International Economics In The Age Of Globalization

By Wilson B. Brown and Jan S. Hogendorn

International Economics in the Age of Globalization provides the intellectual basis for an understanding of the increasingly integrated world economy. The requisite background is not solely economic theory, but includes the history and the purposes and workings of the organizations, laws, instruments, and customary practices in the international economy.

Economic theory is not limited to the abstract; its concern with institutions has both a practical and theoretical base. How can one evaluate a criticism of the World Trade Organization, a fear of the dangers of financial derivatives, the supposed freedom of a multinational firm, or the presumed unfairness of dumping without knowing both theory and institutions? Where did these institutions come from? What problems are they solving--as well as creating? This book's balance between theory and institutions is akin to texts in Public Expenditure or Money and Banking. The leading international economics texts, in contrast, push the real world into the background and present the subject as a more specialized intermediate theory course, accessible only to people who have a solid theoretical background. The result is that good discussions of many of the key issues in modern international economics simply are not available in the curriculum, or accessible to any but economics majors. This book aims to remedy that failing, challenging economics majors and non-majors alike. It will also be of value to students of business and public affairs and to the economic-literate general public.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1551112612
• ISBN13: 9781551112619
• Release Date: May 2000
• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Length: 792 Pages

Customer Reviews

Rich Content, could use better organization

I chose this book for my International Economics course as a result of having previously used an examination copy as a source of supplementary explanations. I found the explanations so much better than the text that I was using, that I decided to use it as the required text.The strengths of the book are clear and comprehensive explanations of principles and ample empirical illustrations.Having used it for a semester, I have the following criticisms: Some explanations border on being too comprehensive. This gives the book a wordiness that may at times obscure the major points. Students cannot always distinguish major from minor points, and the book is not too helpful here. In the same vein the system of denoting the books structure is confusing. It is done with different type-faces, and it is not always apparent what outranks what. It might help to supplement this with traditional outline delineators. Finally the paperback construction, which makes the book a relative bargain, has the drawback of being too flimsy for a book this size. Mine started falling apart in one semester,