Product Description

From human rights and terrorism to climate change and pandemics, Global Issues is a current and topical look at the forces driving globalization. This text focuses on global affairs that transcend state boundaries and are transforming the international system. Designed as a core or supplemental text for international relations or global issues courses, it is the only text of its kind to put complex issues into comprehensive context, thereby explaining the growing economic, political, and culture interdependence visible in the headlines and students’ lives.

Customer Reviews (4)

Unsatisfied--
Unsatisfied--I never received the items, although I paid for them.I contacted the company twice via e-mail and was told I needed to check with my mail carrier.If I had the time to do that, I wouldn't have ordered on-line.They showed no willingness to address the issue, just shifted the responsibility on me.At this point, over a month later, I still haven't received the books I ordered for my son's college classes, so I had to give him the money to buy them at the campus bookstore.The company got their money, but I never got the books.I'll NEVER order anything from them again!

Great seller, but the book is not exactly as it describes!!
I bought from this buyer because, it said "NEW".
But when I receive it, it already has hi lights on many pages.
Which is NOT NEW like the seller describes, and that's why I only give 3 out of 5 stars!

Everything I needed.
This book is the required textbook for my Globalization class, so I mostly think it's boring. Boredom aside, the book is easy to read to and easy to follow. It is informative and has all the definitions of the keywords printed in the margin, which makes studying a bit easier. I had no problems with the seller, and received the book in a timely manner. I am very happy with the purchase.

Global Issues Textbook
This textbook got here is a very reasonable amount of time.The condition was exactly as described.It was good doing business with this seller. ... Read more

Product Description
`It just keeps getting better...If there was a word beyond definitive, then that would be the word I would be using here' - Professor Nigel Thrift, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol

`Global Shift shatters our easy slogans about globalization, corporations, and nations with bold new insights... Peter Dicken has created a powerful conceptual framework not to be missed by those who hope to grasp the logic of this emerging global order' - William E Halal, School of Business and Public Management, George Washington University

`Dicken identifies both states and transnational corporations as the two key actors in the multiple processes of restructuring and institutionalization that we usually call the global economy. In so doing he has written a political economy of globalization and produced a far more comprehensive account than is typically the case in books about the global economy, most of which tend to confine the analysis to firms and markets' - Saskia Sassen, author of Global Networks, Linked Cities

This Fourth Edition of Global Shift - now a standard work on globalization - has been completely updated and thoroughly revised.

Students and tutors can return time and again to this volume which offers:

-a detailed account of the theories informing the globalization debate

- a comprehensive discussion of the interplay between transnational corporations, states, and changing technologies

- sectoral case studies, including services, each of which illustrates the processes of globalization in different ways

- a much-expanded discussion of inequality, development, environment, and governance

Global Shift provides the reader with the tools and information needed to assess key features of globalization and contains:

- examples drawn from around the world

- use of comparative examples and data

- over 250 especially commissioned maps, graphs, tables and diagrams

- notes for further reading at the end of each chapter

- an extensive bibliography

Preoccupation with the `global' is an emblematic feature of our time. While much of the literature is stronger on hype than on reality, the totally revised and updated Fourth Edition of Global Shift takes a more balanced view of globalization. It identifies both the massive changes that continue to transform the world economy and affect local communities across the globe, and the complex processes involved. It focuses on the interrelated actions of transnational corporations and states within a volatile technological environment. Richly illustrated, this bestselling cross-disciplinary book provides a unique approach to one of the key issues of the new millennium.

Offering the reader all the tools needed to understand and critically assess globalization, Global Shift is the essential resource for all students in the social sciences. It is designed to be used for introductory, undergraduate and postgraduate courses in economic geography, sociology, political science and international relations, management and international business studies.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Best Book on Globalization
In light of the other reviews of this book, I am inclined to agree that this is a heady, academic look at globalization.If globalization to you means Mitsubishi cutting down rain forests or Nike exploiting workers, this book may not be for you.It is, as has been pointed out, a textbook and it is one that will challenge your view of globalization.Having come to the book as an opponent of globalization, this book awakened me to the complexity of the problems raised by a rapidly globalizing economy.As a result, I was forced to re-examine my opposition and hone my arguments against globalization.This unbiased, empirical approach makes the book highly recommended for those interested in putting forth the best possible argmuments about the global economy.It is, however, highly academic and not necessarily for most activists.

Attempting to De-Mystify Globalization
Global Shift is an ambitious look at the changing world geography through the lens of the economic geographer.The book is divided into four major sections that allow for a detailed exploration of the various arenas thatPeter Dicken emphasizes. The text is wrought with details that make itoccasionally dense to the non-economist or geographer but one of the mostcompelling elements of the text is the fact that in an ever-changing globalcivilization the text is applicable to many different academic disciplines. It provides an important background for understanding the process ofglobalization in its many manifestations.Ultimately the text comes backtime and again to the idea that transnational corporations and politicalstates inside a volatile world of ever-changing technology dominate theglobalization processes. Although the text focuses on the idea that theeconomic world is global and transnational corporations are driving theglobalization, Dicken states that the idea of a faceless/placelesscorporation is really not an accurate description of what is occurring.Iwas reminded of Tip O'Neil's famous statement that all politics is local. In much the same way Dicken emphasizes that regardless of themulti-national face of corporations there is an important local elementthat makes the corporation more accessible than one might think.Anotherimportant element of the work is the idea that much of what is occurring isnot new.There have been tends in multinationals for years and Dicken doesa good job of historicizing these ideas before he discusses the currentsituation. Throughout the book Dicken emphasizes the three importantfactors of his argument.First, that there are new centers of productionand power around the world.Secondly, that there is an emergence of newglobal finance dominated by transnational corporations.Finally, thattechnology, the center of industrialization is changing at a rapid pacethat creates more and more flux in the global markets. The book is densewith facts, figures, charts and graphs, but its detail in numbers isimmediately useful in looking at the other texts related to this subject. This text is less focused on the cultural ramifications of its observationsbut to understand fully the cultural context of the globalization processwe must first understand the economic processes in play. ... Read more

Product Description

Why going global is critical-and inevitable-for your association's growth and survival

Multiple case studies of associations that have entered the global arena will be included. The Association Guide to Going Global demonstrates how many associations have used globalization to their advantage, finding that increasing their reach and influence on an international scale has allowed their organizations continued success.

