This companion features original essays on the complexity of globalization and its diverse and sometimes conflicting effects. Written by top scholars in the field, it offers a nuanced and detailed examination of globalization that includes both positive and critical evaluations. * Introduces the major players, theories, and methodologies * Explores the major areas of impact, including the environment, cities, outsourcing, consumerism, global media, politics, religion, and public health * Addresses the foremost concerns of global inequality, corruption, international terrorism, war, and the future of globalization * Wideranging and comprehensive, an excellent text for undergraduate and graduate students in a range of disciplines

George Ritzer is Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland. He was awarded the 2000 Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award by the American Sociological Association and he has authored many refereed articles and more than 25 books, including monographs, reference works, and textbooks. He has been a major contributor to the literature on globalization as an author and editor, especially The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Globalization (5 vols., 2012); Globalization: A Basic Text (2nd edition, 2015 with Paul Dean), The McDonaldization of Society (8 editions, last in 2015), Expressing America: A Critique of the Global Credit Card Society (1995) and The Globalization of Nothing (2nd edition 2007). He is editor of The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology (11 vols., 2007; 2nd ed. forthcoming).

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