Asia Books

Krepinevich has a cult following among professors and students at the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. After reading his work I understand why. It is rare that ones comes across a book that radically changes the way one looks at military history. Thousands of books have been written on Vietnam and the movies "Platoon" and "Apocalypse Now" brought the war to millions of Americans. Until I read this book, I thought I understood the causes and conduct of the war. Krepinevich brilliantly analyzes how the U.S. Army planned for and conducted the war. How it tried to fight the war it wanted to fight, vice the war as it actually existed. Army leadership brought their conventional mindset to the jungles of Vietnam. The inability to adapt to change proved a greater threat to the U.S. Army than the North Vietnamese Army. The book rises above the personal narrative style that dominates most Vietnam books. Instead, the book is based on solid military analysis. Even more telling was how the U.S. Army failed to grasp the lessons of counter-insurgency following Vietnam and quickly returned to the conventional mindset it preferred. The writing is crisp and powerful. The lessons of this book remain vital today as the U.S. continues to struggle on how to best defeat America's latest enemies.

This book deserves to be far more widely read than it is--and I have no idea why it isn't. Krepinivich's thesis is a brilliant one--the US army was "conceptually" unprepared to fight the Vietnam war: it brought a cold war mentality to the jungles of Vietnam and spent the first seven or eight years of the war trying to "find" this war. The US army imagined that the Viet Cong was a variant of the Soviet army--they "must" have been controlled by a central organization and "must" have had "hidden armies" lurking in the jungle. Decively defeating them would, the Army believed, end the war.

In fact, Krepinivich convincingly argues, the VC was not in the jungle at all--but in the cities along the coast. "We should have done less 'flit'in' and more 'sit'in'", he says.

The war was actually fought more effectively after US troop reduction prevented the "jungle search" strategy from being implemented. This was something akin to what the Marines performed in I Corps: rather than participate in large scale jungle sweeps, troops were divided up and put in small villages with radios. The strategy was more hazardous as troops, because of their small numbers might be overrun. However, it was more effective because it allowed allied forces to prevent the VC from retaking a village after they had withdrawn from their major operation.

This book should eventually allow for US military operations in the first part of the war to be put in the context of greater US cold war culture. The "willing blindness" of the US military during much of the sixties came from what amounts to a cultural fixation on a way power was imagined to function. Even in '71, Nixon believed that the Vietnamese communists was controled by a "COSVN", which functioned like a sort of "tumor": nip the tumor and the body will fall. This, Krepinivich proves, was all part of the American imaginary. Our blindness went far beyond the generals: it was part of our culture.

This is an excellant book that should be read by every military professional and anybody interested in civil-miltary relationships and what happened in Vietnem. The authors premise is that the Army was unprepared for a war in Vietnam. Krepinevich states that Army training, doctrine and organization was geared toward a conventional conflict like what had happened in WWII and Korea. The Army was not prepared to fight a counterinsurgency against a foe that was only going to fight when they had to and when the circumstances and odds were in their favor. The senior leadership of the Army thought the war would be won be killing VC and NVA. According to Krepinevich this is all wrong. To defeat an insurgency you must protect and convince the people of the country you are trying to save that their fortunes lay in siding with you. If the people aren't going to back you then you will lose. It doesn't matter how many VC you kill. The Army's senior leadership did not want to deal with the pacification programs that would have won the war. Many in the military like to lay the blame for the loss in the war at the feet of the politicians in Washington. And there is justification for that. But Krepinevich makes a strong arguement that the war would have still been lost due to the poor/lack of strategy by our military leaders. Reading this book really angered me. Prior to this I had just finished reading "Street Without Joy" by Bernard Fall and I could not help but note the similarities between the failed French efforts and our own. It was like reading the same book over again except the units and the names of the leaders were different. There were almost no lessons learned by our senior leadership from the French debacle.

