CHECK IT OUT

Of all the buzzwords of the new millennium, “globalization” is surely

among the most abstract. For readers interested in learning about the

increasing integration of economies around the world, many new volumes

are on library shelves.

Writing from firsthand experiences in Brazil, Hong Kong and Thailand,

Tomas Larsson touts the benefits of a connected universe in “The Race to

the Top: The Real Story of Globalization.” In his celebration of free

trade, the Swedish author comments on “anti-dumping” legislation, Latin

American tariffs and other measures that affect international commerce.

Using anecdotes for support, he builds a cogent case for cooperative

interactions with other nations and argues against protectionist

measures.

In another discourse about global teamwork, Robert Nye underscores the

need for multinational relationships in “The Paradox of American Power:

Why the World’s Only Superpower Can’t Go It Alone.” Calling Sept. 11 a

“wake-up call” that destroyed America’s sense of invincibility, the

former assistant secretary of defense and current dean of Harvard’s

Kennedy School of Government explores collaborative solutions in his case

for worldwide cooperation. Even a dominant military power can’t combat

terrorism, environmental degradation and the proliferation of nuclear

weapons without joining forces with others, he maintains.

Is free trade synonymous with democracy? No, argues social critic

Thomas Frank in “One Market Under God: Extreme Capitalism, Market

Populism and the End of Economic Democracy.” In a witty indictment of

American business and a free market economy, Frank rails against

unfettered trade and the notion that we are all better off because we

have stock portfolios.

A more eclectic assortment of views can be found in “Global

Capitalism,” a collection of essays edited by Will Hutton and Anthony

Giddens. Over a dozen contributors, including financier George Soros and

Paul Volcker, consider the Asian financial crisis, job security, income

inequality, environmental issues, the changing role of women and other

global issues in this exploration of capitalism’s changing landscape.

Can investors profit from longer life spans, rising crime, the

biotechnology and information revolutions and other global issues?

Possibly, if they can sidestep investment minefields and capitalize on

opportunities such trends provide, concludes economist Todd Buchholz in

“Market Shock.”

Buchholz, a former director of economic policy at the White House,

will examine these and other issues that affect both business and

individuals during “Competing and Surviving in a Turbulent Economy,” at 7

p.m. May 17 and 2 p.m. May 18 at the Newport Beach Central Library.

For additional information or to order tickets, call (800)200-7094 or

visit www.newportbeachlibrary.org.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Melissa Adams, in collaboration with

Tim Hetherton. All titles may be reserved from home or office computers

by accessing the catalog at www.newportbeachlibrary.org.