This volume, Trade, Economic Life, and Globalization, covers the economic devastation wrought by World War II, the institutions that the Allies created to help nations recover from the war, and how the Cold War bled into the economic arena. Consumerism and the emergence of the middle class in Western countries is also a major theme, as are the challenges—and promises—created by the expansion of free trade and the collapsing of national economic boundaries. Each title in this series contains a series introduction, color photos throughout, and back matter including: an index, further reading lists for books and internet resources, and a timeline of events. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series in an effort to encourage library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content rich non-fiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers are able to reference back to the definitions--building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars, highlighted graphically, contain content rich material that allows readers to build knowledge and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Text Dependent Questions are placed at the end of each chapter. They challenge the reader’s comprehension of the chapter they have just read, while sending the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research Projects are provided at the end of each chapter as well and provide readers with suggestions for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. And Educational Videos are offered at the end of some chapters through the use of a QR code, that when scanned, takes the student to an online video showing a moment in history, speech etc. URLs are also provided, along with enough other information on the source, to allow students without a QR reader to find the videos. This gives the readers additional content to supplement the text.