Although coming to this work as a result of a contemporary (2006) news story about the author I was shocked at the relevance of the book to the issues facing the US Army (and others) in Iraq.

The Army and Vietnam is a fascinating study of how not to organise and fight a counter-insurgency campaign amongst a resentful populace using the most aggressive and technologically advanced "shock and awe" methods.

It appears, not least from the paucity of reviews, that this is a book that was seen to lack relevance or lessons for America's warriors. How wrong they were.

I would strongly commend this book both to students of the history of the Vietnam War and those looking for a fresh, professional, perspective on the problems the US faces in Iraq.

This fabulous 2 volume set is a must for any Asiaphile and a great gift item or a wonderful addition to any coffee table or art book collection. The hard sleeve is covered in exquisite detailing from a pair of Edo Period screens by Kano Chikanobu, the two volumes filled with full color photos of hundreds of treasures from throughout Asia. My favorite is the section on Japan. It is written by a well known Tokyo collector-dealer with a clear passion for the objects of his work. His appreciation of Japanese paintings and easy writing style transforms the reader's understanding, allowing easy access to a new level of appreciation for Japanese art. He writes in detail and yet with a simplicity that captures the imagination and informs. The process of learning in these pages hangs in the void between vicarious and direct experience. Highly recommended.

I'm currently taking my first course in Asian Art history, and I wish we were using this text! The Art of East Asia is eloquently and insightfully written and stunningly produced. The authors do an excellent job of bringing the art into the historical and cultural contexts of the time periods when it was produced. The color photographs are plentiful, large, and beautifully printed -- this is an important point, as black and white photos fail to capture the details of either fine brushwork or three dimensional pieces. This book is a tremendous value; it is far superior to other volumes costing almost twice as much. The only limitation to be aware of is that it does not include the art of India.

The entire book is a mine of information complemented by wonderful photographs. It is perhaps the best introduction to an ancient and profound culture. The Japanese and Korean section is a must for any person seriously interested in trying to understand what is a complex and usually inaccessible subject. In particular the masterful text on Japan by Michael Dunn illuminates the often misunderstood area of the overwhelming influence of Zen on Japanese Art. He should be encouraged to write in more detail on subjects with which he has such a commanding knowledge and insight.

This book manages to present East Asian art without mystification, but also without academic stuffiness.An extraordinary combination! If you want an accessible (but not vulgar) introduction to the subject that will whet your appetite for more, this is the book. The illustrations are exceptional. It's incredible that the publisher can put this kind of quality out for the price.

Very Informative Great book To lean about grades of stones and thier uses

Men have always decorated their weapons. The main items being decorated in the United States have been guns. But in Japan it is the traditional Japanese sword. Being more of a land of tradition, the Japanese sword became more or less standardized in shape as long ago as the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and polishing the sword had to have followed shortly after that.

There are many books that describe the techniques of polishing and blueing guns. But this appears to be the first book available in English that discusses the polishing techniques used by Japanese craftsmen.

The Japanese practice is a strikingly different process than that used here. Polishing stones, not unlike whetstones but in far more diversity are used. A shop selling such stones is pictured with what appear to at least a couple of hundred different types of stones. And unlike here where stones are simply given numbers to indicate coarseness, in Japan they are given names.

The polishing area used with Japanese swords is a traditional form as well. It sits on the floor, and the polisher typically sits in a traditional position that most of us would find difficult to get into, and impossible to maintain for any period.

All in all, a fascinating book on techniques very different to those commonly used here.

After reading the book entitled "The Art of Japanese Sword Polishing" I now have a much clearer and detailed understanding of the process used by traditional Japanese sword polishers. The book takes the reader though all of steps from the foundation polish, used to shape and sharpen the blade, to the finish polish, which is used bring out the details of the steel and shape of the temper line, using good text and a fair number of detailed photographs. It includes some Japanese sword polish theory and how Japanese swords have changed over the historical periods. It also explains how the age of the sword can affect how the sword should be polished and what damage can and cannot be repaired by a polisher. In the last section of the book it contains a few profiles of professional Japanese sword polishers the authors of the book had interviewed which I enjoyed reading.
As someone who studies and appreciates the Japanese sword I found the book very helpful in educating me more about the process of how a Japanese sword is polished. I would recommended this book to anyone interested in learning in detail how Japanese swords are polished.

