A Future Perfect: The Challenge and Hidden Promise of Globalization

John Micklethwait , Adrian Wooldridge

Physical

Available

A Future Perfect is the first comprehensive examination of the most important revolution of our time--globalization--and how it will continue to change our lives. The authors, John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge, correspondents for The Economist, won the Financial Times/Booz Allen Hamilton Global Business Book Award on Strategy and Leadership for their previous collaboration, The Witch Doctors. In A Future Perfect, Micklethwait and Wooldridge expand their field of vision in order to analyze, demystify, and expose the global forces reshaping our world, and they detail both the challenge and the hidden promise those forces hold for individuals, businesses, and governments.

Do businesses benefit from going global? Are we creating winner-take-all societies? Will globalization seal the triumph of junk culture? What will happen to individual careers? Gathering evidence from the shantytowns of São Paolo to the boardroom of General Electric, from the troubled Russia-Estonia border to the booming San Fernando Valley sex industry, Micklethwait and Wooldridge mount a powerful, witty, levelheaded defense of globalization.

Along the way, the authors introduce us to the cosmocrats--the members of the elite business, information, and diplomatic class who are creating the new world order. They also identify the three engines of globalization and describe how people are managing and governing in an increasingly global era. As they did in The Witch Doctors, the authors also brilliantly puncture myths and conventional wisdom, separating false hopes from emerging realities.

Incisive, expansive, and optimistic, A Future Perfect is an illuminating tour of the global economy and a fascinating assessment of its potential impact.

What will you learn from this book

  1. Globalization's Inevitability:

    • The book discusses the inevitability of globalization, emphasizing the interconnectedness of economies, cultures, and societies in the modern world.
  2. Market Forces and Technology:

    • Micklethwait and Wooldridge explore how market forces and technological advancements drive globalization, shaping the economic and social landscape.
  3. The Role of Technology:

    • The authors highlight the role of technology, especially information technology, in facilitating global communication, trade, and collaboration.
  4. Challenges to National Sovereignty:

    • The book addresses the challenges that globalization poses to traditional notions of national sovereignty, as decisions and influences extend beyond national borders.
  5. Cultural Homogenization vs. Diversity:

    • The authors discuss the tension between cultural homogenization, driven by globalization, and the desire to preserve and celebrate cultural diversity.
  6. Impact on Politics:

    • Globalization's impact on political structures and governance is explored, including the role of international organizations and the challenges faced by traditional political entities.
  7. Economic Opportunities and Inequalities:

    • The book examines how globalization creates economic opportunities but also contributes to inequalities within and between nations.
  8. Environmental Concerns:

    • The authors address environmental challenges associated with globalization, including issues related to resource consumption, pollution, and climate change.
  9. The Role of Multinational Corporations:

    • Micklethwait and Wooldridge discuss the influence and impact of multinational corporations in the globalized world, both economically and culturally.
  10. The Search for a Balance:

    • The book concludes by exploring the ongoing search for a balance between the benefits and challenges of globalization, emphasizing the need for responsible and sustainable practices.
Language English
ISBN-10 9780812930962
ISBN-13 9780812930962
No of pages 416
Font Size Medium
Book Publisher Crown Business
Published Date 09 May 2000

About Author

Author : Adrian Wooldridge

NA

Related Books