"The Future is Asian" by Parag Khanna

The topic of this book is something that greatly interests me, both because of my love of foreign culture, but also to inform my investment strategy. 

I believe firmly that the center of gravity of world growth and leadership is clearly shifting east, leaving the U.S. and landing firmly in Asia.  And obviously that's the central thesis of this book.

Khanna supports that point relentlessly.  And he weaves together the broadest possible definition of Asia, encompassing as far east as Japan and China, west to Israel and Lebanon, north to Russia and south to Indonesia. 

My only nit, and this featured large in the book reviews I read beforehand, is Khanna's constant deriding of the U.S. and the West.  I suppose he has to overstate his case to overcome centuries of unfair treatment and misperception, but from my perspective this isn't a zero-sum game.  Just because the future lies in Asia, that doesn't mean that the West has failed or lies doomed.  Every sphere of influence brings much to the table.

One of his most interesting points, one I've read about from my reading of Singaporean leader Lee Kuan Yew, is that Asian people favor order over freedom.  That's not to say they don't seek liberty.  But their first priority is to live within a safe, orderly society where everyone knows the rules.  So democracy isn't always the primary goal for a state or its people in Asia.  As evidence he points out that the quality of life for the average person in China (an autocratic state) for surpasses that of India (the world's largest democracy).  An interesting point.

Still, the book makes his case brilliantly.  The future really is Asian.  And I'm happy I looked beyond those reviews and read the book for myself.