• Underscores how the advantages of changes outweigh the risks
• How adapting to new market trends is an act that cannot, and should not, be avoided
• Offers a problem-solution guide to potentially intimidating questions about the process
• Explains how small associations may often have an advantage over large corporations due to flexibility
• Coverage features topics including an overview of problems encountered, structure, funding/financing, language and culture, endeavors in specific countries, successes and failures, and what it means to truly become global.

Avoid mistakes made by other organizations by going global and ultimately following the paths of those who accomplished their goals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Best Guide to Going Global for Associations
Steve Worth has provided the Association community with an invaluable resource on globalization.As Associations face the prospect of operating in a global environment, this book is a "must read" before make ONE STEP forward.Based on Worth's extensive experience and with many examples and real-world case studies, the book is the best thing I've found in bringing knowledge and expertise to associations - and clealy articulating just how complex "going global" can be.I've not only recommended this book to my client associations, I have given copies as gifts to them.Worth has really filled a major void in the association literature.
Edward H. Able, Jr
Fellow, American Society of Association Executives. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
In Solar Revolution, fund manager and former corporate buyout specialist Travis Bradford argues—on the basis of standard business and economic forecasting models—that over the next two decades solar energy will increasingly become the best and cheapest choice for most electricity and energy applications. Solar Revolution outlines the path by which the transition to solar technology and sustainable energy practices will occur.

Developments in the photovoltaic (PV) industry over the last ten years have made direct electricity generation from PV cells a cost-effective and feasible energy solution, despite the common view that PV technology appeals only to a premium niche market. Bradford shows that PV electricity today has become the choice of hundreds of thousands of mainstream homeowners and businesses in many markets worldwide, including Japan, Germany, and the American Southwest.

Solar energy will eventually be the cheapest source of energy in nearly all markets and locations because PV can bypass the aging and fragile electricity grid and deliver its power directly to the end user, fundamentally changing the underlying economics of energy. As the scale of PV production increases and costs continue to decline at historic rates, demand for PV electricity will outpace supply of systems for years to come.

Ultimately, the shift from fossil fuels to solar energy will take place not because solar energy is better for the environment or energy security, or because of future government subsidies or as yet undeveloped technology. The solar revolution is already occurring through decisions made by self-interested energy users. The shift to solar energy is inevitable and will be as transformative as the last century's revolutions in information and communication technologies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

A reasonable, but dated and opinionated introduction
This book introduces the reader to photovoltaic solar energy and argues why solar energy is the only long-term alternative. However, since this book was published in 2006, lot of information is dated. It may be OK for readers who are reading their very first book on the topic. Others are unlikely to find it satisfying.

Great book not a "go green" take on it, but an economics viewpoint
Great book that discusses the future of energy. This in not a save the planet type book, it gives an analysis for how we will get our energy in the future and the outcome of that analysis is solar. Bradford does a great job of using conservative estimates and giving both sides of the argument as much as possible within the scope of the book. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to know the mechanics of why the shift to solar will happen from a dollars and cents and economics standpoint.

Better titled "The Estimated Rough Economics of Photovoltaics"
This should have been a magazine article in the Economist, not a book.As other reviewers have explained, this is about photovoltaics and only photovoltaics (PV) and even at that it's limited.True, other energy sources are mentioned, such as hydrogen fuel cells, but they get about half a page.

It would be better titled "The Estimated Economics of Photovoltaics."But even at that it's weak.Photovoltaics come in many forms from rigid structures to concentrators to flexible fabrics.Only round numbers are used, such as, "In the case of photovoltaic modules, the cost to produce them in the late 1970s was around $25 per watt but has since dropped to less than $3.50 per kW,..."(p, 109) But there's no mention of the applicable configuration.

Some things are footnoted, like "Various forms of solar energy have been used since prehistoric times."But others, like Figure 7.2 where today's PV costs are shown at $6 per watt are not.And the $6 per watt in Figure 7.2 hardly correlates with the $3.50 quoted above for production costs.Yes, I know one is production cost, the other presumably installed cost, but even that isn't clear and an installed cost that's 1700 times production cost deserves some explanation.

I couldn't find one reference to actual PV conversion efficiency, yet there are statements such as "Even at today's efficiency of PV cells, the land required would be 10 million acres, or 0.4 percent of the total land area of the United States."Perhaps the efficiency assumption is buried in the primary documents but it should be shown here since it's pivotal.I didn't notice any reference to the fact that today's PV's degrade over time.PV efficiency and life is fundamental to PV economics.

There are few diagrams, all economics and order of magnitude.

It is clear that a lot of work went into preparing and documenting the book, but in the end you can't do much with what's here.If you wanted, for example, to crudely estimate say the cost of a megawatt of photovoltaic power so you could compare it to say Nevada Solar One, the solar concentrator facility outside Boulder, NV, you only have the $6 per watt from the chart quoted earlier and that gets you to $6 million/megawatt.But you don't know what PV efficiency that's based on.(Solar One's cost is about $4 million/megawatt)

From this book you'd think PV's were the future.But the Europeans are moving ahead with solar thermal at the bulk stage.Do PV's make sense for example on say roof tops and solar thermal makes more sense at the utility level?From this book, you can't even begin to answer that question, or know if a breakthrough in PV efficiency would make a difference.

