A splendid exchange Book

So you think global free trade is a big problem today? Tired of cheap Chinese labor cutting into your wages? The barbers of Mexico City agreed with you completely. In 1635. Seems ain't much has changed in 400 years.



This is an excellent overview of the history of international trade. It broadened my understanding of world history - many history books treat trade as an afterthought, when it's really a driving force. And it did so while keeping things interesting. There are tons of fascinating personal stories. I also enjoyed learning a theory predicting who will support free trade and who will demand gov't protection from it.



One caveat is to focus on the trade. The author strays into making judgments about issues not necessarily directly related. For example, he's quite willing to condemn the Portuguese for cruelty. Fair enough, they were brutal. But it's doubtful that the Muslim tyrants they encountered were models of enlightened despotism.



The book's conclusion is that we are all wealthier because of free trade. But this summary is muddled because the author points out the losers in free trade. He throws out a theory that we need huge social safety nets in order to "buy off" the losers, but then admits this may not work as corporations can simply leave countries whose taxation is too burdensome.



So enjoy the historical overview and theories. Draw your own conclusions.