Customer Reviews

The No-Nonsense Guide to Globalization (No-Nonsense Guides)

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This is a great intro to corporate globalism, and also a good refresher for the more educated folk. Ellwood wonderfully and consicesly gives a quick history of globalization (ie economic colonialism)describes the Bretton Woods Trio, explains and the problems with the rise of speculative investments, among others. I would recommend this book to anyone.

If you like leftist Canadian thinkers like John Raulston Saul or Linda McQuaig, you'll love this handy little book. It is less obtrusively philosophical than Saul, less earthily anecdotal than McQuaig, but squarely in their broad line of thought.

Albeit in a somewhat muted and oblique way, the volume makes it clear that in its root impulses, globalization is an Anglo-Saxon phenomenon: Nixon's abandonment of the gold standard in 1973, Thatcher's coming to power in the UK in 1978.

It is odd for a Canadian based series that the major Canadian player of this era - our dear, late PET, despised by Nixon, Regan, Thatcher -- isn't even in the index.

Useful facts: the WTO is founded in 1994; its major instrument becomes the 1997 MAI (Multilateral Agreement on Investment). David Korten features heavily in the debate (his mid-90s WHEN CORPORATIONS RULE THE WORLD is not in the bibliography, even if a 1997 follow-up, THE POST-CORPORATE WORLD, is present). What is perhaps the book's most clutching assertion (one Korten had made more or less made in that earlier volume) is on page 73: "For every dollar that is needed to facilitate the trade in real goods, nine dollars is gambled in foreign exchange markets."

Nothing to brag about, but no complaints either. Shipping was good, price good, service ok.

This book undoubtedly has a lot of research put into it. However, the crux and conclusion is a very biased evaluation. I would never call it a "No-Nonsense" anything.
The main problem I have with the book in terms of GLOBALIZATION is Ellwood only considers globalization in economic terms. All his examples and research area based on the "global economic system." Globalization is supported by the free market, but this is only part of the force.
Then, the way he analyzes the free market and democracy is unfair. He gives examples of the WTO, IMF, et al reducing democracy and sovereignty for economic prosperity. Then he speaks of international investors taking advantage of locals. BUT, he never investigates any other option. Look where Communism led China--50 M starved to death.
Lastly, his anti-American bias taints the quality of globalization argument as well. He equates globalization with Americanization. Many authors would disagree with that statement. He naturally disagrees with Americans, and uses it as a straw man method to pull down globalization too.
Revealing quotes:
"...US to flout both domestic and international law as it wages a unilateral 'war on terror.' The single-minded pursuit of this chimera has eroded civil liberties and human rights..."
"local cultures around the world are marginalized and devalued. Family and community bonds are disintegrating..."
"Companies make the profits but society has to foot the bill."

--The book is deceivingly easy to understand: following him is no problem. But what he says doesn't answer all the questions of the free market or Globalization. You'll need a more extensive book, and unbiased, to do that.
Recommended: The Globalization Reader
Why Globalization Works, (ok)
Thomas L. Friedman books