I liked one of the reviews on the back cover..."deeply researched and hopeful."Says it all, and says nothing.

Wish I could refer you to a better book, but haven't found one yet.There's material on the net.Scientific American's September 2006 and March 2009 issues cover the technologies briefly, but are weak on the economics.There's an absence of clear economic data on solar energy sources.

You Say You Want A Revolution
I'm trying to do my part in promoting clean energy by investing in green stocks including companies like First Solar, Vestas, Suntech and General Electric so what I wanted to get from this book was some information on whether or not I'm making a wise investment. More specifically I wanted to know what is currently holding back solar energy and the possible timetable for a worldwide energy revolution. The author answered most of my questions but new ones arose. Make no mistake the author is a solar power proponent so there is little to no criticism of it as an emerging energy source.

After getting through a history of energy and comparison of new alternative solutions the author finally gets down to the nuts and bolts. The benefits of solar power include its ability to be deployed quickly and in a piecemeal manner. Solar power can start generating energy in months rather than the years that it takes to build a traditional power plant and additional panels can be brought online as needed. Countries like Japan and Germany that are leading the world in solar power deployment are creating their solar infrastructure in a distributed manner. Individuals can generate there own electricity with panels installed on their homes and then send the excess into a 'smart' grid. Unlike wind power, which is considered by some to be an eyesore, solar panels can be created as "roofing materials, architectural glass, and potentially paint and plastic casing"

The author writes, "The amount of sunlight that falls on the earth every day is equivalent to the total energy that is used by the earth's current population in twenty seven years" What is holding solar power back as a viable alternative to fossil fuel energy is simply cost per watt and the barrier is shrinking every day. The lowest cost for a PV system was $5 per watt in 2005 but First Solar has set a goal of 65 cents by 2012. In one chart the author shows solar power costing between 15 and 27 cents per kWh while other forms of energy ranging from 3 to 15 cents per kWh so there is a gap to close. Mr. Bradford points out that the gap is even smaller than it appears because in addition to the apparent cost we pay for energy, taxpayers pay billions in hidden costs including military costs and the environmental price of using dirty fuels. Once solar power approaches parity with fossil fuels we will likely see a positive feedback loop as increased usage cause prices to drop creating increased usage. As the world's appetite for energy grows solar energy is the perfect solution in that the regions of the world most in need of energy are the same regions that are flush with sunlight and in those areas solar energy doesn't need to compete with an already existing fossil fuel energy grid.

One major problem with this book is that the breakneck speed of technology has left it woefully out of date having been published in 2006. The author writes that the "current" six percent efficiency ceiling of PV panels may reach 30 percent in three to five years. However, in late 2006 a solar cell broke the 40 percent efficiency barrier so the author's prediction was too conservative and the book is already outdated. The author's confidence in efficiency improvements was in response to new solar cells that could generate electricity from light rays outside the visible spectrum which leads to one of the questions I had that the author didn't answer. If electricity can be generated using rays outside the visible spectrum does this mean that electrical energy could be generated even on a cloudy day in winter? This is important for someone like myself who lives in northern Ohio.

I'm 100% sold on solar power but I would like to know what the feasibility and environmental impact is of manufacturing millions of solar panels. I mean that is a lot of material. That's one subject never addressed in the book. My belief is that if solar energy is not adopted soon my portfolio value may well be irrelevant given climate change and other problems related to having a fossil fuel based energy policy so I might as well place my bet. I found this book informative however even at a slender 200 pages it still seemed to have quite a bit of filler and as mentioned previously its numbers are out of date.

It's happening now
Great book.I have taken a renewed interest in solar power the past few years and everything this fellow wrote about only a few years ago is coming to fruition.As the utility companies come to see having residential solar installations not as competition, but rather as a way to ease stress on the grid during peak usage periods (when the sun is the brightest), meaning less brownouts, and less need for new substations, you'll see the rate of change accelerate.And need I say anything about the obvious fact that the Obama Administration is going to kick the renewable energy field and solar into a new gear? ... Read more

Product Description
"Steven Fink has done us all an invaluable service by examining in depth an important type of crisis, namely, economic espionage. Ideally, all top corporate executives would do well to read his book to be prepared to combat one of the most significant crises we face."

Customer Reviews (9)

This Book is a Winner!!!
Steven Fink, author of the bestselling " Crisis Management," has written a truly superb book on economic espionage. Using actual real world examples involving Avery Dennison / Four Pillars, Lucent Technologies, and Eastman Kodak, Fink has crafted a practical and easy-to-read book on how companies should protect their most valuable corporate asset - their trade secrets.

In the case involving Avery Dennison (the label and adhesives maker), Fink provides a detailed look at what caused a highly respected scientist at Avery Dennison to sell his company's trade secrets to a foreign competitor, namely Four Pillars of Taiwan. The ensuing court trial makes for interesting reading.

Using the example of Eastman Kodak and one of its former employees, Fink again discusses the motivation behind selling one's former employers' trade secrets for personal gain. This human element, which Fink writes about with great ease and clarity, is often overlooked in other books on economic and industrial espionage.

The chapter on the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 and the types of information worth protecting should be 'must reads' for every business manager. I would like to have seen another chapter on methods that companies can use to protect their trade secrets.

All in all, a solid book that provides useful information in an easy to read format.

Mark Robinson, author of "Beyond Competitive Intelligence: The Practice of CounterIntelligence and Trade Secrets Protection."

