Macmillan Academic: Connected: 24 Hours in the Global Economy: Daniel Altman: Books

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Connected: 24 Hours in the Global Economy

Picador, September 2008
ISBN: 978-0-312-42809-9, ISBN10: 0-312-42809-X,
5-1/2 x 8-1/4 inches, 304 pages,
Trade Paperback, $15.00

Watch: The Latest Global Economic Minute: Russia

Listen: Daniel Altman on "Left Jab Radio" (Duration: 17:08)

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See All Categories Business & Economics Business & Economics - All Titles First-Year Reading First-Year Reading - All Titles

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What if you could look behind the headlines of the global economy to see how it really worked? Instead of listening to pundits, politicians, and protestors, you could see firsthand how everyone from migrant workers to central bank governors lived their lives. Then you could decide for yourself where the big trends were heading.

Now you can. Connected: 24 Hours in the Global Economy isn't another polemic for or against globalization. Daniel Altman takes you on a whirlwind journey through more than a dozen cities, gathering points of view from moguls, ministers, and the men and women on the street. At each stop, you'll hear how the world’s workers played their parts in the events of a single day. Starting with their stories, related in their own words, you'll take on pressing questions in new ways: Can poor countries become rich too quickly? Can corruption ever be a good thing? Do companies need crises in order to stay competitive? What determines the global economic pecking order? Most important, you'll learn how the billions of decisions made by individuals can and do change the future.

Connected: 24 Hours in the Global Economy is part travel guide, part owner’s manual—an absorbing, accessible, and essential road map for every citizen of the global economy in the twenty-first century.

Praise

"Altman's easy narration, merged with a few well-researched anecdotes, can offer that winning combination sought by all writers of popular economics: a succinct overview of the well-known with an original, intellectually stimulating point."—Mario Pisani, Financial Times

"Clever . . . [Altman] eschews straightforward narrative, favoring zoom-in, zoom-out impressions and lengthy quotations from a kaleidoscope of people."—Stephen Kotkin, The New York Times

"Altman gives us a revealing view from the trenches."—Time magazine

“For a comparatively short book, Connected is broadly informative. Altman tosses in brief updates and information on international deal-making, trade deficits, exchange rates, corruption, and the importance of oil. Plus he pauses to explain currency markets and financial derivatives and offer glimpses of key foreign economies.”—Matthew Budman, The Conference Board Review

"Altman's book offers a Wall-Street-smart and yet deeply intellectual understanding of our amazingly complex and dynamic world economy. He gives the reader a revealing perspective by viewing the economy at various magnifications, from little vignettes of individuals' experiences on a single day to grand observations on how it all works together."—Robert Shiller, Professor of Economics and Finance, Yale University; Chief Economist, MacroMarkets LLC; and author of Irrational Exuberance

“Instead of the usual heavy and indigestible fare, Daniel Altman cleverly serves bite-size, tasty portions of economic insight that will leave readers hungry for more.”—Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind

“There is a flood of books on Globalization, ranging from the bad to the good. To say something new seems beyond anyone's ability. Yet Dan Altman succeeds in doing just that. He makes the subject come alive, as only a gifted journalist can, by telling us in-depth stories, such as that of East Timor's struggles with new riches, which illuminates the controversy that divides technocrats who want to push aid flows dramatically and the equally committed internationalists who worry about absorptive capacity. Buy, read and enjoy while getting instructed.”—Jagdish Bhagwati, University Professor, Columbia University, and author of In Defense of Globalization

"Veteran journalist Altman describes the people, deals and issues that helped shape the international economy . . . Invaluable reading for Globalization 101."—Kirkus Reviews

"Seasoned journalist Altman isn't for or against globalization, he just wants to describe it to you accurately."—Library Journal

"Altman's overview of the world's economic workings is useful and informative . . . he discusses many concepts: exchange rates, trade deficits, international deals, currency markets, corruption, financial derivatives, technological innovation, the importance of oil. While addressing the outsized role of the U.S., Altman offers valuable glimpses of key foreign economies and leaves us with a solid understanding of how they fit into 'the world trading system.' 'If you want to cope with connectedness,' journalist Altman writes, 'you have to be as connected as you can—in other words, you have to pay attention to what's happening in the rest of the world,' . . . a quick read that reminds us that we're all in this together—and that many of us have an awful lot to learn to keep up with the global economy."—Publishers Weekly

About the Author(s)

Daniel Altman

Daniel Altman received his PhD in economics from Harvard and went on to advise the British government on immigration, crime, and drug regulation. He has written for The Economist and The New York Times, where he was among the youngest-ever members of the editorial board, and is now a columnist for the International Herald Tribune. He splits his time between New York, Hong Kong, and Buenos Aires.

photo: Ale Lipszyc

Visit Daniel Altman's Website

Excerpt

Chapter One

“ERICSSON AND NAPSTER TO UNVEIL ONLINE MUSIC SERVICE” WHEN DOES WORKING TOGETHER REALLY WORK?

A scratched-up old train pulls in to the small station at Helenelund, just a few stops from the center of Stockholm. Outside the station, a road leads through a leafy working-class suburb. It passes under a low-slung highway, and there, across a two-way street, is a six-story cement building with the word “Ericsson” on the side.

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Audio

Daniel Altman on "Left Jab Radio"

Economist Daniel Altman joins host Mark Walsh to discuss the economy's failures.

Duration: 17:08

Video

The Latest Global Economic Minute: Russia

While a few wealthy Russians zoom along Moscow’s highways in their luxury sedans, many others are nostalgic for the days before the Iron Curtain fell. At the very least, differences in incomes weren’t as stark or, at least, as noticeable. And that’s the subject of this week’s video: Can Russia make sure that more than a few people profit from its fast-growing wealth?

Watch Video (Duration: 1:01)