'This book provides the political flesh to the bones of theoretical and empirical work in international trade. It brings together several recent developments in the literature, including the econometric developments in gravity modelling, the emphasis on firm heterogeneity, and the increased attention for political, institutional and cultural factors as relevant dimensions of distance explaining important parts of observed variations in trade intensities between nation states. The book is highly recommended to applied researchers and policy makers interested in the political economy of globalization.'