Can Asians Think? Understanding the Divide Between East and West | 
|  | | | Title: | Can Asians Think? Understanding the Divide Between East and West | | Author: | Kishore Mahbubani | | Publisher: | Steerforth | | Type: | Book / Paperback | | Publication Date: | 09 January, 2002 | | ISBN / ISBN-13: | 158642033X / 9781586420338 | | List Price: | $14.00 | | You Save: | $2.80 | | Amazon Price: | $11.20 | |
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Product Description
KISHORE MAHBUBANI has been hailed as "an Asian Toynbee, preoccupied with the rise and fall of civilizations" (The Economist), a "Max Weber of the new 'Confucian ethic'" (Washington Post), and "a prototype twenty-first century leader" (Time). A must-read for anyone with even a passing interest in contemporary Asia, this collection of provocative essays is certain to challenge the way you think.
Asia's societies were more culturally and economically advanced than Europe's at the end of the first millennium. And yet by the nineteenth century the West had leaped so far ahead that even some Asians themselves harbored images of inferiority.
Mahbubani's analysis of the past and predictions for the future amount to a wake-up call to Asians and Westerners alike. In diverse pieces such as "The Ten Commandments for Developing Countries" and "The Dangers of Decadence: What the Rest Can Teach the West," he asserts that Westerners are largely unaware of their condescending attitudes and practices toward the East and maintain that outdated worldview at their own peril - Asia's economies are poised to surpass those of Europe and North America within the next fifty years. No one who reads these iconoclastic, unabashed arguments will ever regard East-West relations in the same light.
“If you are looking for insight into how others perceive us—and the events of September 11 underscore that need—then I know of no better guide than Kishore Mahbubani. His collection of lively essays will both inform and challenge your thinking.â€
-- Paul Volcker
“This book is a collection of absolutely first-rate essays, elegantly written. . . . Mahbubani has an instinct for the jugular when it comes to identifying a critical issue and setting forth a powerful thesis concerning it.â€
-- Samuel P. Huntington
Author of The Clash of Civilizations
“Interesting, provocative, and intellectually engaging.â€
-- Henry Kissinger
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Customer Reviews:
• Intellectually Engaging, But... 28 August, 2005
I bought the first edition of this book some 4-5 years ago, mainly for its provocative title, and the very obvious Asian face on the cover. Reading the book slowly over a period of two months, across several journeys, I was deeply impressed by the clarity of thought, and the unique perspective that the author offered. When I saw a revised edition, I snapped it up.
The revised edition is frankly, not as good as the original. Possibly buoyed by the success of the earlier book, Kishore Madhubani tries to use the present book as a diplomatic tool to the change the UN and the US. While these may no doubt be worthy goals, the particular essays aimed at that tend to be a little fawning, and a little manipulative.
The book is structured as a collection of essays, based on talks or articles which Madhubani gave or wrote over a period of time. However, this does not affect the quality of the book adversely, as his perspective remains unchanged, though evolving.
'Can Asians Think' helped give me a new perspective on the differences between the East and the West. It also helped me work out that the Western way was not the only one, and it may also not be totally and automatically relevant in East. We therefore need to go back and think how (and in what conditions) a particular Western solution emerged, before accepting it or evaluating it. This is particularly important, as there is a kind of 'thought imperialism' generated by the publishing industry in the West, which tends to swamp out non-Western ways of thinking. The strong publishing industry has also resulted in commercialisation of the intellect across the modern world, which may not be such a good thing for the future of the world.
Typically for an Eastern mind, Kishore Madhubani does not quote statistics or studies in support of his arguments. Not being tied down by the need to prove the validity of his arguments, he is able to develop and put across his perspective with ease. This also allows the reader to take him as a trusted friend rather than an intellectual adversary. (Read and compare The Geography of Thought by Nisbett to see what I mean in terms of writing style). Also the book is full of insights. I particularly recommend the Ten Heresies of journalism (An Asian Perspective on Human Rights and Freedom of the Press). Another gem on population control (Asian Hordes) is contained The Dangers of Decadence: What the Rest Can Teach the West. Another valuable essay is 'Japan Adrift'.
All in all, a good book. Let's hope the intellectual in Kishore Madhubani does not succumb to the diplomat in him!
- Reviewed by customer ID: A1THWWROC6TVVT
• Read This Book And Climb Out Of The Pc Rut 02 April, 2002
First of all, the brouhaha over the title simply proves the author's point: Asians and Westerners view things differently.If you care at all about the world, READ THIS BOOK. Really, it's OK. Just treat it like one of those trashy novels whose cover you need to hide in public. It's really worth it.As an impressionable youngster I was brought up to believe that what worked for me as a kid was best for the world: a single-family home in a semi-rural setting, public schools, democracy, free speech, and so on. It took my first visits overseas to appreciate that people can really flourish in apartment dwellings. It's taken Mahbubani's book to make me realize that today's free speech and universal franchise may have been the RESULT and not the CAUSE of American middle-class prosperity.Mahbubani's views have vital implications regarding aid to developing countries. We've seen in the news how elections by themselves have failed to stabilize unstable countries.He also has some very ripe comments about the Western press, which no doubt explains why the book is so rarely reviewed. He argues that the press is an unchecked power both overseas and within the US -- imagine if a tinpot dictator refused to talk to the American press? Unheard of!Mahbubani believes that the public should demand the same level of integrity from their journalists that they expect of their politicians. Yet it's rare that journalists are raked over the coals for being bribed by corporations (just about every major journalist seems to have spent time on Enron's payroll as a "consultant") or for marital infidelity. Washington journalists are very good at casting the first stone when some politician is caught with his pants down, but it's rare for someone to question a journalist's integrity based on outside infidelities. Given how "access" equals "power" in Washington, Mahbubani argues that the press represents a large power bloc within the US that is largely unchecked with respect to integrity. While I find this statement a bit extreme, there is some truth to it.Some people see Mahbubani as an apologist for the Singaporean government. It's true that his words make their government more palatable to Westerners. But it's important to consider his words, regardless of whether he's an apologist or not. Intellectuals listened to numerous fools extolling the virtues of Stalin in the '30s. Let us give this fellow a hearing, at least.Is Mahbubani "right" or "wrong" ?? I don't know. But he provides some incredibly thought-provoking essays based on a lifetime of foreign service.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A12DZFAI4G82CC
• Fresh Point Of View! 25 November, 2002
Always stuck with what you think of how the West thinks about the world? Need new ideas, new perspectives? Want to know what non westerners might think and desire about how this world should and could evolve? An absolute requirement for those wanting to broaden views, learn and realize that there's more in this world than just the West. There's also the Rest
- Reviewed by customer ID: A30XOMTE6UIP6Y
• Provocative Title But Somewhat Disappointing 06 November, 2005
Some interesting ideas but the analysis is not that convincing. For example, the further rise of China is far from assured despite current hype.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A1GS6FK9QPGBHF
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