The four little dragons /

Kelly is a former Chicago Sun-Times political reporter and now editor of the Washington business magazine, Regardie's. London is both a journalist and a trial lawyer. Once again, they have caught the wave of an issue just before it breaks upon the public consciousness. In Amazon [BKL O 1 83] they alerted us to the problem of the destruction of Brazilian rain forests. Now, when awareness of the Pacific Rim countries as growing major political and economic powers begins to crest, they profile the "four little dragons"--Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore--that have remained in the relative obscurity of the shadows of the big Japanese dragon and the sleeping Chinese one. With Korea already flexing its muscles, Kelly and London argue that all four are ready to challenge Japan and the U.S. on the economic front. And a fifth, Thailand, is only a little bit behind them. As in Amazon, the authors succeed in illuminating large issues by focusing on unique individuals and interesting places. To be indexed. --David Rouse

Two buddies bumble around East Asia together and return to warn us against an economic onslaught of dragons. The adventurers are Kelly, editor of Regardie's , and London, a Washington, D.C., attorney. Their discovery of the industrializing countries of the Asian rimlands is a bit like a modern-day Spanish traveler who, on returning to Europe from a trip to New York, announces breathlessly that there's a new world across the Atlantic. Interesting, but years late. Despite the staleness of Kelly and London's news, their anecdotes vividly illuminate the tremendous drive to succeed that characterizes the Asians they write about and the authors' fear that complacent Americans are falling dangerously behind in the ongoing race to prosperity is almost palpable. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved