Acentury ago, migrants often crossed an ocean and never saw their homelands again. Today, they call - or Skype - home the moment their flight has landed, and that's just the beginning. Thanks to cheap travel and easy communication, immigrants everywhere stay in intimate contact with their native countries, creating powerful cross-border networks.
In Borderless Economics, Robert Guest, The Economist's Business Editor, travels through dozens of countries and 44 American states, observing how these networks create wealth, spread ideas and foster innovation. He shows how:
* Brainy Indians in America collaborate with brainy Indians in India to build $70 fridges and $300 houses
* Young Chinese study in the West and then return home (where they're known as "sea turtles"), infecting China with ideas that will eventually turn it democratic
* The so-called "brain drain" - the flow of educated migrants from poorcountries to rich ones - actually reduces global poverty
*America's unique ability to attract and absorb migrants lets it tap into the energy of all the world's diaspora networks. So despite its current woes, if the United States keeps its borders open, it will remain the world's most powerful nation indefinitely.
With on-the-ground reporting from Asia, Africa, Europe and even Idaho, this book examines how migration, for the all the disruption it causes, makes the world wealthier and happier.
Borderless Economics
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“An informative, engaging survey of the beneficial consequences of globalization.”—Kirkus Reviews
"Robert Guest has discovered the quantum mechanics of economic growth and political liberty. It turns out the wave-particle duality of economic matter and political energy is us. We the people of the world-- moving where we want and doing what we will -- create the universe of progress. Governments of Earth, say goodbye to the Newtonian concepts of nation and state. The apple of Borderless Economics has hit you on the head and knocked you out."-- P. J. O'Rourke
“For most, globalization has been about the movement of goods, services, technology and capital. As Robert Guest succinctly explains in this eminently readable book, globalization is actually about people - their migration, the networks they form and the ideas that they transmit through their mobility. In a world grappling with rising protectionist fever, this book is a warning that those nations who want to batten down the hatches and shut the free flow of people and ideas do so at their own risk.”—Nandan Nilekani, Chairman, Unique Identification Authority of India
“Too much of economic and political analysis is about countries. Robert Guest shows us the myriad ways in which countries are connected by people who move around to learn, to work and to live. These networks are increasingly central both to the nature of opportunity and to public policy issues in the United States. The book is persuasive: America will stay prosperous and strong only so long as we remain the Hub of the World.”--Simon Johnson, co-author, 13 Bankers, and professor at MIT Sloan
“Guest has produced a book that is witty, rigorous, humane, provocative and dazzlingly well-reported. Everyone should read it. Bravo!” --Tim Harford, author of Adapt and The Undercover Economist
“Fantastically entertaining and well-written…[I] couldn’t put it down.” --Chris Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of Wired and author of The Long Tail and Free.
"This is a thoughtful, entertaining and above all inspiring hymn of praise to the cultural, social and economic benefits of freer migration. Its conclusion should be noted by every politician running for office: immigration is an opportunity, not a threat."—Bill Emmott, author of 20:21 Vision and Rivals
“A wonderful antidote to the tired and vague clichés about ‘globalization’. Drawing on a breadth of research and decades of reporting from 70 countries, Robert Guest makes the case for why global migration is (mostly) an extraordinary force for good.”--Charles Wheelan, author of Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science
“Amusing, intelligent, and full of statistics, Borderless Economics is the perfect starting point for exploring new diasporas and international networks.”—Economics and the Financial Crisis, Global Politics
About the Author
Robert Guest is currently the Global Business Editor at The Economist. Before joining The Economist, he was the Tokyo correspondent for The Daily Telegraph. The winner of numerous awards, Guest is a regular on both the BBC and CNN. He is the author of The Shackled Continent.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
The thing that you have to understand about Economists is that they're generally an optimistic bunch, but they're really annoyed by the complications of...reality. They love models: models are perfect and simple. Because they omit externalities and oddities, they work perfectly. The simplest of models involve but two variables: wine and cheese, money and time, socks and shoes, and so on. As you progress further in your studies of the dismal science, you must heartbreakingly accept that in the real world, there is almost no application for a two-variable model.
It's heartbreaking because in the sterile simplicity of Economics, the world works perfectly. Everyone who wants a job, has one; everyone who wants to borrow money, can; if you want time off work, you just work fewer hours. In the world of Economics we are all Utility Calculators, and we're very good at what we do. We scan the job market for opportunities, spot them, and train to be the next Michael Jordan, Bill Gates, or Homer Simpson, depending our utility/salary demands (shockingly, no one ever chooses to be homeless, or a drug addict, or unemployed in this model).
In the world of Economic models, not only do we all have jobs, but we all have jobs that we're good at, so we make a lot of money. On top of that, we enjoy our jobs. In other words, if you simplify the model enough, you can actually create the conditions for perfect Human Capital Allocation.