I wish I had this book 20 years ago when I first started to investigate the art of polishing. This book provides a wealth of information on the technigues, the material and the different ways that can be used to get a sword polisihed. In fact, the diversity of the art is highlighted by the book and certainly dispells the notion that there is only one way to restore a blade. The section on foundation polish discusses how to achieve the proper shape without removing too much material. The different stones are described and how each is used to establish and refine the shape. The finishing section covers the range of materials and tools used to bring out the grain and tempered edge unique to the Japanese sword. It also shows the burnishing and how to highlight the boshi.
There are sections that talk about the history of polishing, the schools of polishing and interviews with several modern polishers. As always there is a note warning about the perils to the blade that can be inflicted by an inexperienced person. The book doesn't reveal all the secrets to the art, such as the various forms of nugui (other than the basic hadori and sashikomi formulas),what types of stones work best with each school or era, etc. But it certainly does provide a well documented, well photographed look at this art form. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in Japanese swords.

Cannot go wrong with the art book about Chinese art. It's an excellent one, used a lot as a textbook both by university art teachers as well as teachers of Chinese culture and history.

It is difficult to write "Short History of Chinese Arts". Suppose that an honest scholar start preparing his lecture note of " Chinese Arts", he shall struggle with selecting subjects and plates. Moreover, for example, he feels that he be an expert on ancient bronzes, and a beginner of export wares in 17th century. Leaving the purgatory, he would want help to a standard textbook.

Among English books, this noted book may have used in many college courses. 1st edition(1967) and The revised edition(1973) were welcomed by many students and scholars. Even a japanese translation had been popular for many years. In this 4th edition, 84 old respectable scholar still attracts me with lucid style.

For beginners, this should be a good introduction. Appreciating artifacts in Museum, finding something in antique shop, or reading books/papers/articles about a particular subject, it needs some elementary background knowledge for chinese arts and history. This offers such COMMON SENSE.

For experienced scholars, this is an interesting reading. This might look a mean textbook for them. Before reading, I minded I become tired for many facts already learned, but I enjoy this book even in commute train, although this edition format is too large. Because not only this is Readable for a japanese, but also gives many (sometimes implicit) skeptical suggestions. At 258p, about Wan Hui (1632-1677, painter), "The Palace Museum collection also contains a number of clever pastiches of tenth-century and Northen Song landscapes that are almost certainly his work"; keen insight!.

I should regretfully notice that some illustrations/items might be inadequate, blurred, or damaged. I hope that they will be changed at next chance.

The colour illustrations in this book are lovely to behold. Many show restored artifacts from China's long history. Vases, stoneware, flasks, paintings, handscrolls and much more. From the paintings, you can see where the traditional misty style of Chinese landscape paintings arose. There are even genres, like bamboo painting. Just like the Europeans developed portraits of horses and landed gentry.

Naturally, there is also extensive coverage of porcelain plates and containers. Beautifully decorated. The items that the Europeans would call "china"; so close was the identification of the objects with China itself.

But more than just objects, the narrative also gives insight into the various Chinese dynasties from which these arose. And also the provinces, like Jiangsu and Anhui, that were artistic centers.

The book, The Arts of China, was book I needed to purchase for a college level Asian Art History class focused on China. Each chapter was divided into dynasties and within each chapter sections were written on: background history, ceramics, paintings, sculpture, and other various topics. There are lovely color pictures with high resolution, which are an essential to any student or scholar studying this art. The writing is clear and even enjoyable. I'd highly reccommend this book!

