Asia awakes: A continent in transition

During the ascendency of European colonial power, the single word "Asia" was casually employed to encompass the vast area stretching from Pakistan to Japan, from Mongolia to Borneo. Only recently has the Western mind begun to comprehend the myriad variations in culture, religion, race, and political structure that exist within Asia, and their sharp differences in approaching the universal challenge of modernization. With superb objectivity and understanding, noted Asia expert Dick Wilson guides the reader through the complex labyrinth of Asia today. Refusing to fall into the traps of either cold war ideology or of liberal cliche, he describes the nations and peoples of Asia as they really are, with their individual histories, their unresolved problems, and their own methods of working out their future destinies. "Asia Awakes" is an important book, an antidote to the ignorance for which the United States already has paid so high a price, and an invaluable aid in helping prevent future disastrous mistakes.