
A Splendid Exchange
How Trade Shaped the World
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Narrated by:
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Mel Foster
In A Splendid Exchange, William J. Bernstein tells the extraordinary story of global commerce from its prehistoric origins to the myriad controversies surrounding it today. He transports listeners from ancient sailing ships that brought the silk trade from China to Rome in the second century to the rise and fall of the Portuguese monopoly in spices in the 16th; from the rush for sugar that brought the British to Jamaica in 1655 to the American trade battles of the early 20th century; from key innovations such as steam, steel, and refrigeration to the modern era of televisions from Taiwan, lettuce from Mexico, and T-shirts from China.
Along the way, Bernstein examines how our age-old dependency on trade has contributed to our planet's agricultural bounty, stimulated intellectual progress, and made us both prosperous and vulnerable. Although the impulse to trade often takes a backseat to xenophobia and war, Bernstein concludes that trade is ultimately a force for good among nations, and he argues that societies are far more successful and stable when they are involved in vigorous trade with their neighbors.
Lively, authoritative, and astonishing in scope, A Splendid Exchange is a riveting narrative that views trade and globalization not in political terms, but rather as an evolutionary process as old as war and religion - a historical constant - that will continue to foster the growth of intellectual capital, shrink the world, and propel the trajectory of the human species.
©2008 William J. Bernstein (P)2008 TantorListeners also enjoyed...




















Critic reviews
"Bernstein has given us a master's insights into the past to help us understand an issue of deep divisions in the present age." (Sara Bongiorni, author of A Year without 'Made in China')
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Is there anything you would change about this book?
It is a shame that such a well written book is read by such an awful narrator. It sounds like this book is read by a computer generated voice with unexplained pauses and lack of emotion.Would you be willing to try another one of Mel Foster’s performances?
NoCould you see A Splendid Exchange being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?
Very information book but not movie material.Narrator sounds like a computer generated voice
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Any additional comments?
..... not given in the most compelling manner. The authurs could have spiced it up a little bit and the narraction could have been of higher dramatic quality, but overall I recommend this audiobook to the layman interested in world history and to those who believe that wars are fought for anything except money.Very interesting information but.....
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Five stars for text, Two stars for narration
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Extremely thought provoking
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Awesome!
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Not his best, but interesting
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Splendid
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Very good economic history book
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What did you like best about A Splendid Exchange? What did you like least?
The section on the ancient Silk Road is interesting. I'mnot sure a book like this lends itself to Audible.
Who was your favorite character and why?
The traders who brought silk, narcotics, spices and other valuablesfrom the Orient to Europe thru the centuries.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
He drones - little enthusiasm.Was A Splendid Exchange worth the listening time?
If you are already interested in the area - yes.A little like a college lecture on econ history
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Long but worth staying engaged
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