Thunder from the East

The aftermath of the economic crisis has destroyed much of the cronyism, protectionism and government regulation that had previously burdened Asian business.It has also forced a greater reliance on markets, democracy and the rule of law. The changes are clearing out the deadwood and reinvigorating the entire region. But there are enormously varied and complicated problems. This is a time of tremedous upheaval in Asia, with extraordinary pollution, shifting politics and tangled corruption. Kristof and WuDunn paint a kaleidoscopic picture of Asian life as it is now through the stories of many people caught up in the complex swirl of events; people as varied as Salamet, an Indonesian rioter worried about sorcerers, and Son, the billionaire head of Softbank in Japan.