The story of globalization, the most powerful force in history, as told
through the life and times of ten people who changed the world by their
singular, spectacular accomplishments.
This is the first book to look at the history of globalization through
the lens of individuals who did something transformative, as opposed to
describing globalization through trends, policies, or particular
industries. From Silk to Silicon tells the story of who these men and
women were, what they did, how they did it and how their achievements
continue to shape our world today. They include:
- Genghis Khan, who united east and west by conquest and by opening new
trade routes built on groundbreaking transportation, communications, and
management innovations.
- Mayer Amschel Rothschild, who arose from an oppressive Jewish ghetto
to establish the most powerful bank the world has seen, and ushered in
an era of global finance.
- Cyrus Field, who became the father of global communications by
leading the effort to build the transatlantic telegraph, the forerunner
to global radio, TV, and the worldwide Internet.
- Margaret Thatcher, whose controversial policies opened the gusher of
substantially free markets that linked economies across borders.
- Andy Grove, a Hungarian refugee from the Nazis who built the
company--Intel--that figured out how to manufacture complex computer
chips on a mass, commercial scale and laid the foundation for Silicon
Valley's computer revolution.
Through these stories Jeffrey E. Garten finds the common links between
these figure and probes critical questions including: How much influence
can any one person have in fundamentally changing the world? And how
have past trends in globalization affected the present and how will they
shape the future? From Silk to Silicon is an essential book to
understanding the past--and the future--of the most powerful force of
our times.
