In The ages of globalization We are going to find out the pros and cons of globalization, and also that it is in some ways inevitable (and that we should try to minimize its damage because its benefits are too important).
Among other issues, its author, Jeffrey D. Sachs, addresses some thorny questions such as: what have been the main drivers of change on a global scale? How do geography, technology and institutions interact? How are changes from one region dispersed to others?
The seven ages
To trace the history of globalization, Sachs describes seven distinct ages:
- Paleolithic Age: our prehistory, when humans were still searching for food.
- Neolithic Age: when agriculture began.
- Equestrian Age: when the domestication of the horse and the development of proto-writing enabled long-distance trade and communications.
- classic age: when the first great empires emerged.
- Oceanic Age: when empires began to expand across the oceans and beyond the usual ecological zones of the homeland.
- Industrial Age: when some societies, led by Great Britain, ushered in the industrial economy.
- Digital Age: our own time, in which almost everyone is instantly interconnected through digital data.
Sachs's book is a marvel if what we want is to understand the history of humanity as an inevitable process towards global cooperation, and therefore has been a source of inspiration for entries for Xataka Ciencia such as This is how spectacular the growth in the world's urbanization rate has been.
The ages of globalization: Geography, technology and institutions (No collection)
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The news
Books that inspire us: 'The Ages of Globalization' by Jeffrey D. Sachs
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Xataka Science
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Sergio Parra
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