My point is this: there are a few differences between the skills in this world, and where they are most needed (likewise, the low-skill human labor, and where that's needed). It's just of a pain in the butt that these two groups can't find each other more easily. If they could, so theorizes Robert Guest, we could solve most if not all of the world's problems. In a perfect Economic World, every product has the perfect price, there is no Economic profit, and everyone is maximizing their happiness. How adorable.
This is a book about the growing importance of Diasporas, and what it means for all of us (regardless of which country we hail from). So what's a Diaspora, anyway?
di·as·po·ra'
[dahy-as-per-uh]
1.any group migration or flight from a country or region. Synonyms: dispersion, dissemination, migration, displacement, scattering. Antonyms: return.
2.any group that has been dispersed outside its traditional homeland, especially involuntarily, as Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
So what happens when the simplicity of Economics smashes head on into the stone cold reality of governments, politics, culture, religion, racism, language, and other barriers? Koreans can work in the USA if they're willing to learn English and speak it 24/7. No shock there. Americans can work in Paris if they can learn French and take up smoking. Anyone (for example a Mainland Chinese) who doesn't have the right Passport, can't leave the country without an invitation letter from Harvard. So, this is the world we live in: some privileged few can re-allocate their Human Capital if they're willing to overcome real barriers, but many cannot. Robert Guest (big shot at The Economist) is suggesting that if we didn't have...er...countries, we wouldn't have all these problems. You could take it a step further and suggest that if we didn't have ownership/territory/property and all the resulting wars, the world would be a much nicer place. But that isn't going to happen anytime soon either. Once again, the model, beautiful as it is, crumbles when we touch it with our clumsy human hands.
Real Economic development still comes from the top: great countries with great leaders instilling the big three (education, health and wealth) in a populace in a balanced distribution. But there are a few things we can spread across the world without a visit to the Chinese Consulate: ideas (this might explain why some of the most totalitarian states monitor and block Internet access to `radical thinking'). The great thing about Diaspora Networks is that they're usually made up of the best and brightest. The Mainland Chinese who got into Ivy League schools still make up some of the brightest the country has to offer. With their experience abroad, they represent a fine blend of East and West. They can pick and choose what they like and what they don't like about both. And maybe, just maybe, they can return to their home country and report, and share, and improve things. For that there are three requirements: first, you must leave your home country; second, you must return to your home country; third, you must love your home country enough to want risk everything (your career, your family, your friendships) to change it.
More articles like this on 21tiger
It's heartbreaking because in the sterile simplicity of Economics, the world works perfectly. Everyone who wants a job, has one; everyone who wants to borrow money, can; if you want time off work, you just work fewer hours. In the world of Economics we are all Utility Calculators, and we're very good at what we do. We scan the job market for opportunities, spot them, and train to be the next Michael Jordan, Bill Gates, or Homer Simpson, depending our utility/salary demands (shockingly, no one ever chooses to be homeless, or a drug addict, or unemployed in this model).
In the world of Economic models, not only do we all have jobs, but we all have jobs that we're good at, so we make a lot of money. On top of that, we enjoy our jobs. In other words, if you simplify the model enough, you can actually create the conditions for perfect Human Capital Allocation.
My point is this: there are a few differences between the skills in this world, and where they are most needed (likewise, the low-skill human labor, and where that's needed). It's just of a pain in the butt that these two groups can't find each other more easily. If they could, so theorizes Robert Guest, we could solve most if not all of the world's problems. In a perfect Economic World, every product has the perfect price, there is no Economic profit, and everyone is maximizing their happiness. How adorable.
This is a book about the growing importance of Diasporas, and what it means for all of us (regardless of which country we hail from). So what's a Diaspora, anyway?
di·as·po·ra'
[dahy-as-per-uh]
1.any group migration or flight from a country or region. Synonyms: dispersion, dissemination, migration, displacement, scattering. Antonyms: return.
2.any group that has been dispersed outside its traditional homeland, especially involuntarily, as Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
So what happens when the simplicity of Economics smashes head on into the stone cold reality of governments, politics, culture, religion, racism, language, and other barriers? Koreans can work in the USA if they're willing to learn English and speak it 24/7. No shock there. Americans can work in Paris if they can learn French and take up smoking. Anyone (for example a Mainland Chinese) who doesn't have the right Passport, can't leave the country without an invitation letter from Harvard. So, this is the world we live in: some privileged few can re-allocate their Human Capital if they're willing to overcome real barriers, but many cannot. Robert Guest (big shot at The Economist) is suggesting that if we didn't have...er...countries, we wouldn't have all these problems. You could take it a step further and suggest that if we didn't have ownership/territory/property and all the resulting wars, the world would be a much nicer place. But that isn't going to happen anytime soon either. Once again, the model, beautiful as it is, crumbles when we touch it with our clumsy human hands.
