Runaway World: How Globalization is Reshaping Our Lives

Rating:
Summary: reading for the utmost beginner
Review: Aside from the reflection that neoliberalism is another fundamentalist mouvement in western world, there is too much superficial general knowledge about the state of the planet.
I am even more deceived to see that this book is has a scale down approach of Modernity and self identity.

This book is by far too expensive for a one sitting, basic overlook of the state of the world.

Rating:
Summary: The basics of a growing freedom
Review: Freedom is wonderful.

That's the basic message of this book. Americans take freedom for granted, but much if not all of the world had less freedom than the US until the recent past. The first half-century of American independence was marked by chaos, out of which a unique and growing American freedom developed which could not be shattered even by the War Between the States.

Now, and I say this as a Canadian nationalist and not an American chauvinist, the rest of the world is catching up with the US. The result is worldwide chaos. The foundation of Canada has always been peace, order and good government; in recent years, this complacent assumption has been challenged by Quebec separatists and the rise of a new political party in the western provinces. Even at that, Canada is a mild case of chaos compared to what is happening in many countries.

Giddens looks at this chaos in relation to a number of universal concerns -- risk, tradition, the family and democracy itself. In each case, as more people are given the right and ability to make their own decisions, a difficult transition to expanded freedom takes place. Giddens examination of family values is an example of the controversy and confusion that is being generated.

For almost all of history, families were economic units based on the ability of one person to provide an income and another to look after the household and raise children. Now, with both people in a marriage able to earn a self-sufficient income, the basic nature of marriage is changing. It is no longer a case of economics, marriage now involves a democracy of emotions.

On a personal basis, Giddens cites the example of a great aunt who ". . . had one of the longest marriages of anyone. having been with her husband for over 60 years. She once confided that she had been deeply unhappy with him the whole of that time. In her day there was no escape." My own mother could have said the same. Today, there is an escape. Divorce is becoming ever more respectable; once, it would have been unthinkable to elect a divorced president, yet no one questioned Ronald Reagan's divorce and the fact that his next wife was several months pregnant by the time they married.

Now, add this freedom to all other elements of society. Then, expand it worldwide. The result of this phenomena is globalisation. Conservatives in foreign lands denounce it as Americanisation, but it is purely an expansion of personal freedom. When you get change, you get chaos. Out of that, as shown by the chaos prior to the writing of the US Constitution, a newer and freer society sometimes emerges. It's happening in Canada, in China, Cuba and worldwide.

Giddens examines the basics of this growing freedom. Once these basics are understood, the current chaos of globilisation can be seen as a dawn of expanding freedom rather than an insidious American plot to take over the world. On that basis, every country will develop its own freedom even if it doesn't match the appearance of American institutions.

Unless, of course, conservative forces of tradition seize power to end the chaos and restore peace, order and good government. Freedom can be as diverse as every distinct society; repression always wears the same stern face of not allowing people to make decisions for themselves.

Rating:
Summary: Some lame book from big star
Review: Giddens has a very big name. but name is name. this book has nothing new or insightful. all are there is reproduced from his previous books. and worse, the pricing is unduly high. if u read already his books, u'd better skip this title.

Rating:
Summary: More like an essay, rather than a book
Review: I found the content to be a good overview of Globalization in general. However, this is a very short and very small book and not worth the price. Mr. Giddens basically took a speach on Globalization and tried to turn it into a book. I think you can get a better overview (and cheaper) by reading a few articles published on the topic. You could also get a more in-depth book, of which there are plenty out there.

Rating:
Summary: reading for the utmost beginner
Review: If you like to read in one sitting, this book for you. The references to other articles left to desire. Maybe is just left of center all with a wing-nut californian guru seeking mentatlity. I am completely dishonest with my constellation statement.

I would stick with his other litterature.

Rating:
Summary: Globalization in 100 pages
Review: Sociologist Anthony Giddens has recently made some notable contributions to political discussion. This books is based on his radio lectures from 1999 which do not have much to do with Gidden's academic conributions. Instead, this is a practical book aimed at general public interested in the current world affairs. In just 100 pages, compact size and absent of academic buzzwords, the book makes an easy and fast read.

The book has five themes: globalization, risk, tradition, family and democracy. Giddens handles them in turn like he would be playing with his favourite football. Shifts feet, moves forward and kicks when the goal is sure. His playing is readable indeed.

One can rise a couple of leading themes from the book. One is the idea of cosmopolitan tolerance. The other one is the doublesided meaning of risk. On the one hand, risk is what globalization has brought to our daily lives and society at large. On the other hand, risk enables the speed of evolution we are now facing in this global village.

In some parts of the book, one can be very impressed how Giddens summarizes in about three paragraphs what others have written in a 300+ pages of treatise. This is the case of e.g. Soros on global capitalism, Bernstein on the meaning of risk and Castells on information society. Though there are no accurate references - there simply couldn't be - Giddens provides in the end a fifteen page list of selected readings with a short comment on each. I found it very helpful way to put my understanding in a more larger context.