Cover of Around the World in 80 Markets
Spanish authors

Around the World in 80 Markets

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Marc Vidal, a Catalan economist and populariser with an extensive media career, travels through the world's major economies and markets in this book with a journalistic and accessible approach.

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Marc Vidal analyses the world's major economies and financial markets, identifying investment opportunities and risks in the current geopolitical and economic context. For each region — Europe, US, Asia, Latin America, Africa — he identifies structural trends, highest-potential sectors, and threats that international investors must watch.

Our review

Marc Vidal, a Catalan economist and populariser with an extensive media career, travels through the world's major economies and markets in this book with a journalistic and accessible approach. Published in 2021, the book reflects a moment of transition shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences, giving it the value of a period document in addition to its analytical content. Vidal writes with agility and without technical jargon, which facilitates reading but at times sacrifices analytical depth. The descriptions of markets such as China, India, and Africa are stimulating and broaden the perspective of Spanish-speaking readers, who are usually focused on Europe and the United States. The book's main weakness is that the pace of global economic change has left some data and projections outdated since publication. It works better as a panoramic introduction than as a market analysis guide. For readers who want to expand their economic mental map beyond their immediate environment, it offers a stimulating starting point.

Who it's for

For economically curious readers who want a panoramic view of global markets without prior technical training; less useful for analysts seeking up-to-date data.

Key takeaways

  • Geographic diversification of economic knowledge is as important as diversifying an investment portfolio.
  • Emerging markets present structural opportunities that Western-centric analytical frameworks tend to underestimate.
  • Geopolitical context is inseparable from economic analysis: Vidal integrates this naturally throughout each chapter.
  • The 2021 global economy was shaped by supply chain disruptions and the uneven speed of post-pandemic recovery.
Fact

The book was published in 2021, when the global economy recorded a historic rebound of approximately 5.9% in world GDP following the 3.1% contraction of 2020, according to the IMF.

Topics Marc Vidalmercados globalesgeopolíticainversión internacionalEspaña