Alfred E. Eckes, Jr., is Ohio Eminent Research Professor of Contemporary History at Ohio University and a former Chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission. He has published a number of books on international trade and finance, the competition for world resources, and globalization. Eckes is a former president and executive vice president of the International Trade and Finance Association (IT&FA), an organization of academics and professionals from 25 countries. He has served as editor of its journal, the Global Economy Journal.

"I highly recommend the brilliant and well reasoned book The Contemporary Global Economy: A History since 1980 by Alfred E. Eckes, Jr., to anyone seeking a well written and comprehensive book on the march of globalization since 1980. The author presents the information, in a format that is readily understood by any reader, as to how the driving forces of economic change operate and how they are clearly visible today." (Blog Business World, 12 August 2011) "The book is a lucid and balanced survey, based on extensive research, accessible to the non-specialist." (GMF, 2011)

• Series Editor’s Preface. Preface.List of Abbreviations.1. Introduction.2. The Global Economy before 1980.3. The Rich Nations.4. The Developing World.5. Thinking about the Global Economy.6. International Trade.7. Global Business.8. Internationalization of Finance.9. The Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2010.10. The Underside of the Global Economy.11. Epilogue.Notes.Suggestions for Further Reading.References.Index.