INTRODUCTION: 
REVIEW SYMPOSIUM ON GIOVANNI ARRIGHI’S ADAM SMITH IN BEIJING 

Thomas D. Hall 
Book Review Editor 

About sixteen months ago we began discussing commissioning a series of review essays on 
Arrighi’s Adam Smith in Beijing. The original idea was to publish a collection of essays from 
various world-systems scholars, and have Arrighi respond. As we all know, Giovanni became ill 
and sadly passed in summer of 2009. In commissioning the essays as book review editor I faced a 
special challenge. Some likely writers had already committed to essays for other venues (e.g., 
Janet Abo-Lughod 2008; Chris Chase-Dunn forthcoming). I also wanted to get a variety of 
approaches so that the entire collection would represent a diverse set of views. The following 
essays do that. We are especially fortunate to have an essay from Robert Denemark, who I asked 
to comment on Andre Gunder Frank’s probable take(s) on Adam Smith in Beijing. The remaining 
essays offer various insights into this important work. 

REFERENCES 

Abu-Lughod, Janet. 2008. Review of Arrighi’s Adam Smith in Beijing. Trajectories 20(1):15-18. 
Chase-Dunn, Christopher. Forthcoming. "Adam Smith in Beijing: A World-Systems Perspective." 

Historical Materialism. 

Copyright ©2009, American Sociological Association, Volume XV, Number 2, Page 219 
ISSN 1076-156X 


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