This book investigates how discourse and language shape the political identity and institutional legitimacy of the World Trade Organization. Michael Strange utilizes a constructivist framework to analyze the WTO not merely as a set of rules, but as an evolving political project defined by the competing narratives of its participants. By examining the historical genealogy of trade governance, the author argues that the organization's authority is constantly negotiated through the discursive practices of both state and non-state actors.

Scholars in international political economy identify this work as a significant contribution to the study of institutional legitimacy and constructivist theory. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is best suited for researchers and students of global governance.