The Rise of "The Rest": Challenges to the West from Late-Industrializing Economies

by Alice H. Amsden

After World War II a select number of countries outside Japan and the West--those that Alice Amsden calls "the rest"--gained market share in modern industries and altered global competition. By 2000, a great divide had developed within "the rest", the lines drawn according to prewar manufacturing experience and equality in income distribution. China, India, Korea and Taiwan had built their own national manufacturing enterprises that were investing heavily in R&D. Their developmental states had transformed themselves into champions of science and technology. By contrast, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico had experienced a wave of acquisitions and mergers that left even more of their leading enterprises controlled by multinational firms. The developmental states of Mexico and Turkey had become hand-tied by membership in NAFTA and the European Union. Which model of late industrialization will prevail, the "independent" or the "integrationist," is a question that challenges the
twenty-first century.

Genres: Economics, History, Nonfiction, Politics, Economic Development, School

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[KT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive overview of how "the rest" developed from 19th century to present day. Blends history and economic theory well and there's a wealth of economic data and explanatory passages throughout the book.

[Oskar Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the oil crisis of the 1970's, western countries like Sweden said that they had to abandon support for their industries and outsource these to the rising third world economies because of raw competition and because western industries couldn't survive on government aid.

But the economies that took over the western industries not only had low workers's salaries but also state deficits which supported many of their growing idnustries financially.

[Ming · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dense & insightful — could be fun if someone wrote a sequel/continuation covering 2001-2024?