(I copyedited this book. Note that the title is actually The New Asian Hemisphere.) I learned a lot about the moral and economic complexities of globalization from reading this book. I didn't always agree with the author--sometimes I found he was too sanguine about capitalism, among other things--but I certainly respected his experience in international affairs and economics, his insights into the West and its influence on Asia, and his understanding of Asian culture, particularly in countries that have undergone or are undergoing enormous sea changes in politics, economics, etc. (China, for one). He gives a fascinating argument for why the West (and especially the United States) should be glad that Asia (particularly Chin and India) has learned from Western economic development and has begun to alleviate poverty significantly. He criticizes the E.U. in interesting ways as well, and he is not categorizable as wholly pro-West, pro-unfettered capitalism or the opposite. A complex, thoughtful writer. (Also, he seems to be a very nice man--I talked to him on the phone one morning when he called me from the Philippines to ask what I thought of his book!)