John McDonagh is a rural geographer in the Discipline of Geography, School of Geography & Archaeology, National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), Ireland. Birte Nienaber is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Luxembourg. Michael Woods is a Professor at the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Wales.

• Contents: Globalization and Europe's rural regions - challenge and opportunity; A spatial perspective on small firm networking from a rural periphery - the case of Swedish Norrland; Raising self-efficacy and resilience in the Westerkwartier: the spin-off from collaborative leadership; Managing development with civil society in a globalizing rural; Local cultures of the Ceredigion economy: practices of endogenous development in rural Mid Wales; Constituting connections and rural revitalization in 'The Comarca de VerA-n', Galicia (Spain); Greater globalization challenges - lesser rural responses: the case of Alytus County, Lithuania; Transformation of rural Slovenia: the Pomurje region in search of new development paths; Towards a sustainable regional economy? The Oberlausitz region in transformation; The rural regions of the old-industrialized Saarland - between globalization and regionalization; Globalization and sustainable development in South Moravia; Globalization processes and the restructuring of Europe's rural regions

’This edited collection takes a relational perspective on globalisation and Europe's rural regions, showing through case studies from nine countries how globalisation is reproduced at the local scale. These are bracketed by an authoritative introduction and conclusion. This book will be helpful to anyone wishing to understand how rural regions are changing in a globalised world, and what scope remains for agency and reflexivity on the part of rural residents.’ Mark Shucksmith OBE, Newcastle University, UK ’If you are interested in the complex realities of globalisation in rural Europe, this is the volume for you. Through ten case studies, well-respected European scholars provide a thought-provoking and critical debate about what globalisation means in theory and practice for Europe’s rural regions.’ Sally Shortall, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland ’Focusing on globalisation and European regions, this book introduces readers to some of the challenges faced by rural societies in contemporary Europe through a comprehensive overview of the foremost forces reshaping rural economies and communities. It provides an important contribution to the debate about future rural development and as such will be essential reading for undergraduate, graduate and PhD students, researchers, professionals and policy makers.’ Imre Kovách, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, CSS, Institute of Sociology and University of Debrecen, Hungary