China and India in the Age of Globalization.

• Author: Ajitkumar, Shabarika
• Position: Book review

CHINA AND INDIA IN THE AGE OF GLOBALIZATION

Shalendra D. Sharma

(United States of America: Cambridge University Press, 2009), 336 pages.

Shalendra Sharma's China and India in the Age of Globalization undertakes the ambitious task of recounting China and India's respective journeys from colonial rule to their position as present-day world powers. Sharma's illustration of their pursuit of global integration is fascinating, particularly given the differences in each country's system of governance and their unique developmental strategies. Sharma also explores the challenges faced by China and India in realizing their ambitions and the implications of their rise for the rest of the world, particularly the United States.

Though the scope of analysis undertaken by Sharma is extremely broad, the work is thoroughly researched and hardly compromises on detail or depth. Each chapter is presented as a distinct essay addressing both countries' histories, approaches to globalization, and globalization-related effects and challenges. Sharma has successfully summarized a vast volume of academic discourse and empirical research, though as a result, some sections read more like a mere list of ideas. This, however, is largely overcome by the structure provided by...