Outside the Box: How Globalization Changed from Moving Stuff to Spreading Ideas

The author of "The Box" provides a new history of globalization that shows how to navigate its future, highlighting how it has evolved over two centuries in response to changes in demographics, technology, and consumer tastes. He explains how the 1980s creation of long-distance value chains shifted manufacturing to Asia, but globalization was taken too far due to government subsidies and the misjudgment of risk by businesses. The book suggests that globalization is entering a new era in which moving services, information, and ideas will matter more than moving stuff.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 15 September 2020
Publisher: Princeton University Press

Globalization has had a profound impact on the world we live in, shaping it in ways that were both inevitable and unplanned. It is a contentious issue that has led to significant flows of money across borders and a shift in the global balance of power. While globalization has brought about some benefits, such as lower prices for goods, it has also caused significant disruptions, including the loss of millions of jobs and the devastation of industrial centers in North America, Europe, and Japan.

Marc Levinson, the acclaimed author of "The Box," offers a fresh and lively history of globalization in his book "Outside the Box." Levinson traces the evolution of globalization over two centuries, highlighting the people and events that have shaped its course. He begins by examining the barriers to trade that existed in the early days of globalization and the efforts that were made to eliminate them. Levinson describes how the nature of globalization changed dramatically in the 1980s with the creation of long-distance value chains, which shifted manufacturing to Asia and led to the destruction of millions of jobs in North America, Europe, and Japan.

Levinson argues that globalization was taken too far because of large government subsidies and the systematic misjudgment of risk by businesses. He explains how improvements in transportation, communications, and computing made international value chains possible, but how these benefits were overshadowed by the risks associated with globalization. As companies began to account properly for the risks of globalization, cross-border investment fell sharply, and foreign trade lagged long before Donald Trump became president and the coronavirus disrupted business around the world.

In "Outside the Box," Levinson predicts that globalization is entering a new era in which moving stuff will matter much less than moving services, information, and ideas. He argues that the future of globalization will be shaped by the rise of digital technologies, the increasing importance of sustainable development, and the need to address the growing inequality between countries. Levinson offers practical advice for navigating the challenges and opportunities of the new globalization era, including the importance of building strong relationships with partners in different countries, the need to invest in education and training, and the importance of promoting innovation and creativity.

Overall, "Outside the Box" is a valuable contribution to the understanding of globalization and its impact on the world. It provides a fresh and lively history of globalization, highlighting the people and events that have shaped its course. Levinson's practical advice for navigating the new globalization era is insightful and valuable for anyone interested in understanding and shaping the future of this complex and dynamic phenomenon.

Weight: 590g
Dimension: 241 x 168 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691191768