One of Ellen Frost's stated goals in undertaking the task of showing how Asia should now be viewed as a fluid, maritime, cross-borders region rather than singular countries, was to show the design of what she called "Asia Major" in a way even us non-policy wonks can understand. She totally succeeds. I'm sure experts will learn a lot from her compelling take on "remapping" to "comb out this tangled landscape." But it is also for all the rest of us, Frost paints this word-portrait of Asia's profile, splaying out, as she puts it, far beyond its precolonial parental trading networks to what, thanks in part to high speed communication and transportation, it is becoming now--an integrated region whose contours extend from coastal India to the Russian Far East and coastal Australia, (with its `golden shrimp on the barbie") to Taiwan and China. If you're interested in learning more about the market-driven reality of Asia's new architecture, particularly China's resurgent role and everyone's security interests, pick up this insightful AND delightful book immediately! Americans, she says, should encourage Asia's regionalism--not just tolerate or fear it. This book goes a long way to help us do just that.

Previous reviews have rightfully emphasized the important insights Ellen Frost offers about an extremely important part of the world. Her exploration of "Maritime Asia" is enlightening and brings developments in this wide array of countries into useful perspective. It is a significant benefit to the reader that she does this with a delightful and entertaining writing style. For all its erudition, this is not a ponderous academic text - far from it. Rather, Ms. Frost uses easily accessible language and clever and amusing turns of phrase that keep the reader alert. In short, not only is this an excellent book from the substantive angle, it is also a very enjoyable read. I highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to understand better how this vast area will impact us all in the years to come.

Asia's New Regionalism, by Ellen Frost, is an ambitious and successful attempt to break old mental maps and present new ways of looking at Asia. The central theme is the match (or lack thereof) between the fast paced regeneration of maritime Asia, linking the booming economies found along Asia's coasts from India to Japan, and the comparatively ponderous government-driven push to promote regional organizations. But the glory of this book is Frost's sense of adventure, as she looks at breakneck change through different academic prisms. Government policy makers and businessmen interested in Asia wil find their minds fully engaged, students will find the text stimulating, and professors will spend the next decade attempting to answer the many questions she has raised.

There has been a lot of talk recently about the rise of Asia, especially why Americans hould be worried about the threat from China's manufacturing prowess and military build up. Ellen Frost takes a different tack. She looks first at the history of trade and cultural contact between what she calls "Maritime Asia" and the rest of the world as well as within Maritime Asia itself. Then she analyzes what has been happening recently and what is likely to happen in the future. Clearly there has been a realignment in Asia, spurred largely by China's economic growth, the rise of China-centered production networks, and the boom in manufactured exports to the U.S. and Europe.

Private actors are taking pragmatic steps that add up to what Frost calls "regionalization." Governments, by contrast, are pursuing "regionalism," but their initiatives are not likely to lead, at least in the near term, to genuine integration based on formal political structures. Asia will not mimic the European Union, or even the several common markets in the western hemisphere. Instead, Asians are inventing a new and more flexible rgional order--one that embraces China instead of seeking to contain it.

Frost writes clearly and in just 250 pages covers the history of Maritime Asia, the expanding geographic concept of the region (what she calls "Asia Major"), and the prospects for greater Asian economic and political integration. Anyone interested in what is happening today in Asia, not just scholars, can learn a lot from reading this book.

Traditionally, four major East Asian languages have used Chinese characters for their writing systems: Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, and, of course, Chinese. Wm. C. Hannas knows all of them, and in this book he uses that extensive knowledge to deliver a broadside against the Chinese characters' lack of efficiency as a writing system.

Anyone familiar with John DeFrancis' work on the Chinese language will recognize some of Hannas' arguments (DeFrancis writes the forward for this book and was clearly an inspiration for Hannas' work). But Hannas is more wide-ranging in his scholarship and goes further with his arguments.

