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Straight Talk on Trade
Book

Straight Talk on Trade

Ideas for a Sane World Economy

Dani Rodrik
Princeton UP, 2017

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Overview
  • Concrete Examples
  • For Experts

Recommendation

Today, international trade intertwines countries’ economies more closely than ever before. This state of the world is a victory for those who, since the end of World War II, have promoted free trade as the solution to global ills. However, trade has become a target of popular backlash and new tariff battles. Many people believe that nations have created their own Frankenstein monster in complex global treaties. In a collection of his previously published articles, economist Dani Rodrik offers a wide-ranging overview of the complications of early 21st-century trade agreements. He coalesces his thoughts into seven intriguing principles for “a sane world economy.” Though his text is often abstract and tends to meander, Rodrik nevertheless makes some salient points about fair and equitable trade and the need for strong nation-states. While always politically neutral, getAbstract recommends his thought-provoking work to executives, trade experts and economists.

Take-Aways

  • While trade agreements can be good for countries, they aren’t always in their best interest.
  • A nation’s policy makers need to balance trade practices and domestic priorities.
  • People’s sense of identity ties more closely to their countries than to their local towns or to their notions of global citizenry.

About the Author

Dani Rodrik is a professor at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

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