Today's most urgent problems are fundamentally global. They require nothing less than concerted
planetwide action if we are to secure a long-term future. But humanity's story has always been
on a global scale and this history deeply informs the present. In this book Jeffrey D. Sachs
renowned economist and expert on sustainable development turns to world history to shed light
on how we can meet the challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century. Sachs takes
readers through a series of six distinct waves of technological and ideological change
starting with the very beginnings of our species and ending with reflections on present-day
globalization. Along the way he considers how the interplay of geography technology and
institutions influenced the Neolithic revolution the spread of land-based empires the opening
of sea routes from Europe to Asia and the Americas and the industrial age. The dynamics of
these past waves Sachs contends give us new perspective on the ongoing processes taking place
in our own time--and how we should work to guide the change we need. In light of this new
understanding of globalization Sachs emphasizes the need for new methods of international
governance and cooperation to achieve economic social and environmental objectives aligned
with sustainable development. The Ages of Globalization is a vital book for all readers aiming
to make sense of our rapidly changing world.