Packed with Knowledge!
Have you ever had to decide whether to pick up that juicy Tom Clancy book or that stale, but important business one? Steven Fink splits the difference and solves your problem with this book that is half spy story, half business advice. Sticky Fingers works best as a thriller. As business advice, the book highlights the basic issues for U.S. companies fighting economic espionage, but falls short of serving up a complete playbook. The devil, as always, is in the details, and the specifics of the book�s real-life cases sketch a more accurate picture of this particular devil than the generalized advice. If economic espionage is the elephant in the corner that your company has been pretending does not exist, we from getAbstract recommend Sticky Fingers as a starting point to finally taking action to protect yourself.

The Global Cookie Jar
Occasionally, an author's concluding remarks shed a great deal of light on what that author's purposes are. That is certainly true of this book. Consider this brief excerpt from the Afterword in which Fink observes: "Acts of terror [e.g. such as those which occurred on September 11th] notwithstanding, economic espionage remains one of the most serious threats to our national security since the Cold War. Therefore, we ought to have seasoned generals leading, and weathered soldiers fighting, the good battles that need to be fought." However, with all due respect to the F.B.I. and to legislation such as the Economic Espionage Act [EEA], "...you still need to be your own best defense against espionage with proper internal education, training, and procedures" and under no circumstances "delegate the crisis management work for your company to the government. It is too important." This brief excerpt helps to explain why this book can be so valuable to decision-makers in global organizations.

Recent research studies have dentified issues of greatest concern to senior-level executives, following September 11th. The top five are mail processing (86%), travel (85%), protection of employees (79%), protection of infrastructure (75%), and risk assessment (71%). Obviously, there is widespread and quite legitimate concern about protecting human beings and physical property. However, as Fink eloquently explains,we must also be concerned about -- and take appropriate measures to protect -- information which is as important to the global economy as oxygen is to the human body.

As events on September 11th clearly indicate, even a country with resources such as those possessed by the United States cannot totally defend itself and its people against terrorists acts. However, because the U.S.A. remains the world leader in research, development, new technology, products, and trade secrets, organizations within the U.S.A. are high-profile targets and "economic espionage spies are still going to come after [them] and that only increases [the] global risk of economic espionage." As previously indicated, Fink's book examines the nature and extent of that potential risk, suggesting all manner of strategies and tactics to anticipate and then prepare for, as well as respond to, economic espionage because it is "a business crisis and should be treated as such."

Fink asserts that "Companies are under attack and at enormous risk every day. from the global threat of economic espionage, but the risk can and should be lowered and managed. Here's how." He organizes his material within two Sections and presents it in 29 interrelated chapters, followed by an Afterword in which he addresses the question, "EEA: Bear Trap or Mouse Trap?" To explain "here's how", he uses the largest economic espionage case ever tried in the United States -- Avery Dennison/Four Pillars -- from his vantage point as the lead crisis management expert for Avery Dennison. Fink guides his reader step-by-step through that seminal case, also also citing along the way relevant situations in other companies such as Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gillette, Kodak, Lucent Technologies, and MasterCard.

Who will derive the greatest benefit from this book? Obviously decision-makers in global organizations. Also service providers to those organizations (e.g. attorneys, accountants, insurance underwriters, management consultants) as well as officials in governmental agencies who are directly or indirectly involved in economic espionage threats as well as acts. I also highly recommend Fink's previous book, Crisis Management, first published in 1986 but more relevant today than ever before. America is at greatest risk because it has the most worth stealing. Those with "sticky fingers" know that and so must those whose task it is to deny them.

Wish WeHad Read This Book Sooner!
"Sticky Fingers" is a highly valuable contribution to the ranks of important, must-read business books that sheds much-needed light on the theft of company trade secrets.At a cost to U.S. businesses of more than $250 billion a year, it is no wonder the author calls economic espionage the single biggest business crisis in America today.Every executive and manager should read this book pronto and follow the author's sound advice on protecting their company's trade secrets.My company was a victim of economic espionage and believe me, it hurt! I wish our management had read this book and followed Fink's pragmatic advice on how companies can protect their trade secrets and reduce their risk of economic espionage.

Here's the Reality:This book tells it like it is!
It is obvious from reading "Sticky Fingers" that the author knows his subject, inside and out.The book has been thoroughly researched and well documented with a couple of hundred source notes to back it up, including interviews with former and current Justice Department prosecutors and FBI agents, as well as many corporate executives.In addition, the author cites no less than three Avery Dennison attorneys who reviewed the manuscript for accuracy.People who plunk down good money for good books appreciate this kind of substantive research.Curiously, in the face of this rock-solid reporting there emerges a childishly cranky "reviewer" from Avery Dennison's Pasadena hometown.(Hmmm?)His - or her - bias seems simplistic and obvious.Having followed this particular case and the Avery Dennison company closely for many years, I have come across quite a few embarrassing incidents that the author might have included had he wanted - perhaps some discomfiting snafus involving the company's lawyers missing scheduled court dates, or company lawyers being publicly rebuked by the trial judge for having loose lips, or gaffes by self-doubting senior management and hyper-nervous internal PR flaks.Even though those incidents may have little to do with the important topic of Economic Espionage, it still might be interesting, if not amusing, if they became public one day.This could be a slippery slope for transparent individuals with personal agendas.

Like the author's previous book on crisis management, "Sticky Fingers" is a book that belongs on every business bookshelf.Company executives and managers would be wise to read it and learn how to prevent the theft of their valuable trade secrets...before they wind up as victimized as the hapless Avery Dennison. ... Read more

Product Description
This book addresses the challenge posed by J.K. Galbraith over 50 years ago to make a constructive contribution to a different style of economic analysis - the economics of abundance. It identifies a system of abundance inhabited by the `people of plenty' and illustrates that the driver of growth in this system is spending by affluent consumers. This timely book provides essential heterodox economic theory to explain this spending and explore its key drivers and constraints.

