Amazon.com description: Product Description: This one-of-a-kind guide provides a readable and stimulating introduction to the economic and social geography of the West Pacific Rim (WPR), considered by many as the center of gravity of the world economy. It embraces Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Concise, well-written and up-to-date, it offers a view of the entire region as well as individual countries. Three sets of questions are addressed: how successful have the various economies been and what explains their success; what are the geopolitical and geostrategic implications in relation to the Americas, Australia and the Pacific Basin; and what lessons can be drawn for development elsewhere, especially in the Third World.