If we are indeed entering a new period of imperialism, Hobson is a sound guide to what may come. He writes boldly and clearly, and his pithy insights into the world economy stand as a model of economic writing.... Reading Hobson, I am struck by the many parallels between 2002 and 1902. One hundred years ago, he saw that globalization--then known as imperialism--meant that it was impossible for one country to leave another country alone. World capitalism made isolation, even if desirable, an impossibility.... As Americans embark on a new imperial project--of rescuing failed states and winning the 'clash of civilizations' so that terrorists have no haven--we should be alert to the possibility that we will record our own 'complete' delusions. --G. Pascal Zachary, author of The Global Me, In These Times, September 2, 2002