The greatest threat to this system is under-consumption. Brendan Sheehan explains how the system spontaneously responds by creating the institution of marketing, which amplifies the drivers of spending and relaxes the constraints. However, all this has implications for the way in which markets work. He expertly builds on themes first identified by J.K. Galbraith to introduce a new conceptual framework - that of corporate-guided markets for branded products.

Written in a comprehensive style, this book will prove a valuable resource for academics in various fields, including: economic and social history, sustainability, sociology, social psychology, cognitive psychology, marketing and cultural studies. ... Read more

Product Description
Text presents an overview of economic-geographical perspectives on the restructuring of the global economy. Presents distinctive perspectives of economic geographers on the uneven, differentiated and dynamic processes of globalization. For students and researchers in economic geography, strategic management, and economic sociology. Softcover, hardcover available. ... Read more

Product Description
Do you need to brush up on your mathematical skills to truly excel in your economics or business course? If you want to increase your confidence in mathematics, then this is the perfect book for you. With its friendly and informal style, this market leading text breaks down topics into short sections making each new technique you learn seem less daunting. Offering you the chance at every opportunity to stop and check your understanding by working through the practice problems, you can relax and learn at your own pace.A brand new online learning resource for this edition available to users of this book. www.mymathlab.com/global An unrivalled online study and testing resource that generates a personalized study plan and provides extensive practice questions exactly where you need it.*Interactive questions with randomized values allow you practice the same concept as many times as you need until you master it.*Guided solutions break down the question for you step by step.*Audio animations talk you through key mathematical techniques*Full e book links out to the relevant part of the text while you are practicing.*Additional e chapters of extended topics taken out of the bookSee the Getting Started with MyMathlab Global section in the introduction for information on how to register and start using the resources. ... Read more

Product Description
China, India, Brazil, and South Africa are reshaping the world economy. These Southern Engines countries have experienced a dramatic transformation in their productive and trade capabilities, consequently turning into global super powers. The current age of globalization, in which the Southern Engines have a primary role, faces a mixed set of interconnections wherein countries and economic agents are linked closely together by trade in goods and services, flows of capital, and movements of talent and skills. Much has been written about the spectacular performance of the Asian Giants, China and India. Arising from a UNU-WIDER research project, this collection goes further by studying the substantial contribution of other large emerging countries such as Brazil and South Africa. Using a wealth of data, as well as case studies, the book provides a detailed history review of industrialisation and economic development.

The volume explores the foundations of the Southern Engines development experiences, and how these could provide resourceful lessons to the developing world. Additionally, the foremost patterns of international politics and governance are dealt with by leading scholars, who critically assess how the Southern Engines have contributed to rebalance geopolitics. This volume is a stand alone reference for researchers and policy makers concerned with international development and global governance. The studies jointly provide valuable insights for other developing countries in the pursuit of sustainable growth and forward looking development strategies. ... Read more

Product Description
In order to understand international economic regulations, it is essential to understand the variation in competing corporations' interests. Political science theories have neglected the role of individual firms as causal actors. Theories of institutions have neglected to examine the creation of business law. Economic theories have neglected to apply concepts of asset specificity to social regulations in competitive industries. This book fills these voids with a company-based explanation. Its theoretical findings open a 'black box' in the literature on international political economy and elucidate a source of regulatory differences and similarities.

Counter-intuitive case studies reveal how business and governments actually interact. They also contribute to both sides of current debates over corporate social responsibility. They examine diverse topics including offshore finance, flags-of-convenience, CFC production, capital requirements, the importation and sale of 'dolphin-lethal' tuna, and the advertising of infant formula.

By exploring powerful corporations' investment profiles and regulatory strategies, this book explains why globalization sometimes results in a 'race to the bottom', sometimes in higher common regulations, and sometimes in regulations that differ between countries. Uniquely, it then explains which regulatory outcome is likely to occur under specified conditions. The explanation incorporates economics, political science, studies of regulatory capture, and examinations of transaction costs, firms' regulatory strategies, and the roles international institutions.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

fantastic look at globalization
There is an assumption that gets rehashed quite often that firms seek countries that have lax regulations in order to take advantageof low government involvement. The result, so the assumption goes, is a "race to the bottom" between countries seeking FDI, foreign exchange, etc. Professor Dale Murphy illustrates quite effectively that this assumption is not always the case. As expected, the reality is quite complex. The good news is that Murphy navigates the complexity with ease and relays the true story in accessible prose.

This is one of those books that specialists and non-specialists alike will find extremely valuable.

should be required reading
Dale Murphy's "The Structure of Regulatory Competition" should be required reading for anyone interested in corporate social responsibility, globalization, international law and regulatory structure. The book is both smart and extremely readable, dealing with complex subjects in accessible prose.

The case studies are particularly useful. Examining a diverse set of cases such as CFC production, offshore finance, infant formula, dolphin-tuna debates, etc., Murphy is able to weave an argument that predicts international political outcomes by attacking cases that vary. His revisiting of the dolphin-tuna wars is particularly well-done as it provides a new perspective on an oft-misunderstood case.

If you want to understand globalization beyond the sound bytes and headlines, definitely take a look.

Fascinating case studies on globalization; robust theory.
As a businessman, lawyer and former banker I was fascinated by the six case studies.My academic side was awed by the theoretical mission.The chapter on the origins of offshore finance had me emailing my banking friends to say "Did you know that..." The book really shed light on what is going on in the business-government world.Makes me wish I had pursued political science instead of business and law!Or, as Murphy points out, they should be seen as overlapping, not separate. I was less familiar with some of the concepts in the academic and theoretical chapters (1 & 8), such as transaction costs and asset specificity, but Murphy explains them well and makes me see the world differently. Anyway, a good read.Highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand how globalization affects so many aspects of our lives -- aspects that most people are not even aware of.

masterpiece of cross-disciplinary scholarly research
Built around a creative yet rigorous theoretical framework of investigation, Murphy delves into the details of international political economy.He offers a clear understanding of how globalization has changed the dymamic interaction between firms and public policies.This book is a refreshing break from much jargon-laden and self-referential academic work.


