title: Globaloney: Unraveling the Myths of Globalization
author:  Michael Veseth 
description: In <i>Globaloney</i>, Michael Veseth achieves a rare combination: he conveys important economic arguments in a vivid and highly entertaining style. For anyone trying to assess the goods and bads of headlong progress toward a global economy, and trying to sort bogus fears from genuine reasons for concern, this book is a great place to start. (Fallows, James)<br /><br />With his customary verve, Michael Veseth has launched a passionate broadside against what he calls the 'myths' of globalization. Not everyone will agree with his unorthodox views; many will be provoked. But this book deserves to reach a wide audience. In a style both witty and easily accessible, Veseth uses familiar elements of popular culture to challenge conventional thinking. Readers will feast on <i>Globaloney</i>. (Benjamin J. Cohen)<br /><br />Michael Veseth's <i>Globaloney</i> is the perfect down-to-earth primer for undergraduates trying to understand the debate over globalization. By focusing on commodities within every student's reachbaloney, Michael Jordan, and soccer ballsVeseth transparently links abstract global processes to real life. (Herman Schwartz)<br /><br />Here's a book to break the spell cast by simplistic economic creeds from both left and right. If you want to make fresh discoveries about the global marketplace, Michael Veseth is your man. Don't let his lively, informal prose style fool you. He has a scientist's keen nose for tracking what's true back to its native lair: that wild thicket of fact where prevailing theory just won't fit. (Howard Cutler)<br /><br />This book presents a novel and engaging critical analysis that incorporates insights from political economy into a story that will appeal to a wide readership. (Wiener, Jarrod)<br /><br />Michael Veseth has written an accessible book that focuses on the inherent complexity of globalization. With clear language, gentle wit, and incisive logic, Veseth skewers the simple myths we like to believe about the interconnectedness of the world around us. However, <i>Globaloney</i> is more than just an aid to clear thinking, and complexity is hardly a virtue in its own right. Veseth's real aim is to help us better understand the many and conflicting ways that globalization touches on different societies and individuals. Understanding his argument is a necessary first step in the development of a 21st-century worldview. (Jones, Erik)<br /><br />Michael Veseth continues his amiable progress through the enchanted, topsy-turvy world of contemporary economic mythology. A real economist with an observant mind, he provides a series of suave and charming tales from his travels through the real worldstories whose subjects range from Adam Smith to Michael Jordan, from soccer to the French, from mediocre mass food to global good wine. Skillfully blended together, these chase away the goblins of globaloney and leave us with a nicer world than we had thought. (Calleo, David P.)<br /><br />Michael Veseth's imaginative account of the varieties of globalization demands the attention of both scholars and students of the world economy. Through original case studies and deeply informed analyses, Veseth presents a fresh picture of a refreshingly diverse and serendipitous globalization. While the media, activists and policymakers generally paint globalization with a single brush, Veseth draws on a broad palette to puncture popular myths and promotes critical thinking. <i>Globaloney</i> is an important new work that advances our understanding of globalization and its effect on society and culture as well as business and finance. (G. Pascal Zachary)<br /><br />Engaging, illuminating, and thought-provoking. (<i>International Review Of Modern Sociology</i>)<br /><br />Using a term coined by Clare Boothe Luce in 1943 for Vice President Henry Wallace's foreign policy, Veseth critiques today's rhetoric of globalization. He uses case studies and economic concepts to help readers understand globalization's basis in finance and its many complications. Recommended particularly for academic libraries supporting programs in business and economics; libraries should consider purchasing Veseth's previous work as well. Both titles aim to have readers 'think out of the box' when it comes to the concept of globalization. With a valuable extensive bibliography. (<i>Library Journal</i>)
zlib_text: Praise for The Ages of Globalization
  “This dazzling book makes an invaluable contribution to the debate 
  about the future of globalization by brilliantly summarizing humanity’s 
  existential challenges and providing bold ideas for ensuring our survival. 
  Sachs makes a persuasive argument that applying the concept of sustain-
  able development must be today’s essential mission. His thoughtful pro-
  posals for reforming key international institutions, starting with the UN, 
  merit particular attention. The Ages of Globalization is required reading for 
  our times.”
  —Vuk Jeremić, former president of the United Nations General Assembly
  “In this erudite yet accessible book, Jeffrey D. Sachs traces the history of 
  modern humans from our migration from Africa some 70,000 years ago to 
  today. In a pathbreaking account, he shows how geography, technology, and 
  institutions drive change. His analysis is indispensable for understanding 
  current global predicaments. A tour de force.”
  —Prasannan Parthas