Relevance
I honestly believe this book should be taken off the list of books to read for the last book review. It explains religion in not only India, but also China and Japan. Since I have little background information of China and Japan, it makes it difficult to find the relevance and interest when De Bary explains the religion in these areas. A book focusing solely on the birth of Buddhism and India, its growth, its demise, and its belief would be a much more interesting topic. Even though Buddhism is now only practiced by a small minority in India, the understanding of its beliefs are important because it laid the foundation for other religions in this area. The vast majority of Buddhists were converted to Hinduism, because of some of the similarities between the two religions. Because of these similarities, Buddhism should still be understood and required for reading prior to a trip to India.

Good
It is doubtful that I could find a more detailed book about Buddhism in a library today. It thoroughly writes of ancient scriptures and practices that differ between each country, and also explains how these practices came about. It writes in an unbiased form, and doesn’t try to sway a person to convert to Buddhism, but rather explain the religion in these countries. De Bary is an extremely intelligent and thorough writer that skewered hundreds of sources to give the most complex and thorough explanation of traditions in these Asian countries. For a person that wants to fully understand Buddhism in an area, this is a great book to read.

Bad
This book is similar to a click wrap license that you read when you buy some new software for your computer. A click wrap license is the agreement that you are obligated to uphold by clicking yes at the end before you start using the software. A person usually doesn’t read the fine print, but if one has you will notice how boring it is. Companies have actually lost cases because these agreements are too lengthy and render the consumer into an “unconscious” state while reading it and cannot be followed.
This idea of “unconsciousness” while reading can also be applied to De Bary’s book. It is written in a dry and dull style that does its best to lull you asleep while reading about enlightened aesthetics. It is meant for people that study the background of Buddhism rather than people that want to learn about the religion and find it interesting. Rather than write in such a bland style, De Bary could have made the book interesting if it focused on the stories better and tried to captivate the audience. Honestly, the book would have been much more interesting if it was written similar to the Bible, and let the stories explain the teachings, because it did a better job lulling me to sleep than any sleeping pill could have.
Also, the book was written in 1969, when people sought out for different religions more so than today. Many people converted faiths from Christianity to Buddhism and Islam, and it sparked an interest in learning foreign religions. Personally, I think this book was probably written in this time to serve as a gateway book into the concepts of Buddhism, and there was a high demand for such books. Today, this demand has most definitely decreased, and a book of Buddhism needs to be more interesting to explain the history and teachings of this ancient religion.

Conclusion
Because the book has the ability to put you in an “unconscious” state, it is not a good book to read during a person’s leisure hours. It gives more pertinent information than most people could fathom retaining about Buddhism, but this information is useless because the book will not enthrall a reader. Its relevance to the course is not large enough to recommend it for future reading, and its good elements are definitely outweighed by the bad. Even though countless hours were spent to make this book by William De Bary, I give it a score of 2 out of 5 stars for a book to read right before going to India.

Indus Valley
2. The monsoon winds allowed for sail ships to be propelled to India during the winter months and pushed back during the summer months. Unfortunately, these traders had to spend long months in India to wait for the winds to be favorable for their return. This allowed for more mingling with foreign traders, which increased the chances of diseases and outside cultural influences.
3. Although there is minimal temperature change year over year since global warming has become an issue, the effects have been disastrous. For instance, if the climate continued to increase its temperatures, rivers could slowly dry up. The Ghanges River, which is one of the most famous in the world, could see the water levels decrease and flow dwindle. This could cause water-borne diseases to rise exponentially in the area surrounding the Ghanges, and the population could significantly be altered. This is because the extraordinarily large population that bathes and goes to the bathroom in the river. The results could be devastating.

