The book's theme is the "Age of Imitation", the age after the fall of communism when countries tried to adopt western liberalism as the new normal. How and when did this go wrong? Why is there a illiberal backlash?

Three different examples made up the majority of the book: eastern Europe that tried to adapt liberalism, gave up older national symbols to join the post-nationalistic EU and became disappointed by people being people; Russia who imitated liberalism to survive but then turned to mirror it to display the west's failings; and the US, where being the winner of the Cold War turns into feeling of being a looser and into fear of being replaced. Finally, the authors' eyes turn towards China which projects its influence but not its ideology across the world: with that the book calls for an end of the Age of Imitation (of liberal values) as the new world order (whatever that will be) will hopefully not try to convert other countries into their ideology (as happened during the Cold War).

Sadly the book does not contain too many concrete hints how to deal with new illiberal movements.. it itself is wittingly written, the passage that compares the Trumpian Republican Party with a football club where cititzens are exchanged by the club's fanbase explains a lot of the lack of Trump feeling no obligation to represent the fans of "other" clubs.