Review by Choice Review
Perkins is a distinguished Harvard economist and past consultant to several of the countries dealt with in this published series of public lectures. Despite the book's title, he devotes considerable attention to Southeast as well as East Asia. In contrast to many of his professional colleagues, Perkins marries an ability to write intelligibly for a popular audience to a decent grounding in the historical background of Asian societies and polities. Examining cross-national economic development in the two regions over the past half century, Perkins notes that sensational rates of growth have characterized not only Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China, but also Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore. His analysis of what accounts for such success begins with broad brushstrokes of regional history; brings up the general relevance of quantitative economic yardsticks of growth; and discusses the role of state intervention in fostering or hindering growth. Separate attention is then devoted to China and Vietnam and their tortuous journey from Soviet-style command systems to market economies. The book thus serves well as a historically sensitive, comparative primer on the economic dynamics of East and Southeast Asia. Summing Up: Recommended. Academic audiences, upper-division undergraduate through faculty; professionals; general readers. R. P. Gardella emeritus, United States Merchant Marine Academy
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
