Product Description

One of Asia's leading intellectuals illuminates what will be on the agenda as Western domination ends and the Asian renaissance impacts world politics, markets and history. For centuries the Asians (Chinese, Indians, Muslims and others) have been bystanders in world history. Now, they are ready to become co-drivers. Asians have finally understood, absorbed and implemented Western best practices in many areas: from free-market economies to modern science and technology, from meritocracy to rule of law. They have also become innovative in their own way, creating new patterns of cooperation not seen in the West.Will the West resist the rise of Asia? The good news is that Asia wants to replicate, not dominate, the West. For a happy outcome to emerge, the West must gracefully give up its domination of global institutions, from the IMF to the World Bank, from the G7 to the UN Security Council. History teaches that tensions and conflicts are more likely when new powers emerge. This too may happen. But they can be avoided if the world accepts the key principles for a new global partnership spelled out in this book.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #89784 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Review
"(S)uccinct, accessible and pointed" and say that "if you want to maintain notions of developed Western hemisphere countries benignly acting in the best interests of the world get a different book. If you are open instead to seeing the world through an Asian lens less sanguine about Western motives, you should find this book highly thought-provoking." Irish Times "This is no dry scholarly tome. It is an anti-Western polemic, designed to wake up Americans and Europeans by making them angry. In that goal it will certainly be successful." Economist"

About the Author
Professor Kishore Mahbubani of the National University of Singapore has had a distinguished career in diplomacy and writing. He is the author of Can Asians Think? and Beyond the Age of Innocence. In 2005, Foreign Policy magazine ranked him as one of the top 100 public intellectuals in the world.

Customer Reviews

Very good analysis; recommended
The book starts with a detailed analysis of the (possible) courses of action for the "West" in its future relations with Asia. I found this analysis most impressive; a true eye-opener. The author does an excellent job in explaining the background to the often opposite views of the "West" and Asia on the international level, highlighting the often too important role of short-term political opportunism in "Western" decision-making. The author is a strong supporter of China. Based on the fact that the book is mainly intended for a "Western" audience, the author could have spent more attention on some of the criticism that can be heard in the "West" against China. In the second half of the book, there are a few instances where it seems that the author falls in the same trap of stereotyping, he criticises the "West" for. One example: an unfortunate diplomatic incident is used to support the conclusion that "all Europeans view Asian culture with disdain...". I find this somewhat surprising for such an author and such a book. Still, I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in "globalisation" and wants to go beyond Thomas Friedman.

Thought-provoking study of Asian perspectives
Kishore Mahbubani's examination of the rise of Asia and its implications for the world is most notable precisely because it is an Asian examination. A professor of public policy at the National University of Singapore, Mahbubani is one of Asia's most prominent intellectuals. His debunking of ideas that he diagnoses as Western myths and assumptions is trenchant and thought provoking. The book is at times controversial, circular and often repetitive, but always interesting. Mahbubani posits that Western countries attempt to export democracy through a system of international institutions that allow the Western minority to dominate the global majority. For Westerners, such viewpoints may be acutely uncomfortable, but understanding them is indispensable for those who wish to make sense of the emerging world order. This book offers a pertinent, important perspective on changing geopolitics. getAbstract recommends it to anyone seeking an insider's informed analysis of Asia's global role.