Age of Influence: Why Soft Power Matters in Hard Times

What do K-pop, TikTok, the Mona Lisa, Hollywood movies, and a Renaissance statue have in common?They are all weapons of influence.For decades, global power was determined by armies, money and technology. But in a world mired in geopolitical rivalry and battles for influence, Gelin argues that something less obvious can be just as important: a country's ability to win friends, shape perceptions and build alliances.Travelling across four continents and drawing on conversations with diplomats, historians, artists, politicians and strategists, he reveals how culture shapes the fortunes of nations in ways that are often invisible until a crisis arrives. Reporting from Seoul and Taipei to Beijing, Doha and Washington, The Age of Influence reveals the hidden forces shaping international affairs. You'll discover why Ukraine's global reputation became a strategic asset in its fight for survival, how South Korea turned pop culture into geopolitical influence, why China's vast spending on cultural diplomacy has often backfired, and what happens when democracies neglect the arts, education and culture that underpin their global standing.The Age of Influence offers a fresh way of understanding how nations rise, fall and compete for influence in the twenty-first century.