by two military superpowers, the stage was set for a dramatic shoot-out among the world's most powerful national economies. Using analytical data, key insights, and common sense, Thurow presents a solid economic game plan for the United States to follow in order to win this battle and attain dominance in the global economy.