The title Nations and Firms in the Global Economy: An Introduction to International Economics and Business reflects our main motivations for writing this book. It contains the six core elements we address (i) introduction, (ii) the global economy, (iii) nations, (iv) firms, (v) international economics and (vi) international business. We briefly review these components and their interaction in this preface.

Introduction Our book is an introduction to the subject, indicating that our target audience consists of students interested in (international) economics and (international) business for whom this is the first structured encounter with the issues discussed, who wish to get acquainted with the facts and forces of the hotly debated globalization process. Depending on the background of the student and the type of programme (s)he is enrolled in, this first encounter could be in different parts of the curriculum, although it will usually be in the first or second year of an undergraduate programme. For other interested readers, this book offers an up-to-date introduction to what we know about globalization, its drivers and its consequences, particularly from an economics and business perspective. The preliminary requirements for a proper understanding of our book are limited. We assume that the reader has taken an introductory (micro and macro) economics course, and that (s)he has some grasp of elementary mathematics allowing him or her to understand simple graphs and equations. We also provide some technical material in boxes, as quick reminders of essential concepts.