Globalization

Globalization—a growing interdependence of the world's economies and populations—affects every aspect of life as we know it, including what we eat, how we work, and how we identify ourselves. The books in this collection explore globalization through various lenses, investigating the economic, social, and ecological impact of the direction the world is headed.

The Passengers

by John Marrs

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Revenge, Mental Health, Death, Future, Environment, Teamwork, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Education, Globalization, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Fame, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

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The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power

by Daniel Yergin

Publication year 1991

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Colonialism, Economics, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Power & Greed, Environment

Tags Military & War, Science & Nature, Business & Economics, World History, Politics & Government

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, & Power is an influential work by Daniel Yergin that was originally published in 1991. Yergin, a highly regarded American historian and economic researcher, examines the history and influence of the global oil industry. With a background in energy economics and policy, Yergin brings a wealth of expertise to this comprehensive examination, providing a detailed narrative of the oil industry’s evolution and its substantial impact on global... Read The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power Summary

There Is No Place for Us

by Brian Goldstone

Publication year 2025

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Race, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Sociology, Politics & Government, Political Science, Journalism, Poverty, Urban Studies

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The Shock Doctrine

by Naomi Klein

Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Social Class, Globalization, Politics & Government, War, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed

Tags Business & Economics, Politics & Government, World History, Social Justice, Political Science, Philosophy

The Shock Doctrine (2007) is a critique of neoliberalism by Canadian writer and activist Naomi Klein. Klein analyzes the history of neoliberalism and its relationship with crises to argue that neoliberal economics—as promoted by Milton Friedman and his acolytes—exploit and create crises to impose neoliberal policies on unwilling populations through undemocratic means. In Klein’s view, this happens through the mechanism of “shock therapy,” through which nations take advantage of crisis moments to strategically introduce new... Read The Shock Doctrine Summary

The Slave Ship

by Marcus Rediker

Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Race, The Past, Colonialism, Globalization, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice

Tags Race & Racism, US History, Politics & Government, History: African , Age of Enlightenment

The Slave Ship: A Human History is a 2007 book by Marcus Rediker that describes what happened aboard the ships carrying enslaved people from Africa to the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean. Rediker focuses his history on the slave ship itself as well as those onboard. The book won numerous awards, including the 2008 George Washington Book Prize and the 2008 Merle Curti Award. Critics praise it for shedding light on a little-explored facet of... Read The Slave Ship Summary

The Spell of the Sensuous

by David Abram

Publication year 1996

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Indigenous Identity, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Climate, Environment, Plants, Objects & Materials, Place, Space, Community, Globalization, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology, Language

Tags Philosophy, Science & Nature, Psychology, Religion & Spirituality, Anthropology, Anthropology, Psychology, Philosophy

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The White Tiger

by Aravind Adiga

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Globalization, Power & Greed, Loyalty & Betrayal, Politics & Government, Social Class, Family, Self Discovery

Tags Indian Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Poverty, Social Class, Coming of Age

Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger was published in 2008. Adiga’s first novel, The White Tiger won the Man Booker Prize and was adapted into a movie in 2021. Born in Chennai, India, Adiga has lived in India and Australia, and attended Columbia University in New York and Oxford University in England. A coming-of-age story told through a first-person narrator and letters addressed to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, The White Tiger examines the conflict between tradition... Read The White Tiger Summary

This Changes Everything

by Naomi Klein

Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Globalization, Environment

Tags Science & Nature, Climate Change, Business & Economics, Politics & Government

This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate is Naomi Klein's fourth book. Published in 2014, it explores the issue of climate change from an anticapitalistic political perspective and considers whether contemporary market-driven policies are adequate for responding to the global crisis. The book won the 2014 Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction and was adapted into a documentary by Avi Lewis.Klein is a Canadian author, filmmaker, and activist whose work centers on anticapitalist critique... Read This Changes Everything Summary

This Strange Eventful History

by Claire Messud

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Indigenous Identity, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Justice, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Military & War, World History, French Literature, Historical Fiction

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Thousand Cranes

by Yasunari Kawabata

Publication year 1952

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Fate, Globalization

Tags Japanese Literature, Love & Sexuality, Asian Literature, Romance, Classic Fiction

The novel Thousand Cranes (in Japanese, Senbazuru) was written by Japanese author Yasunari Kawabata. It was originally published in serialized form between 1949 and 1951 and compiled with another of Kawabata’s novels, Snow Country (1948), in book form in 1952. The narrative follows Kikuji, an orphaned young businessman, as he navigates the legacy of his father’s infidelity against the backdrop of traditional Japanese tea culture. It explores themes of Decay of Traditions and Values, Legacy:... Read Thousand Cranes Summary

Through the Arc of the Rain Forest

by Karen Tei Yamashita

Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Globalization

Tags Japanese Literature, Asian Literature, Science Fiction, Education, Education, Asian Literature, Magical Realism, Fantasy

Karen Tei Yamashita’s Through the Arc of the Rain Forest (1990) is a magical realist story from Coffee House Press. Narrated by a sentient floating sphere, the story primarily takes place in Brazil. Utilizing fantastical elements, the novel addresses issues of environmentalism, economic inequality, and faith.Plot SummaryA sentient ball narrates the novel in the first person and provides third person narration for the other characters. The story opens on the shores of Japan, where the... Read Through the Arc of the Rain Forest Summary