Jeffrey D. Sachs is University Professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. He is also director of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network and has been advisor to three UN secretaries-general. He is a New York Times best-selling author, and his Columbia University Press books include The Age of Sustainable Development (2015), Building the New American Economy (2017), and A New Foreign Policy: Beyond American Exceptionalism (2018).
The Ages of Globalization is not just a book for a modern citizen. It is an essential survival kit for the 21st century. While humanity amassed wealth and riches, in parallel came the means for its downfall. Now, we are facing forces none of us can counter alone: climate change, environmental degradation, time. The call for action resonates with vigor and urgency. With this book, we can better explore, learn, and act. -- Miroslav Lajcak, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Sachs has produced a brilliant, yet remarkably short, book on the biggest challenges now confronting humanity. He provides a compelling account of how geography, technology and institutions have combined to shape globalization over 70,000 years, in seven distinct ages. Then he explains what humanity now has to do if it is to escape the environmental, social and geopolitical calamities that its own staggering successes have brought so close. This book is essential reading. -- Martin Wolf, Chief Economics Commentator, <i>Financial Times</i> Few scholars have the breadth to cogently weave insights from wide-ranging fields such as agronomy, economics, archeology, anthropology, and engineering to recount the layered story of how globalization and development unfolded. As always, Sachs is a treat to read. -- Gordon McCord, University of California, San Diego At a time when the foundations of the world economic order are being challenged, we rely on the knowledge accumulated throughout history to make wiser choices for the future of our societies. In his new book The Ages of Globalization, Jeffrey Sachs offers a superb and unique historical and analytical framework to understand the process of globalization, highlighting its dynamic nature, while addressing its social and economic implications. From the Paleolithic Age to the current Digital Age, this book exploits the interplay of geography, technology and institutions to achieve a comprehensive explanation on how globalization emerges and evolves. Analysts, policymakers, social and political leaders, interested citizens and anyone concerned with the future of the global economy can draw invaluable lessons from this book. -- Felipe Larrain B., Former Minister of Finance of Chile The Ages of Globalization provides an unparalleled explanation of human development. This lucidly written book is a must read for anyone interested in how humanity has evolved and the root causes of the challenges we face today. Jeff Sachs's magisterial and engaging book provides profound perspectives on human history, offering urgently needed insights to make sense of the present and offer an essential guide to our future. -- Ian Goldin, author of <i>Age of Discovery: Navigating the Storms of Our Second Renaissance</i> Sachs has produced a masterpiece-its scope is breathtaking, its insights stimulating, and its conceptual innovation pathbreaking. For those seeking a story about where humanity has come from and is going to, his book is a story with many lessons and hopes for the future. At once clear headed and opinionated, he provides a roadmap for what we could and should do for our grandchildren. A wonderful book. -- Gordon L. Clark, University of Oxford