From Global To Local: The Making of Things and the End of Globalisation

by Finbarr Livesey

Please Read Notes: Brand New, International Softcover Edition, Printed in black and white pages, minor self wear on the cover or pages, Sale restriction may be printed on the book, but Book name, contents, and author are exactly same as Hardcover Edition. Fast delivery through DHL/FedEx express.

Genres: Economics, Nonfiction, Politics

224 pages, Paperback

Published May 17, 2017

Reviews

[Harry · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was approachable, readable, and doubtless had useful insights. The central thesis, however—that all trends, according to Livesey, point to a retrenchment of economies and a shift back toward localised production for localised markets—could have been expounded in an article less than one-tenth the length of the book. While there is nothing wrong with From Global to Local, it's difficult not to feel some resentment toward a book that, willfully or not, is wasting your time with its protracted repetition of the same points toward the same point.

[Raul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting approach though it is still to be seen if global trade vs global GDP growth is the correct value to measure (de)globalization. However, for those is the west that have lost massive employment on the last years it gives some future hope though it is clear the companies will never employ as many people as they did in the past

[Iván · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro sobre la globalización. Fácil de leer y didáctico.Toca quizá demasiados temas, y lo hace brevemente, aunque quizá eso lo hace interesante y ameno. Temas como: la deslocalización de empresas, la impresión 3D, el futuro de la industria, la economía circular, la industria 4.0, el transporte internacional, la sostenibilidad, el declive industrial de Occidente, la productividad, el papel de China o el auge de políticos proteccionistas como Trump.

[Laurent Franckx · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another book which announces that it will change the way we see the world. The problem is that it doesn't. The author points to some upcoming trends in manufacturing (the decreasing share of labour costs due to robotisation, 3D manufacturing) to argue that production will increasingly become local again. However, most of the evidence in the book is anecdotal and the reader is left to wonder to what industries and countries the predictions of the book would apply. It is a typical example of an argument where an economist would like to see some overarching intellectual scheme and, yes, a model. If you want to read a good recent book on globalisation, read Baldwin's 'The Great Convergence'.

[Hazel Bright · Rating 1 out of 5]

A rehash of everything almost every literate person already knows, sprinkled with sheer stupidity like that frog in hot water marketing hokum that has been scientifically disproven, and in a smarmy, yet petulant, condescending tone. Ick.

[Mannar Karyampudi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book makes a good case as to why the days of globalization might just be over. I specially enjoyed the beginning of the book that explains how rationale for importing of goods in western world are still driven by pre-industrial economic theories of John Smith and Ricardo David. And why it is a good time to question them and reshape international trade and economics, considering the tectonic shifts in manufacturing technologies and trends. The sections around additive manufacturing and intelligent industrial automation were quite informative and lifted my imagination, they were quite inspirational.

However sections of the book were unconvincing, for instance the books talks of how global fuel energy costs related to transportation/cargo might be the undoing of globalization, this in my opinion is a rear view mirror reading that doesn’t account for the shale revolution and alternative energy breakthroughs. This comes across as an incomplete analysis, that tried making a case for anti-globalization by omission of certain obvious facts. Also the book is a little too Euro/US centric. When one writes a book on global economic order, even the scope of the book should be global in nature. The book presents a world where only industrialized West can single handedly decide the fate of globalization. Nonetheless a very interesting quick 180
page read.

[Paul Whitla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Describes the forces pushing for a multi-local strategy by international businesses. These forces are largely technological, the use of automation reducing the importance of differing wage levels between countries making overseas manufacturing unnecessary and the ability to manufacture in small scale locally with additive manufacturing and the need to be close to customers for time purposes. Interesting ideas and written from a historical perspective, indicating that the inevitability of globalization is no such thing. Mentions that political factors such as Trump and Brexit are also indicative of a decline in future levels of trade, although the author does not condone protectionism.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in an effort to wrap my mind around the term "globalization." What does this actually mean, what is its source, and why should it matter to me?

My main takeaways:
- The answer isn't hyper globalization or hyper localization. This is one of those situations where a middle road is probably the best.
- The effects of outsourcing are greater than we may think, especially since we also lose the skills necessary to innovate locally
- Innovations such as additive manufacturing will swing the pendulum back a bit towards localization, although globalization is not going away.

[Thomas Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could have been so much more. Lots of valuable information but the writing is clunky and the author jumps from point to point with no real segues. Quite often the reader feels the momentum building towards real conclusions before Livesey shies away, afraid of saying anything definitive. A difficult read not for its content but it’s delivery.

[Brent Stratton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book had some interesting parts but was fairly dry. The title does not really summarize what I took was his conclusion, that there are some things that economics will lead to being produced locally especially when the need to be quick is important.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think economists and fortune tellers have too much in common for my liking.

[Russell Chee · Rating 2 out of 5]

A hypothesis I wanted to buy into, but not always convincingly argued. Author says we should approach thinking from the viewpoint of companies rather than countries, yet he often falls into his own trap! Nonetheless, an important reminder that as manufacturing changes, we should not take the current pattern of globalisation as a given, something especially prescient in today's post-Covid world.