Here's what John H. Jackson, University Professor at Georgetown Law School, says about this book:

"Dale Murphy has taken the subject another big step forward, by choosing a new, effective, and highly empirical approach. ... The explanation bridges studies of law, economics, political science, and business strategy.It is a fascinating study which closely examines the real world, and is an important contribution to the literature of international economic rules.

"Professor Murphy successfully challenges several orthodoxies in international political economy and law and offers a new theoretical understanding based on firms' regulatory preferences.... These case-studies -- some familiar, some new -- also illuminate controversies over 'globalization' and responses to them such as corporate social responsibility and public-private partnerships.

"The compelling historical narratives draw on the author's work experience in the private sector, government, and development agencies in over 30 countries, as well as his academic training.Braving provocative questions, the book shines light on the black box of policy-making and analyzes the fundamentally important role that firms play in shaping regulations.

"It makes a significant theoretical contribution to the field in the analysis and differentiation of firms' varied regulatory preferences, rather than treating these as monotonic.Not content with vague generalizations about 'market forces' or 'the private sector', the book burrows beneath superficial press releases and digs deep into firms' strategies and the political process by which regulations emerge.This painstaking research pays off both in the insights it generates and the robustness of the arguments."

Best book on "globalization" and IPE in several years
I teach a PhD seminar in International Political Economy and was delighted to discover this gem of a new book, in time to order for my syllabus next fall.Rare for political science, I enjoyed reading it and couldn't put it down.My own rave review and synopsis will follow shortly, but for now here is what Robert O. Keohane (Duke, Political Science), David Vogel (Berkeley, Political Science and Haas School of Business), and Kenneth A. Oye (MIT, Political Science) have written about this fine piece of scholarship.

Robert O. Keohane:"THE STRUCTURE OF REGULATORY COMPETITION indicates how important the strategies of large corporations are for global and national regulatory policy.Norms and ideas sometimes play a role, but to explain outcomes, Dale Murphy reminds us, we have to understand material interests."

David Vogel:"A first-rate contribution to both research and theory on how economic interests affect regulatory policy-making in a global economy.Murphy makes a persuasive case for the critical role played by industry structures in shaping patterns of both international and domestic regulation.This is an important book whose original analysis of the dynamics of both the 'Delaware' and 'California' effects deserves to be widely discussed and debated."

Kenneth A. Oye:"This book is a major contribution to debates over globalization.Some argue that integration spawns competitions in regulatory laxity.Others maintain that integration encourages upward regulatory harmonization. Murphy transcends this debate, identifying conditions that explain when regulations will drop toward a lowest common denominator, when regulations will converge upward, and when regulatory differences will persist.Murphy presents meticulously researched cases on regulations governing environmental performance, shipping registration and flags-of-convenience, labor standards, and capital adequacy standards.These case studies are theoretically insightful and empirically rich fables of globalization, complete with morals. Essential reading for an era when international trade conflicts center on domestic regulatory differences." ... Read more

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It is impossible to study Africa without understanding the debate about how to study Africa. At last, a book showcases the complexities and paradoxes of Africa s recent and more distant history, while avoiding simplistic, Eurocentric conceptualizations of black Africa. With this book, Peyi Soyinka-Aiwerele and Rita Kiki Edozie offer students the background and perspectives they need to comprehend the dynamics of the continent as well as a clear path through the current literature and scholarly debate. With a cross-disciplinary approach that features political, historical, and economic analysis as well as popular culture and sociological views on contemporary issues, Reframing Contemporary Africa provides an unparalleled breadth of coverage.

Essays written by a distinguished and international group of scholars including William Ackah, Pius Adesanmi, Susan Craddock, Caroline Elkins, Siba Grovogui, Mahmood Mamdani, Mutua Makau, Celestin Monga, Wole Soyinka, and Paul Tiyambe Zeleza are designed to distill original scholarship for undergraduate readers. Each contribution helps students engage with the work and arguments of luminaries while exposing them to renowned African thinkers. Contributors deliver analysis that allows students to see beyond the clichés commonly presented in the media (and even in scholarship), and helpful section openers by Soyinka-Airewele and Edozie frame forthcoming chapters, giving important thematic and historical context. Reframing Contemporary Africa will certainly provoke new debate and reflection, not merely about African issues and politics, but also about the West and its framing of Africa.

Customer Reviews (2)

Absolutely terrible.
I wouldn't consider myself too picky on the obvious spelling and technical errors; for someone who was recently enrolled in an IB economics course, I was pretty much open to any help. Unfortunately this book doesn't cut it. Not only does the author explain concepts and theories in an unfathomable manner, he also manages to throw in complex ideas at the worst of times. I took the IB economics exam two years ago, and let me tell you, this book provided me with zero help. Time and time again, I thought it was just me and I used it as a reference for the papers and exams due in the course. And each time, it provided me with zero and sometimes negative assistance. Please, if you want to pass your class and the IB exam with flying colors, then I recommend the IB Economics Course Companion!

Needs editing
I used this textbook for an IB economics course in high school.
Regrettably, it was filled with incorrect spelling and technical errors. Explanations of concepts were awkward and often confusing, to the point where my classmates began desperately searching for clearer books.

