Joseph Stiglitz's Globalization And Its Discontents

In his book, Globalization and its Discontents, the author provides an enthralling perspective on the shadow side of globalization. Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz’s experiences as the Chief Economist of the World Bank and the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in the Clinton Administration has provided him with an interesting vantage point to understand the inner workings of the IMF, the World Bank, the WTO and also the governments and finance ministries of many countries across the world.
The discernments provided in this book by a distinguished ‘insider’ is manna for economists, investment banks, governments of both developing and developed countries and just about anybody who wants to learn and understand economic development, the politics of international business and globalization, and public policy formulation with regards to globalization and liberalization. The author provides a holistic view of all aspects of globalization – the good, the bad, and the ugly. International organizations and business practitioners in particular will be wise to glean valuable insights from this book.

Globalization admittedly has several benefits that the author acknowledges including integrating global business communities and economies, reducing poverty, reducing trade barriers, providing poorer countries with much needed foreign aid, as well as reducing the isolation of developing countries. However, with major meetings of the IMF, the World Bank, and the WTO becoming scenes of conflict and rioting, Stiglitz attempts to explain why globalization has become so