From Silk to Silicon: The Story of Globalization ThroughTen Extraordinary Lives

What do Genghis Khan, Prince Henry the Navigator, Robert Clive, Mayer Rothschild, Cyrus Field, John D. Rockefeller, Jean Monnet, Margaret Thatcher, Andy Grove, and Deng Xiaoping have in common? As presented in Garten's book, these individuals played important roles in bringing the world together through globalization. They did this through imperialism and colonial administration (Khan and Clive), advancements in technology and communications (Prince Henry and Field), finance (Rothschild and Monnet), business (Rockefeller and Grove), and politics (Thatcher and Deng). While emphasizing the positive parts they played in worldwide economic and cultural development, Garten includes discussion of the negative aspects of globalization, providing the listener with a lively introduction to a select group of people who helped shape the modern world. Tom Perkins does an excellent job in telling their stories.