"Economics from a Global Perspective" closely follows the IB curriculum, which is an advantage, I suppose. Nevertheless, I recommend against purchasing it until the author fixes the errors described above. ... Read more

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One of the key features of this work is its introduction of a global view into managerial economics to reflect the internationalization of production and distribution in today's world. The book also uses the theory of the firm as a unifying theme to examine the managerial decision-making process. In addition, the book shows how actual managerial decisions are made in the real world today. This is done through 66 actual cases and five more extensive integrating case studies found throughout the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Fairly Useful Refresher for a Graduate Level Student.
To be fair to the true value of the book, I would like to say that this book is a very useful, concise and all-round assortment of all the pre-existing economic concepts and techniques in their simplest and themost intuition-friendly form.

An undergraduate reader might find it alittle challenging, but for a graduate level reader already seasoned inevery aspect of economics, this would not onlybe an easy reading, but avery clear and insightful guide to economic rationale behind the theoriesthey had taken for granted w/o giving its practicalapplication muchthought.

The beauty of this book for a graduate student, I think, is notin the treatment of highly advanced and feindishly complicated top of theline economic theories,but in the simple and insightful plain-langaugetreatment of all the technical aspects of economics commonly andconventionally practiced in the economics discipline.

The value of thisbook for an undergraduate student majoring in economics or business may notbe immediately evident w/o working hard at it, but rather would probably beappreciated a lot later when they are more comfortable w/ matrix algebra,calculus and econometrics.

Overall I rate this book a rare piece thatbalances well in the middle of the road between both graduate andundergraduate level audiences.

Fairly Useful Refresher for a Graduate Level Student.
To be fair to the true value of the book, I would like to say that this book is a very useful,concise and all-round assortment of all the pre-existing economic concepts and techniques in their simplest and themost intuition-friendly form.

An undergraduate reader might find it alittle challenging, but for a graduate level reader already seasoned inevery aspect of economics, this would not only be an easy reading, but avery clear and insightful guide to economic rationale behind the theoriesthey had taken for granted w/o giving its practical application muchthought.

The beauty of this book for a graduate student, I think, is notin the treatment of highly advanced and feindishly complicated top of theline economic theories, but in the simple and insightful plain-langaugetreatment of all the technical aspects of economics commonly andconventionally practiced in the economics discipline.

The value of thisbook for an undergraduate student majoring in economics or business may notbe immediately evident w/o working hard at it, but rather would probably beappreciated a lot later when they are more comfortable w/ matrix algebra,calculus and econometrics.

Overall I rate this book a rare piece thatbalances well in the middle of the road between both graduate andundergraduate level audiences.

Very complex with overlapping ideas
I am currently using the book for a managerial economics class and findthe information confusing . Certainly a review of supply and demand(chapter 3) and its application of middle level managers is crucial andshould have been placed before optimizing techniques (chapter 2).Theassumption is the student or reader has just finished an introductioneconomics course and all the information is still fresh in the mind. Personally, I review all principles in this book with basic economicprinciples for a much clearer understanding of the topics. ... Read more

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Small nations are facing increasing challenges and some new opportunities in a globalising world. Although the problems facing small nations vary widely, these economies tend to have several common concerns and opportunities. The aim of this book is to disseminate knowledge and information about the challenges that small nations or groups of small nations are facing and how they are responding to the challenges posed by growing globalisation. ... Read more

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The Commonwealth Secretariat/World Bank Joint Task Force on Small States has made a series of recommendations to assist small states overcome their vulnerability. Their recommendations include promotion of a wider recognition of the vulnerability of Small States and national, regional and international actions to support sustainable development efforts. To further these aims, it was decided to publish the Task Force papers which were presented at the conferences in St. Lucia and London in 1999 and 2000 respectively.This is the resulting book. ... Read more

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Hirofumi Uzawa's theoretical framework addresses three major problems concerning global warming and other environmental hazards.First, it considers all phenomena involved with global environmental issues that exhibit externalities of one kind or another. Secondly, it covers global environmental issues involving international and intergenerational equity and justice. Lastly, it deals with global environmental issues concerning the management of the atmosphere, the oceans, water, soil, and other natural resources having to be decided by a consensus of affected countries. ... Read more

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Coming to terms with the realities of our new global environment, an environment in which human relationships span the globe and interdendencies and interconnections are multiplying exponentially, will be the greatest challenge of the coming century.Our Global Neighborhood takes the first step in tackling the crucial issues standing in the way of the world community's progress on the eve of the twenty-first century.Its far-reaching recommendations stand as the most thorough attempt to ensure peace and progress around the world since the formation of the United Nations.
Conceived by the Commission on Global Governance, this vastly important book represents the collective thinking of twenty-eight eminent international figures from a variety of professional and public affairs backgrounds. Established in 1992 to analyze global changes in recent decades and to suggest ways in which the international community can better cooperate on global issues, the Commission works to capitalize on the myriad opportunities afforded the world community in the wake of the Cold War.Beginning with an analysis of the complex and contradictory effects of globalization and the end of the Cold War, this extensive report outlines the major transformations that have transpired over the last fifty years including the political, economic, military, technological, intellectual, and institutional changes that have so powerfully marked the second half of the twentieth century.In turn, it surveys the major problems, such as ethnic conflict, unemployment, environmental degradation, and extensive population growth, that have emerged from these transformations to confront world leaders.
In itself, the end of the Cold War has far from ended the world's problems. While the threat of nuclear superpower war has receded, the spread of nuclear capability and of biological and chemical weapons poses great dangers.Wars, between states and even more within states (such as the ongoing tragedy of both Yugoslavia and Rwanda), have continued to destroy lives.With this in mind, Our Global Neighborhood addresses the two principle norms that have guided relations among states, both before and after the Cold War: sovereignty and self-determination.It explains why these norms are still important and how they must be adapted to meet the new realities of the emerging global community.Discussing the importance of shared values in a time of transition, it identifies the values that the Commission believes most important, including justice, equity, tolerance, liberty, and nonviolence.And it goes on to call for a new global ethic based on a set of responsibilities and rights that would encourage cooperation and collaboration in a global neighborhood.
As the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations approaches in 1995, the adequacy of our institutions of global governance and the need to strengthen them will increasingly claim the attention of world leaders and citizens alike. The debates prompted by this anniversary lend a poignant timeliness to Our Global Neighborhood as it makes recommendations for changes in international organizations--especially those that are part of the United Nations system--such as revitalizing the General Assembly and reforming the Security Council. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Understanding Global Governance
A good beginners book if you want to understand what global governance is and what underpins it and the bigger picture that it represents.