The first part of the book introduces the four major languages that have used Chinese characters for their writing systems, introducing them in order of the frequency they presently use the characters. Thus, Chinese -- which is comprised entirely of characters -- is introduced first and Vietnamese -- which no longer uses any characters -- is introduced last. This part describes the history of each languages' writing system and is highly readable.

After the languages have been introduced, the second part of the book critiques the Chinese character-based writing system. This part varies between highly readable sections and some more abstruse sections that deal with linguistic, analytical, and even psychological arguments that require close readings by the layman who doesn't have an expertise or at least a strong interest in those areas. But these arguments are the meat of Hannas' book as he looks at what Chinese characters represent, reading and literacy in Chinese character-based scripts, and even whether those writing systems are really appropriate for East Asian languages as some people have argued.

The third and final part winds down with a look at why reform of the Chinese character-based writing system fails (as Hannas argues it does) as well as what the future is likely to hold for it. One chapter alone is dedicated to the effect computers are having on characters. I found this part the least plausible of the three and also somewhat repetitive as arguments made earlier were restated.

While I agree with most of Hannas' general arguments and found his book both highly interesting and entertaining, I also think he greatly overstates his case. Hannas seems to actually believe that characters are on their way out. The growth in education and wealth, as well as the general social vibrance found in so many of the societies which still use Chinese characters suggests, at the very least, that perhaps inefficiency in a writing system is simply not an important aspect to a well-functioning, modern society -- that whatever impact it has is more negligible than Hannas imagines.

But disagreements over some of its points shouldn't be a reason not to read this outstanding book. Hannas' scholarship, lucid writing, and forceful exposition will give anyone who has experience with any of the East Asian languages that use Chinese characters a wonderful read.

This, following the tradition of John DeFrancis's Chinese Language: Fact and Fantasy, uncovers the myth of East Asian languages: Korean, Japanese, "Chinese" and Vietnamese. The author provides an academically reliable and easy-to-read account of how the language works (or, doesn't work), and the future prospects for these languages and their writing systems. Read it and believe it instead of the myths running around in our societies.

I found this book to be a well written and interesting look at the use of Chinese characters. It uncovers some of the commonly held misconceptions about the use of the characters. It does a very thorough job of examining the differences between them and phonetic alphabetic scripts. The book covers the use of characters in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The view of Hannas is that the characters are "on their last leg". I have discussed this book with several of my Chinese, Japanese, and Korean friends and they all seem to disagree with Hannas and are not in favor of abolishing the use of the characters. Hannas claims that he is not writing from the point of view of a disgruntled Westerner, but sometimes this is hard to believe. The introduction by John DeFrancis states that Hannas is one of the few people (Western or Asian) to have mastered Chinese (several "dialects")Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese. I would highly recommend this book for anyone curious about East Asian languages. As an aside, I'm sure that an Asian could find plenty of things about English that do not make sense and should be changed!

This work is a highly polemical look at the writing systems of East Asian languages, specifically those that use Chinese characters. The author is out to demolish standard ideas about the use of Chinese characters in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese, and he does a thorough and persistent job of it. The book is accordingly much more exciting than a straightforward introduction to these writing systems could ever be. What is more, the author's insights are pretty well spot on, although not likely to endear him to those who entertain the myths that he sets out to demolish (which includes most speakers of these languages). Bold, refreshing, and definitely recommended.

Fast and Good -usually the two are mutually exclusive, but not here. I found out about this book at a friend's house. She always cooks amazing meals. She left it out on the counter and I recognized some of her recent dishes. As soon as I got home I ordered this book. I liked it so much I just bought another copy as a gift.

This book is WONDERFUL. I'm a busy mom. The section of 20 minutes really take 20 minutes! The food tastes GREAT. My husband is shocked how many of the recipes we have already tried. We've made nearly 50% of all them now. To boot - the ingredients are genius - you invest really in a select 12-ish ingredients (like spices, oils, etc) and you can make so many dishes from them.

