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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 338
EAN num: 9780415944878
ISBN number: 0415944872
Label: Routledge
Manufacturer: Routledge
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 124
Printing Date: 2002-12
Publishing house: Routledge
Sale Popularity Level: 55137
Studio: Routledge
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
'This little book is full of insights about who we are and where we are going.' --Financial Times
The most accessible book yet by one of the most influential thinkers of our time, Runaway World evaluates the ever-increasing impact of globalization today. Extending his arguments beyond the merely economic, Giddens shows how our growing interdependence directly affects our everyday lives. Neither a cheerleading endorsement of emerging markets, nor a fearful rant on the growth of terrorism or loss of American jobs, Runaway World is a book about a world that grows smaller every day, and how those changes are affecting our culture, our traditions, our families, and our politics. Identifying globalization as a true cultural force, this eloquent and important volume is the starting point for anyone concerned about our increasingly interconnected world.
Amazon.com Review:
As director of the London School of Economics, Anthony Giddens is one of the world's foremost academics. He has served as an advisor to both President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair, and is closely tied to the center-left idea of 'third-way' politics. In this brief book on globalization (drawn from a series of lectures delivered in 1999), Giddens writes, 'We are living through a major period of historical transition.' Globalization is reordering societies all over the planet, and although the results are sometimes unpredictable, they are heading in a generally positive direction. But not everybody agrees, as the author freely admits: The battleground of the twenty-first century will pit fundamentalism against cosmopolitan tolerance. In a globalising world, where information and images are routinely transmitted across the globe, we are all regularly in contact with others who think differently, and live differently, from ourselves. Cosmopolitans welcome and embrace this cultural complexity. Fundamentalists find it disturbing and dangerous. Whether in the areas of religion, ethnic identity, or nationalism, they take refuge in a renewed and purified tradition--and, quite often, violence.
Giddens is not coy about where he stands: 'We can legitimately hope that a cosmopolitan outlook will win out.' In what is sure to be a controversial chapter, he examines sex and family life through the prism of this fundamentalist-cosmopolitan divide. He is severely critical of what he calls the 'traditional family,' which he considers an aspect of fundamentalism the world over and an enemy of sexual equality: 'I remember what my great aunt once said to me. She must have 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.' Runaway World is certain to provoke a lively debate--Giddens would surely have it no other way. --John J. Miller
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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Giddens doesn't provide new arguments to the globalization theme. The arguments he does present are underdeveloped and could use much more solid backing up. I found myself confused many times by his circular arguments. The book ends awkwardly, the writing is choppy, and his stance is vague.
Rated by buyers -
I realize that this book was created for the masses, but it insults intelligence and makes some sweeping generalizations and essentially promotes a Western imperialist tradition. Giddens admits to some of the criticism of globalization but he glosses over the horrors of ecological risk and global inequalities and touts the joys of democracy as being spread by globalization which results in "pure love" relationships. Somewhat of a stretch of the imagination and too much to cover in 83 little pages with big print. No references make it useless for an interested reader.
Rated by buyers 
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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.
Rated by buyers 
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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.
Rated by buyers 
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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.
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