Real Economic development still comes from the top: great countries with great leaders instilling the big three (education, health and wealth) in a populace in a balanced distribution. But there are a few things we can spread across the world without a visit to the Chinese Consulate: ideas (this might explain why some of the most totalitarian states monitor and block Internet access to `radical thinking'). The great thing about Diaspora Networks is that they're usually made up of the best and brightest. The Mainland Chinese who got into Ivy League schools still make up some of the brightest the country has to offer. With their experience abroad, they represent a fine blend of East and West. They can pick and choose what they like and what they don't like about both. And maybe, just maybe, they can return to their home country and report, and share, and improve things. For that there are three requirements: first, you must leave your home country; second, you must return to your home country; third, you must love your home country enough to want risk everything (your career, your family, your friendships) to change it.
More articles like this on 21tiger
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Mr. Guest's book does a remarkable job of taking an extremely complex subject and making it accessible. The argument that loosening immigration barriers could impact global economics more than trade policy is powerfully made. The use of facts and data is certainly not surprising in a book about economics. What makes this book such an enjoyable read, however, is the use of stories of members of various diaspora about their experience.
Mr. Guest's experience working for The Economist has provided him opportunity to meet and engage with members of numerous diaspora throughout his career. He has taken their experiences and managed to shift my thinking about both immigration policy in the United States and the entire concept of "brain drain". It does not hurt that the author has a great sense of humor that he puts on display throughout the book when you would least expect it.
All in all - a complex story well told.
Mr. Guest's experience working for The Economist has provided him opportunity to meet and engage with members of numerous diaspora throughout his career. He has taken their experiences and managed to shift my thinking about both immigration policy in the United States and the entire concept of "brain drain". It does not hurt that the author has a great sense of humor that he puts on display throughout the book when you would least expect it.
All in all - a complex story well told.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The very word, "economics" may strike fear into the hearts and minds of many a reader who thinks he or she is more comfortable in the safety of the humanities -- literature and the arts.
No need to fear the subject any longer! In the vivid prose of master-journalist Robert Guest of the highly literate Economist, the subject of globalized business becomes as fascinating as a page-turning mystery, and as appealing as a slice of chocolate cake.
BORDERLESS ECONOMICS is a romp of a ride through the conference rooms and idea labs around the world. Guest is a magnificent story-teller and in his hands, "economics" becomes a thrilling tale of extraordinary men and women who have imagined original products that we all use and need -- when the rest of us had no idea we'd ever come to rely on them in our daily lives.
If you buy and read only one book on the exciting world of innovators of tomorrow, BORDERLESS ECONOMICS should be that one.
No need to fear the subject any longer! In the vivid prose of master-journalist Robert Guest of the highly literate Economist, the subject of globalized business becomes as fascinating as a page-turning mystery, and as appealing as a slice of chocolate cake.
BORDERLESS ECONOMICS is a romp of a ride through the conference rooms and idea labs around the world. Guest is a magnificent story-teller and in his hands, "economics" becomes a thrilling tale of extraordinary men and women who have imagined original products that we all use and need -- when the rest of us had no idea we'd ever come to rely on them in our daily lives.
If you buy and read only one book on the exciting world of innovators of tomorrow, BORDERLESS ECONOMICS should be that one.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating, well-written, entertaining
Robert Guest is a great non-fiction writer. His experience traveling as an Economist correspondent has given him a wealth of experiences to draw from for this book, and his stories... Read more
Published 4 months ago by E. Starks
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Descriptions of the Mutual Benefits of Immigration and with...
I heard the author interviewed on National Public Radio and was taken by his description of the benefits of immigration and a future that has a greater relaxation of restrictions... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Daniel Hurley
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fairly Simplistic -
In 2009 there were 215 million living outside the country in which they were born. Included were 60 million Chinese, and 25 million Indians. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Loyd E. Eskildson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Informative look at benefits (and some negative effects) of migration...
The author, business editor of The Economist, provides an interesting and informative look at the economic effects of migration and diaspora networks. Read more
Published 18 months ago by E. Jaksetic
5.0 out of 5 stars
Borderless Economics...or why globalization is good
Great read! Guest leavens his subject with wit, humor, personal experience and piercing clarity. A must-read for anyone touched by globalization. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Roy Fried
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely marvellous (and surprisingly entertaining)
Does the world really need another book about globalisation? Yes, it does. And this is that book.
My pleasure reading is confined mainly to fiction, and I basically... Read more
My pleasure reading is confined mainly to fiction, and I basically... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Dr Sallie G James
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