Connected: 24 Hours in the Global Economy

What if you could look behind the headlines of the global economy to see how it really worked? Instead of listening to pundits, politicians, and protestors, you could see firsthand how everyone from migrant workers to central bank governors lived their lives. Then you could decide for yourself where the big trends were heading. Now you can. Connected: 24 Hours in the Global Economy isn’t another polemic for or against globalization. Daniel Altman takes you on a whirlwind journey through more than a dozen cities, gathering points of view from moguls, ministers, and the men and women on the street. At each stop, you’ll hear how the world’s workers played their parts in the events of a single day. Starting with their stories, related in their own words, you’ll take on pressing questions in new ways: Can poor countries become rich too quickly? Can corruption ever be a good thing? Do companies need crises in order to stay competitive? What determines the global economic pecking order? Most important, you’ll learn how the billions of decisions made by individuals can and do change the future. Connected: 24 Hours in the Global Economy is part travel guide, part owner’s manual—an absorbing, accessible, and essential road map for every citizen of the global economy in the twenty-first century.

"Altman's overview of the world's economic workings is useful and informative, though surprisingly dutiful considering the author's promise of a 'whirlwind tour.' Moving briskly between topics — pegged to an hour-by-hour timeline gimmick — he discusses many concepts: exchange rates, trade deficits, international deals, currency markets, corruption, financial derivatives, technological innovation, the importance of oil. While addressing the outsized role of the U.S., Altman offers valuable glimpses of key foreign economies and leaves us with a solid understanding of how they fit into 'the world trading system.' 'If you want to cope with connectedness,' journalist Altman writes, 'you have to be as connected as you can — in other words, you have to pay attention to what's happening in the rest of the world.' Granted, anyone who's already paying attention will find much of the book's information somewhat remedial. And Altman's attitude toward globalization is so studiously evenhanded and argument-free that the reader may long for the glossy zeal of an advocate like Thomas Friedman or a detractor like Lou Dobbs. Still, as global macroeconomic primers go, this is a quick read that reminds us that we're all in this together — and that many of us have an awful lot to learn to keep up with the global economy." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Look behind the headlines of the global economy and see how it really works--from migrant workers to banking CEOs. Part travel guide, part owner's manual, this is an absorbing, accessible, and essential road map for every citizen of the global economy in the 21st century.