Megatrends Asia: Eight Asian Megatrends That Are Reshaping Our World

Bestselling prognosticator Naisbitt (Megatrends 2000) predicts that the West--and even Japan--will be left behind as the countries of Southeast Asia, led by China and a collaborative network of ``overseas Chinese'' entrepreneurs in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore increasingly gain economic power. The global axis of power and influence has already shifted from West to East, in his assessment, and the principal trends underlying Asia's rapid modernization include a shift from central government control to free-market economies, the emergence of female entrepreneurs, mass migration to cities and a resurgent individualistic spirit that rejects welfarism. Naisbitt, who has been based in Malaysia for more than a year, peppers this upbeat and optimistic, if shallow, report with sweeping predictions and snap analyses that seem to hit and miss their targets in equal measure. 125,000 first printing; $100,000 ad/promo; first serial to Working Woman. (Jan.)