John Davidson Rockefeller - the founder of the Rockefeller empire - went to China and gave away oil lamps for free.

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The book romps through history at a terrific rate: from ancient Greece through the Islamic empire of the 13th century, 15th-century China and Renaissance Europe to 20th-century America.

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First, the global economic playing field is being leveled, and millions of people who were out of the game - from China, India and the former Soviet empire - are now walking onto the field, each dreaming of a house, a car, a toaster and a microwave.

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Jack Ma, chairman of China's largest e-commerce empire, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

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The Mongols, while indeed being the fierce horsemen of legend, did, having established their empire which stretched from Northern China to Western Europe, then rule it as a free trade area.

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