The Coming of Globalization

"The increasingly extensive globalization of human activities, economic, political and cultural, is producing both great economic opportunities and great political and social strains for human beings and their institutions. The main themes of this book are, first, the chain of technological advances in communications which have made globalization possible; second, the way in which rapid changes accompanying contemporary globalization are bringing serious risks of global economic chaos following a potential failure in uncontrolled markets; and the equally serious risks of political and social disorder caused by the rapid decay of many familiar governing institutions. The third theme is the changing pattern of global and international politics, both private and public, which globalization is also inducing.". "If these opportunities are to be fruitful and the parallel tensions are to be resolved, achieving the broadest possible understanding of how and why globalization has occurred and the direction that events are most likely to take, is an urgently necessary starting-point. This book offers the general reader a coherent explanation of what is happening and at the same time gives a firm context for academic and other students who wish or need to study the topics discussed in greater and more specialized detail."--BOOK JACKET.