Book excerpt: Globalization has been under extreme pressure in the wake of the financial crisis. Multinational firms are weighing the costs and benefits of international scale and scope, and are increasingly under pressure to hire local, to source local, and to pay taxes domestically. At the same time global competitive pressures have intensified. This book reviews international business practices from the multinational firm perspective, and provides pathways forward concerning competitiveness and sustainability in global markets. What sets this book apart from others is that the benefits and pitfalls of globalization are addressed. Chapter coverage focuses on the functional areas of the business and how they are impacted by international expansion. Practical case studies supplement chapter coverage and highlight both positive and negative developments in the global business arena. Readers should expect to be challenged on what will be the limits of the multinational firm in the future, and how multinational firms can continue to prosper while at the same time adhere to sustainable business initiatives. Equally useful to both undergraduate and graduate students of international business as well as professional development programs, Global Business: Competitiveness and Sustainability provides a necessary tonic for dealing with today’s troubled seas of globalization.