We have cut out eating out by quite a bit, and I have now added several of these books in this series to my wish list based on this experience.

Some cons -
Dishes that use or you personally add veggies to. I find full sodium soy sauce a little salty. So I have on a couple of recipes written right in the book to use low sodium soy sauce instead.

Likewise with oil. The shrimp recipes I cut the oil down, otherwise it's just a tad oily.

Finally - last recommendation - the recipes that have you add the 1/4 tsp or 1/2 tsp of cornstarch - try making the sauce ahead of time. It's a matter of taste - but if you can let it sit 10 minutes - it thickens way more (like Chinese take out) than the 1 minute it calls for while cooking it. I just put it in the fridge until I'm ready. So so good.

I can't wait to make some of these dishes for my mother-in law who really is carb conscience. She wouldn't eat any rice, so I will try to make more sauce and just add more veggies. Yum!

This cookbook make cooking fast and easy. All the recipes take 30 minutes or less start to finish. Living in Japan, this has made shopping and cooking much easier as I can easily find all of the ingredients here. Other Asian cookbooks have specialty ingredients that are hard to find.

I like to collect cookbooks, and this is the first book I have ever bought that I tried four recipes in a week and loved all of them! The ingredients are common and simple, the instructions precise and easy to follow, and the end result is certainly delicious! Buy this book if you want to cook up some tasty and authentic Asian meals. Enjoy!

It is China's burgeoning energy demand which has nurtured an increased interest into the energy reality in Asia; and yet we still lack the conceptual lens through which to analyze the way that energy markets, and by extension geopolitics, are affected by the profound asymmetry between the demand for energy and the supply of resources in Asia (and East Asia in particular). It is this gap that Robert Manning bridges with the "Asian Energy Factor."

Mr. Manning's angle is captured in these words: "Whether they [Asia-Pacific nations] gravitate--as some have already begun to do--towards market-based solutions and realize the myriad commercial possibilities of foreign investment, regional integration and privatization, and deregulation or older dirigiste models may be the difference between increased conflict or increased cooperation in Asia." Alone, this sentence offers a useful conceptual take on the energy challenge which confronts us: how to push the world to geoeconomics rather than geopolitics in the scramble for energy. Exposing this broad dilemma is the book's prime contribution.

Mr. Manning is also useful in showing how one should approach the analysis of energy questions. Although some of his information is dated (the book came out in 2000), he demonstrates that energy is intricately linked to politics, economics, and geography; any analysis which fails to take so inclusive a view is bound to fail. (His section on Central Asia, in particular, is very good at this integrationist approach.) Mr. Manning's argument that Asia's energy situation can produce sufficient interdependence for cooperation is also very interesting.

To be honest, I diverge with Robert Manning on two counts: he confuses a country's domestic energy realities with its foreign policy. It is possible for a country to combine a commitment to markets with an aggressive foreign policy (there are various times when America and Britain would fit this profile). By referring to many countries' market friendliness he logically concludes that the prospects for conflict are diminished; but in assuming an identity between foreign and domestic policy, I believe that he errs.

(In a later article he exposes the dilemma in these terms: "It is unclear how Asian policy-makers will view the global politics of Asian energy markets. Will they view it through the lens of traditional geopolitics of real estate and sea-lane security? Or will they view it through the lens of geo-economics, where international investment, joint ventures and global cooperation rather than competition for resources and conflict is the prevalent means to satisfy energy security requirements?" But he resorts, again, to looking at domestic politics.)

My other disagreement is with Mr. Manning's unwillingness to explore the ways in which energy can lead to conflict; although I agree with his assessment that energy is often a mere manifestation of underlying geopolitical rivalry, it is still important to uncover the mechanics which can link energy to conflict. By choosing not to explore this idea in detail, I believe that is evades a very important subject.

These disagreements aside, the "Asian Energy Factor" is one of the most important contributions on the subject; by debunking some of the most important fallacies, Mr. Manning allows for the debate to focus on the significant topics. This is even more useful today than it was when the book was first published.

