In our introductory lecture, Dr. Brook begins our exploration of globalization and international trade, illustrating how everyday commodities—such as coffee, smartphones, and clothing—reflect the intricate interconnections of global commerce and cultural exchange. The lecture emphasizes specialization and trade as key drivers of productivity, innovation, and wealth creation, while addressing common misconceptions about trade deficits and employment displacement. Dr. Brook concludes by examining globalization’s transformative impact on contemporary life, highlighting its role in broadening access to goods, experiences, and opportunities, and in promoting sustained economic growth across nations.

In lecture two we investigate the principle of comparative advantage, showing how specialization and trade benefit all participants, even when one holds absolute advantage in multiple areas. Dr. Brook addresses misconceptions about trade deficits—explaining that they reflect investment flows rather than economic problems—and uses the "broken window fallacy" to illustrate how protectionist policies create hidden costs. The lecture concludes that voluntary trade fosters a virtuous cycle in which specialization and comparative advantage reinforce one another, ultimately making all trading partners better off regardless of national borders.

In lecture three, we trace the history of trade from ancient civilizations through the 18th century, showing how trade patterns, routes, and choke points have remained strikingly consistent over millennia. We follow the evolution from early Mesopotamian and Egyptian networks through the Greek city-states, Roman Empire, Islamic expansion, and European Renaissance, emphasizing trade’s role in cultural exchange, technological progress, and the rise and fall of civilizations. Finally, we examine mercantilism—the dominant 16th–18th century theory that viewed trade as a zero-sum pursuit of gold and silver—setting the stage for Adam Smith’s transformative ideas on global economics.