hen the first edition of Annual Editions: International Business was being compiled a few years ago, the world was a very unstable place. Power in the then-Soviet Union was very much in question, and there was uncertainty everywhere. The day Boris Yeltsin jumped on a tank outside the Russian Parliament was the day that I was writing the introductory essay for the section that included articles on the Soviet Union. In fact, I was typing part of that essay when the news bulletin reporting Yeltsin's act came over the radio. Needless to say, I had to rewrite the essay. International business is where the economy of the world is heading. Virtually all countries and all organizations will be engaged in doing business with other organizations outside of their home country.