In these elegantly written essays, Kishore Mahbubani sets forth a wake-up call to Asians and Westerners alike. In such diverse pieces as "The Ten Commandments for Developing Countries" and "The Dangers of Decadence: What the Rest Can Teach the West," theauthor challenges the West?s intellectual universe, arguing that Western consciousness has become trapped in intellectual rigidity. An iconoclastic theme underscores Mahbubani?s message: After 500 years of Western domination of Asia, the 21st century will see a two-way exchange of ideas between East and West. The author?s perspectives will resonate with Asians and provoke debate in the West, but in Mahbubani?s words, "The world will be a much richer place when Western minds stop assuming that Western civilization represents the universal civilization." "Mahbubani writes with a diplomat?s charm, gleefully untangling political knots into simple threads." - Time
