The World That Trade Created by Kenneth Pomeranz
The World That Trade Created is a book that brings to life the history of trade and its actors. The authors use a series of brief, highly readable vignettes to uncover the deep historical roots of economic globalization.
The book covers a wide range of particular incidents or processes related to trade over the past seven hundred or so years. The authors group their vignettes loosely in seven chapters: “The Making of Market Conventions,” “The Tactics of Transport,” “The Economic Culture of Drugs,” “Transplanting: Commodities in World Trade,” “The Economics of Violence,” “Making Modern Markets,” and “World Trade, Industrialization, and Deindustrialization.”
The main themes of the book include the historical roots of economic globalization, the impact of trade on society and culture, and the role of trade in shaping the world economy. The authors also emphasize regional or global interaction, and they unflinchingly present negative as well as positive consequences of world trade.
Useful takeaways from the book include:
- Understanding the deep historical roots of economic globalization
- Recognizing the impact of trade on society and culture
- Appreciating the role of trade in shaping the world economy
- Gaining insights into the tactics of transport and the economic culture of drugs
- Understanding the economics of violence and the making of modern markets
- Examining the relationship between world trade, industrialization, and deindustrialization.
What I Liked
I liked the structure of the book. It’s less academic and a more approachable book about world trade.
What I Did Not Like
Nothing – solid read.
In The World That Trade Created, Kenneth Pomeranz explores the history of trade and its impact on our world. The book is filled with engaging vignettes that break down complex themes like economic globalization, the cultural effects of trade, and its role in shaping the global economy. I appreciated how the chapters are organized, making the content easy to digest without feeling overly academic. Honestly, I didn’t find anything to criticize—it's just a solid read that offers valuable insights into how trade has influenced society over the past 700 years.
- Engaging and readable vignettes
- Covers a wide range of trade-related incidents
- Explores both positive and negative consequences of trade
- Approachable structure, less academic
- Provides valuable insights into historical roots of economic globalization
- Nothing - solid read.
