Paul James is Director of the Globalism Institute at RMIT in Australia, an editor of Arena Journal, and on the Council of the Institute of Postcolonial Studies. He has received a number of awards including the Japan-Australia Foundation Fellowship, an Australian Research Council Fellowship, and the Crisp Medal by the Australasian Political Studies Association for the best book in the field of political studies. He is author/editor of many books including, Nation Formation: Towards a Theory of Abstract Community (Sage Publications, 1996). His latest books are Global Matrix: Nationalism, Globalism and State-Terrorism (Pluto, 2005), and Globalism, Nationalism, Tribalism: Bringing Theory Back In (Sage Publications, 2006). His interests are threefold: first, globalism, nationalism and localism, including the changing nature of the nation-state and the effects of an emergent level of global integration; second, social theory with a concentration on theories of culture, community and social formation; and third, contemporary politics and society with an emphasis on debates over technology and social change.

PART ONE: RETURNING TO A THEORY OF SOCIAL FORMATIONSocial Relations in TensionContending Approaches in OutlineTheory in the Shadow of TerrorPART TWO: RETHINKING FORMATIONS OF PRACTICE AND BEINGConstituting Customary CommunityCommunication and Exchange, Money and WritingTime and Space, Calendars and MapsBodies and Symbols, Blood and MilkPART THREE: REWRITING THE HISTORY OF THE PRESENTState Formation From Kingdoms and Empires to Nation-StatesNation Formation From the Medieval to the PostmodernGlobal Formation From the Oecumene to Planet ExploitationConclusion Principles for a Postnational World

`Paul James has written a magnificent account of the world's current condition, one that highlights the complexities and contradictions with which people, communities, and nations must contend and that does so in a compelling and creative style. Stressing the interaction between global and local forces, his writing style is lively and compelling as well as peppered with a wide range of citations, from Woman's Day to the Cambodian Daily (on the same page!)' - James N Rosenau, University Professor of International Affairs, The George Washington University