This book explores the development, content, and impact of world culture. Combining several of the most fruitful theoretical perspectives on world culture, including the world polity approach and globalization theory, the book gives a historical treatment of the development of world culture and assesses the complex impact of world culture on people, organizations, and societies. This is a provocative, synthetic, and grounded interpretation of world culture that is essential for any student or scholar of globalization and world affairs. It traces world culture back from the mid-19th century to the present day. It includes numerous illustrations of key issues and empirical research. It was written in lively, accessible language for the student and general scholar.