<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: A fun read!
Review: Several years ago, a former student called on his history professors to write a short entertaining article in a magazine he had started for businessmen. This article became a regular feature in the magazine, and now these short stories - these vignettes - have been organized thematically into a book.*The World That Trade Created* proves that economic history need not be boring or dry. While the stories introduce readers to people, places, times, and events that put "globalization" into historical perspective, this is definitely not a textbook. Perhaps the highest compliment that I can offer is that it is more suited to the bedside table than the classroom. Pomeranz and Topik have assembled an entertaining and informative collage of historical snapshots centered more around oceans than continents, and (despite the 1400-Present subtitle) more upon the premodern and early modern trade than modern international trade. For the most part, this is a world in which geography and meteorology impose formidable, but not insuperable barriers to trans-hemispheric encounter and exchange, a world where drugs (coffee, sugar, chocolate, opium) "are the foundation of the world economy, not its aberration," a world which is not Eurocentric, but polycentric and multi-cultural. There is something for everyone in this book - businessmen, travelers, history buffs, economists, geographers, students, and educators. The only thing missing are maps which, given the exotic locales that are often introduced, would be extremely helpful.
Rating: 
Summary: Anecdotes with no depth
Review: There are different approaches to taking on the challenging task of writing a world history in a short book, and one of them is the anecdotal approach. This approach may work well in maintaining interest, skipping from one story to another, providing variety but no depth. But then, sometimes, the anecdotes are so short that they almost become inaccurate or misleading. I think this book suffered for that, but some of the anecdotes, especially the longer ones, offer fresh and honest insights that many of the longer textbooks lack. This book would be OK as a supplement in an AP World History class.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book for AP World History
Review: This was my first year teaching AP World History so I had to rely on the books chosen by the previous/outgoing teacher. I wasn't familiar with this book and had to read it AFTER the class read it since they read it over the summer and BEFORE I was hired. The book is excellent for AP World History for a number of reasons: 1- It thesis ties directly into one of the main themes of the AP World History course. 2- It is divided up into sections dealing with different aspects of world trade, making the book highly readable for 10th graders. 3- The topics are interesting to the kids. They especially liked reading about Drugs: Chocolate, Tea, and Coffee. I wanted to use Diamond's book this year, but fell in love with this book. Maybe I'll try both. I can hear the groans and gnashing of teeth now!
<< 1 >>
| 