Ganges River
1. The Ganges River provided life for ancient civilizations in India. Hindus show their reverence for this river by bathing in it to help them reach salvation. It acts almost like a baptism in Christianity, and it releases their sins.
2. The caste system was basically brought about because of Hinduism, and they have been intertwined for thousands of years. Hindus believe that by being good in your present life, you will ascend to better living the next time around. This causes people to accept their present stature in life, and just try to live for salvation. Breaking such a culture in a country is no easy task and will take centuries to fully rid it.
Tamil nadu
1. The British found the region valuable because of its fertile soil, coastal access, and abundant spice trading.
2. Due to its rich agriculture, the Romans traded with Tamil Nadu to get all sorts of spices that included pepper and ginger. The region also had rice and bananas that were not found in Europe.

Edicts of Ashoka
3. Although Buddhism managed to rapidly grow in Asia, it suffered a sharp decline to Hinduism in India. This is mostly because Buddhists do not believe in one God, but Indians have an inclination to worship them. Hinduism revolves around polytheism, which fits the diverse and long lasting culture of India.

Agriculture
1. Monsoon winds helped with the Indian trade between western countries. It helped propel ships to India during the winter months and bring them back in the summer months. Without the winds, the civilization would not have progressed as quickly, because the trade brought about advances in medicine, food, supplies, and etc.
3. The minimal amount of money from agriculture compared to the nation’s GDP shows how the country is changing. Agriculture practices haven’t changed and the country is not in a drought. Instead, the country is seeing a boom from outsourcing in major cities. The jobs are going to urban areas rather than farms in rural areas. This will cause a steady influx of people to cities and cause a similar industrial revolution to America.

Trade
1. The monsoon winds brought foreign ships to India, and it had spices that other countries could not produce. These foreign ships could bargain with the Indians to receive these items for prices that were not significant to them compared to the operating margin of selling the spices in Europe.
5. Even though US corporations have basically governed other countries, it is still not looked upon very well by the US population. When Guatemala was starting to reap benefits of trade with the US for bananas and other fruit, the president of Guatemala wanted to break apart the ownership of land by the United Fruit company to the people, the US government went in to oust the president so United Fruit Company could continue to operate and give the American people cheap fruit. If this sort of action became public news today, the US population would surely rebel against the company.

Literature
1. Indians preserved their literature through libraries that are preserved mainly by Jains. They pass these responsibilities to their kin, which has continued for hundreds of years. Also, it is preserved by stamping literature on brass plates and carvings in walls that take longer to erode than paper. Other literature and customs are passed on by word of mouth through generations, and this is also possible due to the caste system. In modern times, records are preserved by donations from citizens as well as government intervention (Library of Congress).

Peshawar
1. Peshawar, Pakistan has been around as long as the history of India. It survived even though different civilizations took over the city. Because of its diverse and ancient background, it was the epicenter of many beliefs and cultural changes in India.

Fine Arts
1. Hindu art in India expresses feelings that Muslim art suppresses. Statues that show Karma sutra and nudity are common in Hindu art. The extraordinary decorations to Hindu Gods also are unheard of in Muslim art. In many ways, these different types of arts are on different sides of the spectrum.

Religion
1. India has had so many different religions that have made an impact to their country. The country now is the home to Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. These religions have follow the same accord to be non violent and be good to your fellow man, but there are still major differences stemming from monotheism, polytheism, or even atheism. Even though Hinduism is the largest religion in India and has been around for many years, it is possible that its followers will convert to a different religion, which is what has already happened a few times in this country’s history. Due to the diverse religions in India, it surely would have been threatened if a religious based government took power. This is because wealth and power is spread between these religions in India and slighting any of these religions in the constitution would definitely cause a power struggle and/or revolution.

Science and Medicine
1. Yoga has become popular outside of India because of a few reasons. Western society is extremely fast paced and many people need an outlet to relieve these pressures. The exertion to find internal peace is rewarding for these people, and it gives both physical and mental benefits. Minds are free to relax and be at peace, and the body feels accomplished by conducting yoga exercises that are difficult to perform. Yoga allows for a time to address a person’s spiritual needs by focusing on a goal that is different from what is expected in western society.

