In his discussion of capitalism, the author brings up some examples that point out some of the disadvantages related to capitalism. While we could argue about whether capitalism is good or bad, the author is careful in not really getting into that argument so much as he acts as a cultural critic in how America is not only spreading capitalism around the world (seen by most Americans as good), but also spreading American culture around the world (seen by me at least as not so great).

In one sense, most of the world is by now seeing the effects of American-style imperialism. The book does talk about how some have welcomed this and others have reacted harshly. I think the way that the author sees imperialism here is that America is imposing its culture on other nations. It may be at least somewhat fair to say that the people choose this fate, but economic theory would show otherwise: in a world of large companies and small companies, if a large company decides to compete directly with a small company, the large company will be the most likely winner because it is able to charge lower prices, etc. The same goes for large American companies imposing their business into other nations. Can French cafes compete with McDonalds?

The author also talks about some of Michael Jordan's pitfalls, such as not speaking out against unfair labor practices in Nike factories, or gambling with known criminals. Why did Michael Jordan have such a strong following? Phil Knight himself even observed people bowing down to a life-size statue of Jordan (can we say idolatry?). While Jordan established himself early in his career as someone who "transcends race," his international fame came through an enormous worldwide marketing blitz. While he became known worldwide as an incredible basketball player, the marketing campaign surrounding him made him out to be much more than that. Through it all, Michael Jordan is still human, and so it is, too, that the economic system that brought him fame is built by humans. They both have incredibly strong points, but neither are infallible.

This is not liberal junk. It is merely a book that keeps things in perspective.

5 of 6 found the following review helpful:


Nike and Michael Conquer the World  Aug 24, 2001 By Peter Myers
Noted foreign policy (global?) historian Walter LaFeber has written an extremely readable short book. The narrative flows without getting stuck in academic jargon. However, his premise that the twenty-first century will be dominated by multi-national corporations is not new. The twist is that Michael Jordan is our new Santa Claus; instead of delivering presents to "good children" throughout the world, he leaves them with symbols of products (not the presents themselves)and spreads name-brand recognition in the far corners of the earth. (In one remote region of China, the Chicago Bulls are referred to as "Red Oxen.") But haven't we heard this argument before with Ronald McDonald? He is better known in the world than the Pope. And as for Santa Claus, he can thank Coca-Cola for making him cherry red and white (the same as their soft drink label) for who he is today.

I would recommend this book to people that don't yet know that basketball commissioner David Stern packaged the NBA like Disney: "they have theme parks, and we have theme parks. Only we call them arenas. They have characters: Mickey and Goofy. Our characters are named Magic and Michael." But Walter LaFeber, who is known for his exhaustive research skills, relies too heavily on pop culture to discuss the impact of a pop figure. His endnotes are dominated by magazine and newspaper articles (Newsweek, Sports Illustrated) without delving more deeply into how a black man in America became "a god" that transcends cultural boundaries.

"Michael Jordan and the New Global Capitalism" is a good beginners book on the long arm of U.S. corporations but do not stop there. James Twitchell's superb "Adcult USA: The Triumph of Advertising in American Culture" provides the reader with much more indepth analysis on how Nike and others came to dominate our world.

2 of 2 found the following review helpful:


Capital vs Culture  Sep 23, 2007 By Norman Farwell "anachronist"
LaFeber was well-known and loved by his students at Cornell as a spell binding lecturer and is widely respected as an expert on the history U.S foreign relations. So at first I wondered what about Michael Jordan could possibly interest a distinguished and conscientious scholar of American history, someone not normally associated with forays into pop culture. But it's a really fascinating, thoughtful, and surprising essay. LaFeber argues that Jordan is even bigger than we think--not as a sports icon but as both a symptom and cause of revolutionary change in the global order of things. Yes, the world changed with the fall of the Berlin Wall and with the end of the cold war, he says, but the rise of Jordan is an even bigger watershed moment in world history. The real kicker comes late in the book and is somewhat understated--that there is a war between culture and capital and capital is winning. The implications of this idea are enormous and mostly frightening. This is the maelstrom Marshall McLuhan was trying to warn us about. For anyone interested in media studies, cultural criticism, or a scholarly historian's perspective on global capitalism, this book will be eye-opening and mind-expanding. And the bits about Jordan himself are pretty fascinating.

2 of 2 found the following review helpful:


Keep looking  Dec 09, 2001 By Melissa Ann Herrman
Sure, this book is about the rise of transnational corporations and the influence cultural icons such as Michael Jordan have on it. However, LaFeber never gets into WHY this is the case. He throws around the same three points throughout the 164 pages of text, leaving the reader wondering how he could possibly write so much when he realistically has nothing to say. It is more filled with statistics and dates regarding Michael Jordan, the Bulls, and Nike, than what the title implies. The book is a good read for fans of MJ and Nike, but if you're looking for a sociological perspective on globalization, look elsewhere.

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