This text reviews research into the development and future of the service economy. Much of the research has not previously been available in English. The emphasis is on producer services in the economically developed part of the world, but household services are also discussed. The questions under scrutiny are primarily geographical and macro economic, such as, the nature and classification of services, the role of services in the economy, how and why do services grow, qualifications in services, the role of the services in regional development and international variation and trade in...