Includes bibliographical references and index.

The world is changing dramatically and a vigorous public debate is under way about the nature and historical significance of these changes. At the centre of this debate lie conflicting claims about the extent, form and consequences of contemporary globalization. On the one hand there are the globalists, who argue that the world is being fundamentally and irreversibly transformed by globalization. On the other hand there are the sceptics, who believe that the globalists' claims are exaggerated and poorly substantiated. The sceptics contest the very idea of globalization, arguing that the power of national governments, nationalism and geopolitics remain the determining features of our age.