Bound Together

“A lively book . . .makes a solid and attractive case for globalisation and its potential as a force for good” (Economist).

Since humans migrated from Africa and dispersed throughout the world, they have found countless ways and reasons to reconnect with each other. In this entertaining book, Nayan Chanda follows the exploits of traders, preachers, adventurers, and warriors throughout history as they have shaped and reshaped the world. For Chanda, globalization is a process of ever-growing interconnectedness and interdependence that began thousands of years ago and continues to this day with increasing speed and ease. In the end, globalization—from the lone adventurer carving out a new trade route to the expanding ambitions of great empires—is the product of myriad aspirations and apprehensions that define just about every aspect of our lives: what we eat, wear, ride, or possess is the product of thousands of years of human endeavor and suffering across the globe. Chanda analyzes the economic and technological forces at play in globalization today and concludes with a thought-provoking discussion of how we can and should embrace an inevitably global world.

“By unbundling the attributes of modern globalization and linking them to an almost endless chain of historical precedents, Mr. Chanda demystifies a phenomenon invested by its enemies with nearly satanic properties.” —William Grimes, New York Times

“Nimbly paced and punctuated by lively anecdotes.” —Ishaan Thardoor, Time

“Engaging . . .This is a book filled with fascinating information.” —Jeffrey N. Wasserstein, Newsweek

“Like a good mystery, Chanda's chronology is rich with surprises and moments of revelation.” —Publishers Weekly