The conventional view of globalization sees it as a process driven by giant firms from the Triad regions of North America, Europe, and Japan, shaping the world in their own image. This book contests such a view, describing the extraordinary success of a handful of multinationals from the "Periphery" in globalizing their operations extremely rapidly. Focusing on Acer, the Taiwanese IT company; the Hong Leong hotel group of Singapore; Ispat International in steel; Cemex of Mexico in cement; and Li and Fung from Hong Kong in contract manufacturing, Matthews demonstrates that these firms have been able to utilize strategies of international linkage and leverage to accelerate their global coverage. He contends that they are pioneers of a new kind of global firm, indicators that the global business civilization being created in the 21st century is like to be pluralistic and diverse, offering unprecedented opportunities for firms that know how to enmesh themselves in global networks.