People in Seattle are tear-gassed and thrown in jail for protesting the World Trade Organization. In France, a woman is killed when "antiglobalization" terrorists blow up a McDonald's. Now more than ever economic literacy is essential for anyone who simply wants to follow the nightly news and better understand the world around them. Fascinating, enlightening, and entertaining, "A Beginner's Guide to the World Economy" gives up-to-the-minute information on everything needed to understand the economic world.
In a time of rapid change in the world economy, this fascinating, concise, and user-friendly primer is the most reliable tool for keeping track of what's happening.

What is the new economy? What is globalization? Is the euro the final seal on European Union? How is e-commerce transforming our world beyond economics? What is virtual money, and does it have real value? How do social concerns and societal ills (drugs, poverty, AIDS, endangered natural resources) play a part in the rapidly changing world economy? What are multinationals, and do they signal the end of nationalism? These and many other pertinent issues are addressed in an enlightening and entertaining handbook for those who want to be economically literate (and who doesn't?).