This book is about the story of Asia’s momentous past half century and the forces that shaped it and will shape its immediate future. It starts with a portrait of Asia’s place in the world economy, narrowing its focus gradually to regional developments and concluding with reviews of several countries that will shape the continent’s economic destiny. The early chapters focus on how Asia, despite its baggage of history but also benefiting from favorable external circumstances, was able to take advantage of globalization and Asia and how it grapples with the simultaneous trend towards regionalism.