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Beyond Europe: Central Asia, the Middle East and Global Economy is an interesting look at the role of Central Asia and the Middle East in the global and Eurasian economy. Authors of this volume highlight the most important conditions of global and regional cooperation and political and economic competition. The volume provides a broad and critical analysis of regional geoeconomic trends. It underscores the most important conditions of global and regional cooperation and political and economic rivalry, as well as the position of regions in the economic and foreign policy of global and regional powers. The wide selection of examples means that the reader receives a large dose of knowledge about the political and economic realities of these regions, the ongoing processes, and the specifics of the rivalry.

A strategic geographic location at the crossroads of Eurasia, makes Central Asia an arena of fierce rivalry between great powers. The development of transport and communications infrastructure in the region as well as resource wealth rapidly change its status in geopolitical arena. This collection explores the European Union's growing substantial geopolitical interest and presence in Central Asia. Authors analyze changes in the EU's economy, trade and investment relations with the region. They not only explain why the Central Asian region was until recently not regarded by the EU's trade and investment as a priority but identify the potential areas of cooperation, including water management, energy and transport. Authors discuss European engagement in various energy projects aiming mainly to secure energy supply and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This book also examines the EU's strategy priorities towards Central Asia; i.e. democracy, human rights, rule of law, and good governance. The collection provides clear, concise and fresh explanations of relations between the EU and Central Asian states. An important book recommended for professionals and students of political science and international relations.

Beyond Europe is an interesting collection of the research papers in the area of International Relations, which provides an overview of the modern world in the light of various theories explaining the mode in which certain countries function on the international arena. Despite the fact that the selection feels somewhat random at first, and the connection between the chosen topics is not immediately clear, the collection does manage to form a coherent whole. The discrepancies, lines of divisions and prevalence of the particularisms do, in the end, create the global picture of the contemporary world, which is far from unified -- even the agreements that are necessary for the future existence of the world can not be achieved at this stage. It is exemplified by the agreements and syndicates established by certain players on the international area that serve nothing else but to create or maintain the domination of one country over the other. One of the few conclusions that one might come to after reading the volume is that the lack of empathy and class consciousness on the international area withholds the weaker players from development, and that modern politics laced with the neoliberal mode of thinking very unfortunately take neocolonialism for a more positively resounding concept of globalization. The collection takes a non-Eurocentric approach and does not moralize, which can be considered as an advantage of the book. Piotr Kwiatkiewicz