- Hardcover: 384 pages
- Publisher: Ivan R Dee, Inc; 384th edition (16 Dec 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1566635470
- ISBN-13: 978-1566635479
- Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 16 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
2,444,694 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #65 in Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Social Issues > Globalisation
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Philip Legrain's ambitiously titled Open World: The Truth about Globalisation adds a new dimension to the debate on globalisation: a new defender of the benefits of the global village. Having worked for both the World Trade Organisation and The Economist, Legrain's credentials seem impeccable, and he quickly launches into an impassioned defence of the benefits of economic globalisation, enthusiastically attacking Naomi Klein's No Logo, arguing that "the beauty of globalisation is that it can free people from the tyranny of geography" in offering new possibilities for international and global cooperation and cultural intermingling.
Legrain rejects the anti-globalisation argument that governments are losing control to multinational companies, and that branding is taking over our lives, offering a powerful critique of the recent TRIPS agreement. He is also good on the extent to which "many of the worries about globalisation echo age-old fears about decline". In arguing for a much more interventionist model for the future of globalisation, Legrain follows the work of Anthony Giddens and Will Hutton, but he lacks scope and authority of their economic and political analysis to really add anything new to their radical democratic positions. His cultural analysis is so weak that he repeatedly idealises the new possibilities that globalisation provides; the claim that "we increasingly define ourselves rather than let others define us" is true for a privileged, but impossible to sustain for millions of people in the developing world. Open World still has one eye closed to the downside of globalisation. --Jerry Brotton --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
Should be required reading for politicians and voters during this election year. Explains real injustices that exist in the trading system. Provides ample evidence of how corrupt and bad governance stunts growth in poor countries.--Moore, Mike "New York Sun "
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First Sentence
Beijing, 12 July 2001. Fireworks light up the skies. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Beijing, 12 July 2001. Fireworks light up the skies. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It is very easy to be cynical and go along with the doom-mongers who say that globalisation only has negative consequences. Mr Legrain makes a compelling case that the reality is much more complicated. Insyead of falling into the usual media hype - inspired by protest groups and authors like Naomi Klein - that globalisation is de facto a bad thing Philippe presents a more insightful and deeper analysis which suggests the argument is not nearly so clear cut. Read this book to have your prejudices challenged.
14 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Firstly, Philippe Legrain is to be applauded for taking on the challenge posited by countless texts from Klein, Hertz et al and trying to redress the balance of thought in this area. Not least since this is likely to raise a few hackles. However, in trying to tackle a full sweep of the issues raised by globalisation (economic, political, social and cultural) he produces a very basic and weak analysis of the subject.
Whilst he raises interesting issues (e.g. the real extent of US cultural impact globally), on a macro level, the book contains none of the thoughtfulness or insightfulness of analyses by commentators such as Hutton, Chomsky or Friedman and reads rather like a university thesis, rooted in traditional theories of economics rather than realpolitik. Surprisingly, for example, in this sort of book, there is no real discussion of US economic and political hegemony which is pretty remiss to say the least.
On a micro level, there is a plethora of texts on each each of subjects he raises ranging from the popular (Eric Schlosser, Fran Abrams) to the academic (e.g. on global standards for human rights) which provide much more thorough, detailed and on-the-ground analysis and which often contradict Legrain's theories. There are many, many examples of this through the book, but to pick one at random, in his review of whether major corporations are in a position to take unfair advantage of their size (whether financial, environmentally or vis-a-vis consumers and employees) one of his four mitigating items is that these companies have to comply with many government regulations and therefore are prevented from doing so. To support this, he notes that "the Federal Register, which lists US government regulations is 70,000 pages long"... and that's it for your analysis. No consideration as to the extent of compliance, what constitutes compliance, whether companies can successfully breach regulations etc. This is a crucial failing of book given that if the majority of theories and principles are not necessarily applied or adhered to properly in practice, then his analysis of the actual impact of globalisation is seriously flawed.
In short, buy this book if you want a quick snapshot of alternative thinking to traditional globalisation but do not buy it for any thoughtful analysis of the subject.
5 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Open World offers a persuasive case for globalisation and a clear and brutal dissection of the arguments put forward by the anti-globalisation movement. Philippe Legrain explains how globalisation can and does benefits all parts of society across the world and explodes the myth of the global economy as a club for the rich to exploit the poor. I warmly recommend this book to anyone who has been bemused by an often highly emotive debate. Legrain cuts through the nonsense to show how freer trade benefits us all. Future generations will see the anti-globalisation movement in the same way that we regard those who, in the past, firmly believed the world was flat. Legrain is no Aristotle, but, like Christopher Columbus, he takes his readers on a journey which proves the doom-sayers wrong.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A brilliant review of a much-maligned subject
Having attempted to read the tripe that is 'No Logo' and blessed the day when I finished 'Stuffed and Starved' I was starting to wonder if anyone was capable of being objective... Read more
Published on 20 April 2009 by J. Milton
Globalisation 101 - Read this for some perspective
If you have been convinced by the arguments of Naomi Klein that corporations are taking over the world and that we are in an inexorable race to the bottom driven by corporate greed... Read more
Published on 3 Feb 2008 by A. O. P. Akemu
Useful
A useful book, full of facts about the benefits of globally integrated trade, but written in the brusque, no-nonsense style that economists like to affect. Read more
Published on 2 April 2005
The possibilities
A very good book, would be my initial view. It does make a strong arguement FOR the possibilities of globalisation, and Mr Legrain is no fool to try and assert the view that... Read more
Published on 26 May 2004 by G. Kodikara
A very readable analysis of globalisation
For anyone who is looking for a quick and accessible insight into the
minefield that is globalisation, this is the book for you. Read more
minefield that is globalisation, this is the book for you. Read more
Published on 8 Mar 2004
Good, but don't trust that statistics
The big positives of this book is that it had a nice collection of anecdotes about the supposed sweatshops, which powerfully make the point that it's not necessarily a... Read more
Published on 6 Mar 2004 by "kennynicely"
Good book
Philip Legrain's ambitiously titled Open World: The Truth about Globalisation adds a new dimension to the debate on globalisation: a new defender of the benefits of the global... Read more
Published on 17 Nov 2003 by haris eliades
Don't Burn Your Nikes
Tired of trite, cynical spiel from well-fed prophets of apocalypse, I opened this book looking for a fresh, realistic and constructive view of globalization and that was what I... Read more
Published on 4 Nov 2003 by jose cabo
No punches pulled - an answer to the global pessimists
I'll ignore the irony of anti-globalisation campaigners using the internet - the ultimate globaliser - to attack this excellent book, and get to the heart of the matter: what does... Read more
Published on 11 Sep 2003
A missed opportunity for necessary debate
I was hoping for reasoned counter-argument to the anticapitalists and a worthwhile contribution to the debate which we need to have, but came away extremely disappointed. Read more
Published on 24 Aug 2003 by "lolwhites"
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