It has become commonplace to think that globalization has produced a race to the bottom in terms of labour standards and quality of life: the cheaper the labour and the lower the benefits afforded workers, the more a country can competitively participate on the global stage. But in this book the distinguished labour historian Michael Huberman demonstrates that globalization has in fact been very good for workers' quality of life, and that improved labour conditions have promoted globalization.

Michael Huberman is professor of history at the University of Montreal.

"Michael Huberman's splendid book is bound to become a classic reference in the field, and is a superb example of how a skilled economic historian can use the past to illuminate both the present and future."--Kevin O'Rourke, Professor of Economics, Trinity College, Dublin--Kevin O'Rourke