People of different cultures and countries have long recognized the value of foreign commerce. To a great extent, traders have been the catalysts establishing bonds that have linked nations, bringing people together to share knowledge and interests. At the same time, the desire for commodities and riches in faraway places has tempted traders and their governments to adopt policies of aggression and conquest. This book explores the historical and modern benefits of cross-border business and trade. It describes how trading techniques and strategies have changed over time, particularly during the last 150 years. The advent of electronic commerce has altered practically every aspect of global trade, from marketing to management and distribution. E-trading brings exciting new opportunities, unfamiliar challenges, and disturbing threats to world commerce in the twenty-first century. Each title in this series contains color photos throughout, maps, and back matter including: a chronology, a detailed index and further reading lists for books and internet resources. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series in an effort to encourage library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content rich non-fiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers are able to reference back to the definitions--building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars are highlighted graphics with content rich material within that allows readers to build knowledge and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Text Dependent Questions are placed at the end of each chapter. They challenge the reader’s comprehension of the chapter they have just read, while sending the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research Projects are provided at the end of each chapter as well and provide readers with suggestions for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. And a Series Glossary of Key Terms is included in the back matter containing terminology used throughout the series. Words found here broaden the reader’s knowledge and understanding of terms used in this field.
