Expanding the powerful argument he makes with Thomas Friedman in their bestselling That Used to Be Us, Michael Mandelbaum describes the forces driving the next stage of globalization, one of expanding wealth and vast opportunity.

The terrifying financial meltdown of 2008, the continuing danger faced by Europe’s common currency, and the dramatically reduced growth of China, India, and other emerging nations: These factors have called into question the future of globalization. Will it continue? And can it keep benefitting the world’s 7 billion people?

In The Road to Global Prosperity, Michael Mandelbaum, one of America’s leading authorities on international affairs, examines the obstacles and concludes that globalization is an irreversible and positive force in the world of the twenty-first century. As technology and free markets expand and national leaders realize that their power depends on delivering prosperity to their citizens, countries will cooperate more and fight less. As more nations connect, the size of the economic pie expands. And even as immigration increases, more money crosses borders, and previously weak nations rise, individuals and societies will grow richer.

Mandelbaum provides the most comprehensive understanding of globalization’s future in the wake of the economic shocks of the last five years, the most illuminating examination of the crucial political issues that will determine the future, and the most persuasive case for optimism about the world economy.