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Title details for From Silk to Silicon by Jeffrey E. Garten - Available

From Silk to Silicon

The Story of Globalization Through Ten Extraordinary Lives

by Jeffrey E. Garten
Tom Perkins
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
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2 of 2 copies available
From Silk to Silicon tells the story of who these men and women were, what they did, how they did it, and how their achievements continue to shape our world today. They include:• Genghis Khan, who united east and west by conquest and by opening new trade routes built on groundbreaking transportation and management innovations.• Mayer Amschel Rothschild, who arose from oppression to establish the most powerful bank the world has seen.• Cyrus Field, who became the father of global communications by leading the effort to build the transatlantic telegraph, the forerunner to global radio, TV, and the worldwide Internet.• Margaret Thatcher, whose controversial policies opened the gusher of substantially free markets that linked economies across borders.• Andy Grove, a Hungarian refugee from the Nazis who built the company-Intel-that figured out how to manufacture complex computer chips on a mass, commercial scale.Through these stories Jeffrey E. Garten finds the common links between these figures and probes critical questions. From Silk to Silicon is an essential book to understanding the past-and the future-of the most powerful force of our times.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    March 1, 2016

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781681680552
      • File size: 330837 KB
      • Duration: 11:29:14

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 11, 2016
      In this wide-ranging book, Garten (The Politics of Fortune), former dean of the Yale School of Management, identifies 10 transformational individuals who laid the foundation for modern globalization. He begins with Genghis Khan, who conquered and united the vast Mongol Empire, and moves chronologically as he profiles Prince Henry of Portugal, whose fearless naval expeditions set in motion the Age of Exploration; Robert Clive, the merchant-soldier who laid the basis for the British Empire; Mayer Amschel Rothschild, whose dealings represented the beginnings of global financial markets; Cyrus Field, layer of the first transatlantic telegraph cable, which set the stage for modern telecommunications; John D. Rockefeller, the businessman whose companies anticipated today’s multinational corporations; Jean Monnet, who coordinated the establishment of the European Union; Margaret Thatcher, the free-market evangelist who linked Britain’s economy with the world’s; Andrew Grove, the manager who made Intel a leader in the microprocessor industry; and Deng Xiaoping, the modernizing Chinese leader whose market reforms brought hundreds of millions of people into the global economy. Garten recognizes each figure’s unique skills and qualities as well as their evils. It’s an unapologetically neoliberal take on history, but Garten is correct that each contribution reverberates in the present. Maps and illus. Agent: James Levine, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      History buffs will love the political intrigue and sweeping sagas that fill this engrossing audio. Tom Perkins narrates with unobtrusive consistency, resonating with the drama woven into the narratives and putting to good use his pleasing vocal tone and sensitivity to phrasing. Starting with the thirteenth-century illiterate empire builder Genghis Khan, who created organizational structures that elevated his rowdy warriors by incorporating the skills and cultures of conquered lands, the author profiles leaders throughout the ages whose explorations capitalized on the rich diversity they found in civilizations across the globe. The perspective Garten offers, illustrated with captivating personal narratives, provides a timely reminder not only that all civilizations and cultures have value but that the disruption caused by today's rapidly shrinking world is not new and is not altogether bad. T.W. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      May 1, 2016

      What do Genghis Khan, Prince Henry the Navigator, Robert Clive, Mayer Rothschild, Cyrus Field, John D. Rockefeller, Jean Monnet, Margaret Thatcher, Andy Grove, and Deng Xiaoping have in common? As presented in Garten's book, these individuals played important roles in bringing the world together through globalization. They did this through imperialism and colonial administration (Khan and Clive), advancements in technology and communications (Prince Henry and Field), finance (Rothschild and Monnet), business (Rockefeller and Grove), and politics (Thatcher and Deng). While emphasizing the positive parts they played in worldwide economic and cultural development, Garten includes discussion of the negative aspects of globalization, providing the listener with a lively introduction to a select group of people who helped shape the modern world. Tom Perkins does an excellent job in telling their stories. VERDICT This thoughtful audiobook is recommended to all listeners interested in economics and world events. ["This highly approachable book, clearly written and intriguing in concept, will be valuable in telling the story of globalization as the relationships between person and theme are well drawn and illuminating": LJ 2/1/16 review of the Harper hc.]--Stephen L. Hupp, West Virginia Univ. Parkersburg Lib.

      Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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