Summary

Praise for the previous edition:
"Highly recommended."—Choice

"...a comprehensive and balanced approach to what is a complex and often contentious issue."—American Reference Books Annual

"...jam-packed with detailed information...valuable for most academic and public libraries..."—Library Journal

"...accessible...provides both a primer on issues of economic globalization and a guide to further research."—Reference & Research Book News

The term globalization has for decades been discussed by individuals across the globe, but especially so in the last few years with the onset of the global financial crisis. Yet the term continues to mean very different things to different people. To some, it implies ruthless exploitation by corporations; to others, the term suggests bringing economic development to the people of the world. Globalization has always been a complex issue, but the financial crisis has only created more layers of intricacy, and the need to understand globalization and all it involves has become increasingly vital in recent years.

Globalization and Free Trade, Second Edition provides an overview of the history of globalization and how it has evolved into its present state. This useful guide expresses the opinions by proponents and detractors of the issue, and case studies of the United States, East Asia, China, Cochabamba, and Iceland are presented to provide real-world context. Extensive new material has been added on the 2008 global financial crisis, focusing on the role of the United States in the crisis and subsequent actions taken by the Bush and Obama administrations, as well as the 2008 economic collapse in Iceland.

Specifications

Index. Bibliography. Glossary. Chronology. Tables and graphs.

About the Author(s)

Natalie Goldstein is a freelance writer who has written numerous books for the educational market, including textbooks and teacher's guides for middle schools and encyclopedias for high schools. She is also the author of Global Warming and Biodiversity in Facts On File's Global Issues series.

Foreword author Joanna Moss is professor of economics at San Francisco State University. She received a Ph.D. in economics from the New School for Social Research. Her research focuses on the economics of globalization, international and development economics, international trade negotiations, and regional trade agreements. Dr. Moss has published and lectured widely in the field, and her publications include The Emerging Japanese Influence in Africa: Implications for the United States and The Lome Conventions and Their Implications for the United States.