The World That Trade Created ─ Society, Culture and the World Economy 1400 to the Present

The World That Trade Created brings to life the history of trade and its actors. In a series of brief, highly readable vignettes, filled with insights and amazing facts about things we tend to take for granted, the authors uncover the deep historical roots of economic globalization.

Covering over 700 years of history, the book takes the reader around the world, from the history of chocolate and the opium trade to pirates, the building of corporations and migration to the New World.

This new edition includes additional vignettes covering key themes such as environmental issues, gender, international labour markets, communication and the digitization of trade. It continues to be a key resource for anyone teaching world history, world civilization and the history of international trade.

Kenneth Pomeranz is University Professor of History at the University of Chicago and president-elect of the American Historical Association. He previously taught at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author of The Great Divergence: China, Europe, and the Making of the Modern World Economy (2000) and many other books and articles. A specialist in modern Chinese history, he has been coeditor of The Journal of Global History, received several awards and fellowships, and has lectured in over twenty countries.

Steven Topik is Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine. He is coauthor of Markets Across the World (2012) and many other books and articles published in seven languages. He has received several awards and fellowships, and has lectured in eighteen countries.