If you are a leader you must read this book
The Commission on Global Governance was established in the belief that international developments had created a unique opportunity for strengthening global cooperation to meet the challenge of securing peace, achieving sustainable development, and universalizing democracy. A preliminary study led to the "Stockholm Initiative on Global Security and Governance" and the appointment of a distinguished 28-member commission serving in a private capacity independent of government or any organization. "The Commission's basic aim is to contribute to the improvement of global governance. It will analyze the main forces of global change, examine the major issues facing the world community, assess the adequacy of global institutional arrangements and suggest how they should be reformed or strengthened." The members believed that it should be possible to move the world to a higher level of cooperation than has ever been attempted, taking advantage of the growing recognition of global interdependence. Commission members divided themselves into four working groups on global values, global security, global development, and global governance, being guided by a single desire "to develop a common vision of the way forward for the world in making the transition from the cold war and in managing humanity's journey into the 21st century. We believe this report offers such a vision. The strongest message we can convey is that humanity can agree on a better way to manage its affairs and give hope to present and future generations."

Today change is very rapid and highly visible. There is a need for balance, caution and vision. Our future will depend on the extent to which people and leaders around the world develop a vision of a better world and the strategies, the institutions and the will to achieve it. Leadership is urgently needed; leadership of a different character with a commitment to public service; leadership informed by an understanding of the most important transformation of recent decades, leadership grounded in a new value system based on a commitment to care for others embodied in the metaphor of being a good neighbor. The Commission was convinced that whatever ideas it advanced in institutional and other change, must be grounded in values that speak to the tasks facing the contemporary world, including acceptance of a global ethic, and courageous leadership at all levels of society infused with that ethic. Without a global ethic, the frictions and tensions of living in the global neighborhood will multiply; without leadership, even the best designed institution and strategies will fail. Barbara Ward summed it up in these words: "The most important change that people can make is to change their way of looking at the world. We can change studies, jobs, neighborhoods, even countries and continents and still remain much as we always were. But change our fundamental angle of vision and everything changes - our priorities, our values, our judgements, our pursuits. Again and again, in the history of religion, this total upheaval in the imagination has marked the beginning of a new life ... a turning of the heart, a 'metanoia,' by which men see with new eyes and understand with new minds and turn their energies to new ways of living." Institutions respond better to these issues than governments, for whom the short-term political expediency takes precedence.

Establishing an ethical dimension to global governance requires commitment to a set of core values that can unite people of all cultural, political, religious and philosophical backgrounds; core values such as respect for life, liberty, justice, equity, mutual respect, caring, and integrity. The Commission urges the international community to unite in support of a global ethic of common rights and shared responsibilities, which encompasses the rights of all people to:
- a secure life
- equitable treatment
- an opportunity to earn a fair living and provide for their own welfare
- preservation of differences through peaceful means
- participation in governance at all levels
- free and fair petition for redress of gross injustices
- equal access to information
- equal access to the global commons

At the same time, all people share a responsibility to:
- contribute to the common good
- consider the impact of their actions on the security and welfare of others
- promote equity, including gender equity
- protect the interests of future generations by pursuing sustainable development and safeguarding the global commons
- preserve humanity's cultural and intellectual heritage
- be active participants in governance; and
- work to eliminate corruption

Mobilizing the collective power of people to shape the future to make life in the 21st century more democratic, more secure and more sustainable is the foremost challenge of our generation. The world needs a new vision that can galvanize people everywhere and leadership is the most critical factor. "In the final chapter of this report, we draw attention to what has been a pre-eminent strand in thinking of the Commission: the world's need for enlightened leadership that can inspire people to acknowledge their responsibilities to each other, and to future generations. It has to be leadership that upholds the values we need to live together as neighbors, and to preserve the neighborhood for those who follow us."

The chapters of this book are:
- A New World: The Concept of Global Governance
- Values for the Global neighborhood
- Promoting Security
- Managing Economic Interdependence: Challenges of Global Economic Governance
- Reforming the United Nations
- Strengthening the Rule of Law Worldwide
- A Call to Action: Summary of Commission Proposals; The Next Steps; The Need for Leadership

The starting point for building a better world is to have a vision of that better world and this is what this book provides. But we need ethical leaders at all levels and in all kinds of institutions with the will to implement that vision. If you are a leader or wish to become a leader, you will find this book invaluable. ... Read more

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This is the first volume arising from the work of the Centre for the Study of Global Governance, based at the London School of Economics. "Governance" in this context should not be confused with "government"; it is not the idea of one-world government which is being revived. Global governance as a concept and as a programme needs to be defined in the context of four pillars: post-mural; post-imperial; post-Keynesian; and post-industrial. The two political pillars - the post-mural and the post-imperial - define the constraints on the UN system. The two economic pillars run across the political, and are reconstituting the world in a way more radical than the political. This volume examines the ethical, ecological and economics issues emerging from the changing global order. ... Read more