The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations [Paperback]

John Baylis (Editor), Steve Smith (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 26, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0198782632 | ISBN-13: 978-0198782636 | Edition: 2

Fully revised and updated to cover the latest developments in world politics, the new edition of this highly successful book provides the ideal introduction to international relations. It is updated to reflect events since 1997, with more attention given to the integration of the globalization theme throughout the book. The history section now has a new chapter by Michael Cox on "International History since 1990" bringing the story of International Relations up to the present day. The theory section has been significantly reorganized following feedback from professors and includes a new chapter on "Contemporary Mainstream Approaches" by Steve Lamy. The new organization of this section allows more room to introduce students to the main theories of International Relations (such as realism and liberalism) and to explain complex theoretical developments in more detail. The international issues section now includes a chapter on "The Communications and Internet Revolution in IR" by Jonathan Aronson and a substantially revised chapter on "Culture in World Affairs" by Simon Murden. The book also includes new contributions on International Political Economy (Ngaire Woods) and European Integration (Thomas Christiansen). A new concluding section on "Globalization in the Future" contains two chapters by leading International Relations scholars - Andrew Linklater on "Globalization and the Transformation of Political Community" and Ian Clark on "Globalization and the Post-Cold War Order." Written especially for those coming to the subject for the first time, this text has been carefully edited by John Baylis and Steve Smith to ensure a coherent, accessible, and lively account of the globalization of world politics.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`Review from previous edition A very good collection combining classical/orthodox themes with new approaches. Text is accessible and good value for money. It is also well laid-out and prepared with the undergraduate student fully in mind.' Peter Lawler, University of Manchester

About the Author

John Baylis is a Professor and Head of the department of Political Theory and Government at the University of Wales, Swansea. He was formerly Dean of Social Sciences at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. His publications include: Dilemmas of World Politics, edited with N. J. Rengger (1992), The Diplomacy of Pragmatism: Britain and the Formation of NATO (1993) and Ambiguity and Deterrence: British Nuclear Strategy 1945-1964 (1995) and Anglo-American Relations Since 1939: The Enduring Alliance (1998). Steve Smith is a Professor in the Department of International Politics, and Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. He specializes in international political theory. His publications include nternational Relations Theory Today, edited with Ben Booth (1995) and International Theory: Positivism and Beyond edited with Ken Booth and Marysia Zalewski (1996).

Product Details

• Paperback: 720 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2 edition (July 26, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198782632
• ISBN-13: 978-0198782636
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,335,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good organization but disappointing content, March 11, 2005

By 

Michael Stoil "Michael" (Springfield, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations (Paperback)

The organization of the work is excellent and many of the chapters (including those written by John Baylis) were clear, concise, and easy for a graduate class to follow. Unfortunately, other selections in the work are diffuse, rambling, or awkwardly-written. Moreover, despite an attempt to provide a balanced perspective on whether globalization is actually occurring, the work tends to support the globalization argument without providing strong evidence. Baylis' brilliant initial chapter actually presents a plausible case against globalization. Finally, despite the importance of nationalist and religious-based ideologies in motivating transnational behavior, these concepts receive less coverage than, for example, feminist theories. I had to construct an entire unit on Christian and Islamic principles of transnational relations from supplementary materials. Although I might assign Baylis' first chapter as required reading, the quality of the writing in the remaining 400+ pages is too inconsistent to be a good text.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great piece of academic work, April 6, 2003

By 

Brian Crowley (Albany, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations (Paperback)

This book helped me understand my initial international relations module at college. It is concise, informative and provides detailed analysis of key issues, and sets out typologies on how best to understand international issues.

2 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad., December 10, 2001

By 

Gabriel Kenneth White (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations (Paperback)

Not to bad. It's a bit difficult to follow, but goes into pretty good detail.