A Splendid Exchange by William Bernstein
For anyone who loved Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel comes this vividly written, brilliantly original history of trade, the first for a generation.Few historical enquiries tell us as much about the world we live in today as the search for the origins of world trade. As Adam Smith observed, man has an intrinsic 'propensity to truck, barter and exchange one thing for another.' From the dawn of recorded history there has been vigorous long-distance commerce. Archaeologists have even found evidence of the prehistoric conveyance over long distances of strategic materials such as obsidian and stone tools. To demonstrate how profoundly trade influences our lives try to imagine Italian cuisine without the tomato, or a cafe anywhere in the world beyond coffee's birthplace in Yemen."A Splendid Exchange" sets out to establish just what drove early man to trade and to examine its profound influence on the world we know today. William Bernstein goes on to suggest that an analysis of one of the globe's most ancient forms of communication might teach us about how to avoid seemingly new anxieties about globalisation and the flattening of the world. "A Splendid Exchange" challenges assumptions on both sides of the great ideological divide over free trade.
'Bernstein illuminates modern debates in a sweeping history of international trade, weaving skillfully between rollicking adventures and scholarship.. A story of our irrepressible urge to exchange goods, which in turn fostered exchanges of art, science, and ideas.' Pietra Rivoli, author of The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy * 'Bernstein's powerful book demonstrates that trade is a fascinating, pervasive, and often dominant factor in human history... Economics, sociology, military strategy, and even health care are here, as well as a striking group of vivid personalities. The book is not just essential reading; it is fun all the way.' Peter L. Bernstein, author of Against the Gods and Wedding of the Waters
William J. Bernstein is an American financial theorist, known for pioneering research in the field of Modern Portfolio Theory. He has published three books including The Birth of Plenty, which was published in 2004 to critical acclaim.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781843546689 |
| ISBN 10 | 184354668X |
| Title | A Splendid Exchange |
| Author | William Bernstein |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Atlantic Books |
| Year published | 2008-07-01 |
| Number of pages | 468 |
| Prizes | Short-listed for Financial Times/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award 2008 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |