From a poor and backward country, Taiwan has been able to catch up with the standard of living of countries such as Germany, Sweden, and Kuwait within the lifetime of two generations, without having any natural resources. It has grown steadily for over 60 years and has become one of the world's technological leaders and the seventeenth exporter in the world, on a par with India!
The book shows that while impressive, this is not a unique achievement in world economic history. Nor is their economic model unique, and contrary to popular belief it is applicable anywhere else on earth. The book brings this model closer, explains it and shows how it can be replicated. It does not criticize, but responds to criticism.
The book asks two important questions: what needs to change to catch up with the center and how it should be done. The answer, however, will surprise most readers accustomed to "Western" prescriptions. It's like putting the current world upside down, and it turns out that only then does everything make sense and logic. However, to fully understand the processes happening around us, we need to go back as far as 16th century Europe.