Without a doubt, energy will be among one of the most important factors determining diplomatic behavior and relations in Asia in the coming decades. The Asian Energy Factor tackles this emerging geopolitical concern through an intriguing analysis of Asia's growing demand for energy and its global political, economic, and strategic consequences. Unique from other authors addressing this under-examined issue, Robert Manning sets the stage by exposing the myth that the world is quickly running out of oil. Technology and new methods of both collection and use of energy have made the impending energy crisis espoused by the doomsayers less of a concern. Manning proceeds to focus on the regional powers (China, India, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia) and where their individual energy abilities and needs puts them on the collective strategic map. He examines the commercial and political dynamic between the countries demanding increasing amounts of energy (China, Japan, and India) and those with the reserves (the Middle East and Southeast Asia).

As The Asian Energy Factor aptly points out, energy security is the crux upon which the economic, social, energy, and military policies of Asian nations converge; it is among the most critical issues in the coming decade. Manning delves deep into these economic and strategic complexities and continues to challenge the prevailing wisdom about Asian power structure and energy competition.

An excellent work from one of our most important scholars on Asia. Riddled with numbers and graphs, the book is still readable for those just encountering energy politics. The referencing is also excellent, and allows one to delve further into the topic.

His initial chapters on environment/pollution and population growth/demand, and scarcity are important by themselves. Understanding the differences between a scarcity of resources and political limitations or economic bottlenecks on those resources is essential to being able to really forecast the strategic environment. Consequently, the time Manning spends belittling Paul Ehrlich and the Club of Rome is well spent. The country analyses are also very useful, and give one a sense not only of the economics of energy, but of the two way impact of energy and political relationships between countries. With our noble leaders beginning to evoke various fears about Asia, this is very important in understanding the nature and degree of "emerging threats."

Manning might be too bold in divorcing extending military interests with growing energy demands, but it is worth reading the book to develop an opinion on the subject.

I also recommend checking out the Energy Information Administrations's website, which Manning used heavily. It was of great use to me in a recent project: www.eia.doe.gov

Also useful is the cover piece of the January 2001 'Atlantic Monthly.' The piece, "The New Old Economy: Oil, Computers, and the Reinvention of the Earth," in helping advance perspectives of the oil industry. See: http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2001/01/rauch.htm

Robert Manning covers a lot of ground in this book, from the Caspian, to India, to Northeast Asia, and challenges a lot of established notions, but two of the points he makes really stand out:

First, he argues that energy interdependence is a potential positive force for Asian regional stability. While a number of analysts (from the serious scholar Kent Calder to the more shrill "Blue Team" types) have argued that China's entry onto the stage as a major oil importer will have serious negative consequences for regional stability, Manning argues that this is far from clear, and that it may actually have positive consequences. Other energy development issues looming in the future, such as the need for natural gas integration in Northeast Asia, can only be addressed by cooperation among regional governments and some degree of mutual interdependence.

Second, Manning points out in his preface how little contact and exchange there is between American analysts who focus on political and security issues, on the one hand, and those who focus on energy from an economic perspective. (As an example, he points out the differing views of the South China Sea between energy specialists and security policy analysts.) Energy issues involve tie-ins with a broad range of national security, economic, and environmental issues, and Manning argues that the policy community could benefit from more dialogue between these two separate sets of analysts. (I've long known this - since my own academic and professional background sort of straddles both groups.)

While the book does suffer a bit from poor editing in some spots, it is definitely a must-read for anyone interested in Asian security issues and/or the region's rapidly growing energy sector.

Just as the title says, At the Dawn of the New China gives us a
benchmark perspective on the amazing transformation that's taking
place in China. And it's the first book I've come across that
actually helps me solve the mystery of just what it is our diplomats
are trying to do for us out there in the trenches.

