Author Hank Van den Berg had a fourteen-year career in the US State Department and with multinational companies overseas prior to getting his PhD at the University of Wisconsin. As a result, international economics has been a favorite subject for him. After eleven years of teaching International Economics in a variety of Colleges at the University of Nebraska (Business Administration, Arts and Sciences, and Architecture), Hank was ready to begin his own text. He was particularly interested in writing a book that would engage students more than the existing ones do and appeal to the diverse audience he has taught (adult students, students from a variety of countries, students with a variety of academic interests).