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Rating: 
Summary: An informed discussion of free trade
Review: Economics is one of those subjects on which everyone has an opinion but few have much knowledge. Free trade, in particular, suffers from this opinion/knowledge gap. Reviewer Enright provides a good demonstration of this affliction. Had he taken the time to read the entire book, rather than just skimming the last few pages looking for some commentary on the politicization of free trade, Enright might have learned something about the benefits of free trade. Irwin's text provides an excellent overview of how economic thinking has over the years come to accept and promote free trade. Unfortunately, today's free trade debate is typically not framed by such informed discussion, but rather is shaped by the protectionist rantings of critics like Enright.
Rating:
Summary: Great book - shoddy reviewers
Review: Fantastic analysis of international free trade and the coming of age of economic globalization. Irwin is a diamond in the rough when it comes to economic author. He writes in such a way that is fairly easy to understand, all the while not comprimising the quality of the material. Granted, any previous knowledge of Economics is obviously beneficial to the reader, but in no way an absolute must. Second, Mr. Preston Enright above seems to oppose corporate subsidies and welfare. Well, Mr Enright, so do the most staunch defenders of free-trade and capitalism: libertarians. I would not so much call myself a Libertarian but, like yourself, am also ardently opposed to corporate welfare, as it places an unwarranted burden on taxpayers and forces them to involuntarily support a cause, whereas they should only support the firm with their purchases from that corporation. Corporate welfare is, indeed, a rotten policy enacted but liberals and conservatives alike that, just as other forms of subsidies and welfare, create an unhealthy and unwarranted dependency on Washington (or wherever the largesse may originate), artificially lower prices, discourages innovation and efficiency, and ultimately harms the taxpayer and the consumer. Preston Enright is correct that this type of 'free trade' (not free to the mass of those who should benefit: the consumer) is only beneficial to the management and executives. Although, I'm guessing by his scattered and fiery writing style that he would be opposed to the free market, welfare or no welfare.
Rating:
Summary: An informed discussion of free trade
Review: Free trade is great when you're rich and powerful enough to ram it down the throat of other nations. The multinationals, who benefit from massive subsidies (aeronautics, computers, metallurgy, you name it) are more than happy to have members of the bought priesthood of academia distill fantasies about the joys of the alleged "free market." Not a word in this book about the public subsidies that become private profits, with a huge military and growing prison-industrial-complex for the millions of people who are superfluous to the plans being made (undemocratically, of course) in Geneva and Bonn. Corporate tyranny and its servants are destroying the environment, labor protections, the public sphere, and cultural diversity. Goebbels would be impressed.
Rating: 
Summary: free trade is a myth
Review: Free trade is great when you're rich and powerful enough to ram it down the throat of other nations. The multinationals, who benefit from massive subsidies (aeronautics, computers, metallurgy, you name it) are more than happy to have members of the bought priesthood of academia distill fantasies about the joys of the alleged "free market." Not a word in this book about the public subsidies that become private profits, with a huge military and growing prison-industrial-complex for the millions of people who are superfluous to the plans being made (undemocratically, of course) in Geneva and Bonn. Corporate tyranny and its servants are destroying the environment, labor protections, the public sphere, and cultural diversity. Goebbels would be impressed.
Rating: 
Summary: Clearly explains value of foreign trade on world economies.
Review: I like this book because it is very interesting and informative. I began reading it for pleasure, but by the time I was half way finished, I was sure of its serious nature and had decided to adopt it as a required reading in the seminar that I teach on the economic impact of globalization. The author succeeds in presenting the right mix of theory and history with sufficient analysis. It is well researched and very well organized. It should prove as interesting to the general reader as it is informative for the academics. However, its treatment of classical economists is far superior to the section dealing with contemporary writeres on free trade. Hopefully, in the second edition the author will remedy this shortcomeing.
Rating:
Summary: Fundamental reading for leaders of developing nations.
Review: Preeminent economist and NPR poster-boy Paul Krugman's review of this book is online:
http://web.mit.edu/krugman/www/irwin.html
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