An ideal type of a pluralistic book. Instead of arguing for one specific interpretation of a complex phenomenon, the authors present six different views on globalisation. Roberts and Lamp carefully balance the different perspectives, presenting the merits of each.

From the mercantile monopolies of seventeenth-century empires to the modern-day authority of the WTO, IMF, and World Bank, the nations of the world have struggled to effectively harness globalization's promise. The economic narratives that underpinned these eras the gold standard, the Bretton Woods regime, the "Washington Consensus" brought great success and great failure.