I myself was the child of an expat living in Asia around the same time and the book brought me back to my childhood and memories of growing up in a foreign land.

This is a fascinating book, a window on modern, pre-ascendant China, the work of an American diplomat, and his family's life in Guangzhou. I found it fascinating in part because I was born and lived (obviously, or I wouldn't be here to write this) in the Far East in the early 1970s, when most of it was still a different world from the West, before both (along with the rest) were homogenized by "globalization." But the book is fascinating for reasons other than my own. Richard Williams was in Guangzhou at a time when it was still foreign to Americans and America was still foreign to it. Business deals failed because free markets were new and still alien. Today, Guangzhou is not only a high-technology manufacturing center, but a locus of R&D as well, and China is no longer remote. Richard Williams' family bridged the gap between China and America by living in Guangzhou (and, later, Hong Kong) and because his wife is Chinese and his children inherently multicultural.

Reading this book was like having dinner with a diplomat -- and not the guarded bureaucratic kind. Williams has an eye for colorful detail and absurdity, and recounts tales of everything from negotiating with recalcitrant local officials to getting accustomed to squat toilets. Anyone who's visited China in the last decade or two will be particularly fascinated by Williams' account -- so much has changed since then, yet much remains the same.

Richard Williams's story is unique and multidimensional. His work in setting up a new American diplomatic mission, his Chinese wife reuniting with brothers and sisters just emerging from the ravages of the Cultural Revolution, and his kids' experiences as the only foreign teenagers in the city all lead him into areas of Chinese society and life seldom accessible to foreigners. The result is a memoir of unparalleled richness.

And it goes way beyond that. By including declassified diplomatic cables and newspaper accounts, Williams situates his personal experiences in the wider perspective of what was happening with China globally and Sino-American relations in particular. He combines a touching family saga with an in-depth portrait of a China on the brink of historic change.

A compilation of essays about Balinese religion and culture, author sometimes ends up repeating himself (though he does warn the reader of this, right off the bat). But it's really a wonderful volume for anyone who wants an in-depth understanding of the Balinese.

Eiseman is thorough in his detail, but the style is not at all dry and academic. There are lovely little personal anecdotes, and it really comes from the heart of a man who has spent much of his life in Bali.

Cosmology and religion are covered in this volume, such as an explanation of how a home is built with respect to cosmic forces and directions. There is a valuable guide to festivals, complete with calendar. Especially fun is Balinese astrology, and the author writes extensively about this.

A possible approach: read the Lonely Planet cultural section first, then go to Bali, then read Eiseman.

This book covers Balinese religions and culture in ways that are both informative and useful for the serious traveller/tourist or casual student of Bali.

Having spent six months in Bali in the '70's and having read extensively, I am even more enthusiastic about this book.

Volume two covers more limited and esoteric topics.

You should get a good map to accompany this book.

Although it won't tell you where to stay or which restaurant to visit, the book is a great, unpretensious guide to the elaborate daily rituals of the Balinese, written by an American who's developed something of an obsession with Bali. It offers the clearest descriptions available of mask making, Balinese dance, temple rituals and offerings. The book is so good you'll find it on every coffee table in Bali.

I am Balinese and live in Ubud in the cultural center of Bali.

In the Eighties I used to see Fred Eiseman, with a notebook and pen in his hand, at temple ceremonies all over the island, and in my restaurant, taking voluminous notes. I often wondered what he was up to.

Now I know. He has produced the most detailed descriptions yet of most aspects of Balinese life and culture. He lives down in Jimbaran on the south coast, so many of his descriptions relate particularly to that area - practices change a bit in different places.

He understands the Balinese language, which is not the case with many academics, who visit Bali briefly and write learned treatises, and don't always get it right.

Fred's book is extremely well researched, and my only criticism is the detail (in places) and the repetition. That is because the book is a collection of essays. It does mean, however, that you can dip in and out of any chapter. They are self-contained, and that is useful.