Twenty-first century financial integration is like a modern building constructed on a solid, deep foundation. Properly appreciating the building requires a complete tour. This first of three volumes starts in the basement by examining the history of financial globalization, from Roman practices and Ottoman finance to Chinese standards, the beginnings of corporate practices, and the advent of efforts to safeguard financial stability. From the foundations it moves to the framework created by markets, institutions, and infrastructure. The contributions of sovereign funds, auditing regulation, loan markets, property rights, compensation practices, Islamic finance, and others to the global architecture are closely described. For those seeking substantial, authoritative descriptions and summaries, this volume will replace books, journals, and other information sources with a single, easy-to-use reference work. Substantial articles by top scholars sets this volume apart from other information sources Diverse international perspectives result in new opportunities for analysis and research Rapidly developing subjects will interest readers well into the future