In the Introduction to his book Open World: The Truth About Globalization,
             author Philippe Legrain writes, "Awarding the 2008 Olympics to Beijing was
             richly symbolicâ€a recognition of how far China had come," (3). Legrain
             continues to note that major multinationals like Coca-Cola, Visa,
             McDonalds, and Kodak look forward to being able to market to the humongous
             Chinese market. Using this example as a opening for his wide-ranging book
             about the implications of globalization, Legrain posits that globalization
             is ripe with potential for the international community, for which it offers
             economic, political, and social benefits. Moreover, Legrain critiques what
             he believes are common misperceptions about the history and meaning of
             globalization, which he states is "not shorthand for the way the world is
             today," (10). On these premises, Legrain presents clear and logical
             arguments in favor of the economic, political, and social trends that
             accompany globalization, pointing out that its critics are either
             misinformed or unduly alarmist. The author also demonstrates that
             globalization is a force that can be molded and transformed to suit the
             needs of the times and cultures it affects. Open World contains thirteen
             chapters, all of which are accompanied by detailed and academic references;
             plus a handy index for easy referencing. Although the author's stance
             appears starry-eyed and overly optimistic, Legrain nevertheless offers an
             enlightening perspective to one of the most heated debates of our time.
             In Chapter One, "Worried Workers," Legrain asserts that globalization
             should be the last thing that labor should be worried about in spite of
             fears that foreign workers are infringing on the prosperity of the domestic
             labor force. Competition in the domestic market and technological
             advancements cause the majority of pay cuts and layoffs, not foreign
             factories (Legrain 29). In fact...