Globalization: Debunking the Myths

Now in a fully revised and updated edition, this balanced and clearly written text explores globalization and its impact from economic, political, social, environmental, and cultural perspectives. Providing a framework and platform for student learning, the book gives readers the tools to unravel the complexities of globalization in all its facets. Lui Hebron and John Stack note that as a hot-button term, globalization is used to describe any number of changes within, among, and between societies and states. Their goal is to reduce the noise engulfing debates and interpretations of one of the most dynamic, contested, applauded, and disparaged phenomena of the twenty-first century. Arguing that current assessments—both positive and negative—of globalization are overblown, the authors treat the dramatically changing landscapes of world politics as less a revolution than an evolution of already established structures and patterns of transnational relations. They trace how globalization has affected individuals, societies, states, and intergovernmental and supranational organizations. Making sense of a world seemingly smaller and incomprehensibly larger, simultaneously centralizing and fragmenting, Globalization: Debunking the Myths offers both an indispensable introduction for undergraduates and a concise review for more advanced students.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Globalization in the Twenty-First Century Chapter 2: Conceptual Perspectives on Globalization Chapter 3: Market Integration Chapter 4: Growth and Development Chapter 5: Democratization Chapter 6: Sovereignty Chapter 7: Culture Chapter 8: The Environment Chapter 9: Globalization for All? Bibliography About the Authors

About the Author :
Lui Hebron is associate dean of graduate programs at Hult International Business School. John F. Stack Jr. is founding dean of the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs and professor of politics and international relations and professor of law at Florida International University.

Review :
Globalization: Debunking the Myths is better than ever in its third edition. This book—a tour de force on an important subject—is rigorous yet also accessible. Hebron and Stack offer a profound assessment of globalization as an evolving concept. They address the dynamics of globalization thoroughly, offering a comprehensive account of globalization’s impact on the political economy of the world along dimensions that include stability, cooperation and conflict, sovereignty, cultural identity, and the environment. This even-handed study concludes that benefits from globalization outweigh its costs. Both academic and general audiences will learn from this valuable book. This clear and lively book provides an invaluable overview of the complexities of globalization. The authors synthesize the central debates—economic, political, social, cultural, and environmental—surrounding globalization, and do so in a manner that is simultaneously sophisticated and accessible. The third edition maintains the text’s balanced, jargon-free analysis, while updating the content of ongoing contestations over globalization and its consequences. Hebron and Stack make a compelling case that both the proclaimed benefits of globalization and its alleged dangers have been exaggerated. With populist anti-globalization growing in developed and developing societies alike, there has never been a more pressing time for this new edition. Thoroughly informed and always lucid, it illuminates the many dimensions of a powerful and contentious complex of forces. This sober and balanced analysis is the perfect antidote to the exaggerated claims and counter-claims distorting the public conversation.    A first-rate, clearly written, extremely informative, and thought-provoking text. Especially valuable for students are the way the authors have laid out the issues, provided questions at the end of each chapter, and integrated their extensive research.