The world is changing dramatically and a vigorous public debate is under way about the nature and historical significance of these changes. At the centre of this debate lie conflicting claims about the extent, form and consequences of contemporary globalization. On the one hand there are the globalists, who argue that the world is being fundamentally and irreversibly transformed by globalization. On the other hand there are the sceptics, who believe that the globalists' claims are exaggerated and poorly substantiated. The sceptics contest the very idea of globalization, arguing that the power of national governments, nationalism and geopolitics remain the determining features of our age. This completely revised and fully updated edition of The Global Transformations Reader brings together the most original contributions from both sides of the argument and from a range of disciplines. Many new chapters have been added, which incorporate the most recent developments in the debate and set these in the context of a global order that is in a constant state of flux.