Asia's Cauldron

The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific

De: Robert D. Kaplan

Narrado por: Michael Prichard

Over the last decade, the center of world power has been quietly shifting from Europe to Asia. With oil reserves of several billion barrels, an estimated 900 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and several centuries' worth of competing territorial claims, the South China Sea in particular is a simmering pot of potential conflict. The underreported military buildup in the area where the Western Pacific meets the Indian Ocean means that it will likely be a hinge point for global war and peace for the foreseeable future.

In Asia's Cauldron, Robert D. Kaplan offers up a vivid snapshot of the nations surrounding the South China Sea, the conflicts brewing in the region at the dawn of the 21st century, and their implications for global peace and stability.

To understand the future of conflict in East Asia, Kaplan argues, one must understand the goals and motivations of its leaders and its people. Part travelogue, part geopolitical primer, Asia's Cauldron takes us on a journey through the region's boom cities and ramshackle slums: From Vietnam, where the superfueled capitalism of the erstwhile colonial capital, Saigon, inspires the geostrategic pretensions of the official seat of government in Hanoi, to Malaysia, where a unique mix of authoritarian Islam and Western-style consumerism creates quite possibly the ultimate postmodern society; and from Singapore, whose "benevolent autocracy" helped foster an economic miracle, to the Philippines, where a different brand of authoritarianism under Ferdinand Marcos led not to economic growth but to decades of corruption and crime.

At a time when every day's news seems to contain some new story - large or small - that directly relates to conflicts over the South China Sea, Asia's Cauldron is an indispensable guide to a corner of the globe that will affect all of our lives for years to come.

©2014 Robert D. Kaplan (P)2014 Tantor

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A riveting, multitextured look at an underexamined region of the world and, perhaps, at the 'anxious, complicated world' of the future." ( Booklist)

Informative and worthwhile

If you could sum up Asia's Cauldron in three words, what would they be?

Informative, stimulating, important subject

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

It's fine

Any additional comments?

I learned a lot about a part of the world that is much more important than I had imagined. I recommend it to anyone interested in what is going on in the world today.

Very good overview of the current situation

Hearing the individual history of each of the Nation States was very interesting. I only wish there was more about the dynamic of the group of nations as a whole at the end.

Enlightening!

Portrays a very interesting mixture of a part of the world I'm unfamiliar with. Fascinating.

BALANCE OF POWER

Balance of power is the overriding theme of Robert Kaplan’s book, "Asia’s Cauldron". Kaplan’s view of the world is consistent (read The Revenge of Geography) but the principal of balance of power seems confused with military strength that is more relevant in history than in the modern world. With China replacing the former U.S.S.R., Kaplan seems determined to recreate an arms race.

The weakness of Kaplan’s argument for a balance of power is that power is narrowly defined as military capability. Information is power in the 21st century; military prowess is supplemental rather than primary in any hegemonic’ race for supremacy.

Focusing on an arms race because of concern over naval supremacy in the South China Sea is a waste of public dollars that should be spent addressing the needs of a rising middle class; not to mention, regulation of human’ greed and corruption. China seems to recognize the importance of regulation in their recent anti-corruption crack down; i.e. America should invest in information about China’s expanding middle class and how their success or failure may translate to American’ solution to a pending crises.

A Trip Thru the South China Sea

Excellent book giving a timely review of one of the most critical and most tense areas in the world.

Brilliant as usual

Kaplan has a talent for merging travel writing with current event reporting, history, and political science. A good in depth look at a very important region.

Exceptional Depiction

Robert Kaplan does it again. He provides an exceptional depiction of the complexity that is the Asia-Pacific region focused on the nations surrounding the South China Sea. The book reads and listens with ease as the author transitions between antiquity and the 21st Century, always relating it to the challenges facing the United States. A MUST READ for anyone with interest in geopolitics, even if this isn’t your region of focus.

Interesting material, very dry delivery

I found a lot of it very interesting, but the narration sounds like listening to a Walter Cronkite newscast- for hours on end. I found myself having trouble focusing because the bounce got so monotonous. A shame because I really wanted to focus.

Bubble, bubble. Tool and trouble

Robert Kaplan does it again. Read this now for a quick but comprehensive overview of the Indo-Pacific region, specifically the South China Sea. Kaplan’s unique ability to conduct deep dives in multiple areas and stitch everything together in an understandable and relevant way is refreshing. This is not another “China doomsday” book. Rather, it combines elements of history, sociology and geo-politics to shed light on probably the most complex region on the globe. China is a large element in this region, but there are multiple facets and stakeholders with histories and cultures millennia older than the US. Recommend pairing with his other books Monsoon and Imperial Grunts. Others to read that will increase understanding include Savage Wars of Peace, The Rape of Nanking, and Fleet at Floodtide.

Insightful and worth the time

It took a bit of time to get used to the narrator, but after a while he was fine and worked well given the content.