Delhi
3. Hindu-Muslim tensions shaped Indian history in most recent times. The most drastic change has been the division of India by the creation of Pakistan. Pakistan is a Muslim state that used violence to separate from India. Muslims vowing to slaughter any persons of different religion that was in their region did this. It caused a mass outflow of people from the region that is now Pakistan. Massacres did occur and tensions have not subsided since this Islamic revolution. Terrorists still come from Pakistan and wreak havoc on India such as in the Mumbai bombings, and disputes for land between these two countries make for a very hostile relationship.

Relevance
Because of its barrage of information pertaining to the rise of these Asian powers, the Elephant and the Dragon is a book that is relevant for businesses in the US, the middle and upper class, and international business men and women. The book gives vaunting numbers such as 75% of toys are manufactured in China, which definitely shows the level of globalization and outsourcing American companies are using to stay competitive. This sort of information gives valuable insight to international business and will help businesses in American as well as individual businessmen and women make appropriate decisions to stay financially sustainable. It also mentions the vast amount of qualified workers that are coming from these two countries. For instance, India is producing twice as many college-educated workers as the United States, and they are more willing to do the jobs that we refuse to such as call center services. Meredith gives this insight to alarm people in the United States of the possibility of further demise in America for the gain of China and India. This is meant to get a reaction out of the middle and upper class Americans that have families and work in a field that could possibly be outsourced in the future. This book explains that these people need to defend themselves and their families by working in fields that are more difficult to be outsourced, and mold us into a more innovative country. Although it is doubtful that most middle and upper-class members of society will read this book, its contents explain in detail how they will be affected and why they should be alarmed about these new world powers.

The Good
With its elaborate detail of data and statistics, this book definitely will grab the attention of the reader. It explains the growth of these countries correctly as “tectonic economics,” which relates to the sudden and enormous change (tectonic) in the economic environment. Meredith also explains in detail how these countries reached the level of success that it has now. She shows the political nature of China, which has brought about an industrial revolution and increased the standard of living of many impoverished peasants. She explains how India is striving to seek an identity as a country with only half a century of independent existence, but has such a competitive advantage with its high level of education and English speaking countrymen. The book is highlighted by information from reputable sources such as the minister of foreign affairs of India and her research in the area, and she vividly explains what the effects of this economic surge has done for the country. Reading passages that describe seeing Chinese middle class flying in planes for the first time or lights in houses at night that were completely dim before their economic boom make the book more interesting. It explains how years of worldwide philanthropy to both China and India show little results compared to the rise of economic growth that has given over 200 million impoverished men and women work that has increased their standard of living. A person with limited knowledge of these two mammoth countries doesn’t understand how outsourcing of American jobs and their economic growth has helped the Chinese peasants and Indian lower class citizens live better lives, but this book gives the insight that the media seems to ignore these days.

Even though Meredith almost seems to praise how these countries have helped increase their standard of living, she does not shy away from some of the draconian policies that have made China such a strong country. She explains the mindset that the Chinese government will allow a person to get rich, but not let them have any say in the government. The communist government has allowed many to reap the benefits of a capitalistic economy, but Meredith explains that all is not well in China. Many peasants are forced to leave their homes to make room for construction of plants and any rebellion against the government will result in death such as with Tiananmen Square. It almost seems like China’s harsh power is neglected because of all the benefits that the country’s cheap labor gives the world, but I commend Meredith for making a point about their regulated way of life.

The Bad
Although it was a valiant effort for Meredith to bring an important shift in economic power to light, the book was flawed in many ways. As a journalist for Forbes, she kept the book very dry and almost seemed to just write about the facts. Unfortunately, this isn’t enough to keep the book interesting for most, because we want to feel like we understand the writer and what she is thinking. Writing in a style similar to that of Thomas Friedman’s The World is Flat would make the book more appealing to the masses, because she has the information to interest many Americans but seems to lack the draw to stimulate their attention.

Also, the book sounds the alarm to show the strength of these two countries, but it fails to really pinpoint a way to extinguish this fire. It seems to only bring awareness to this topic, and make it up to the reader to figure out how to prepare for the changing global market. Meredith only really gives solutions like increasing research and development and working in professions that aren’t easily outsourced to defend against these countries. This to me is upsetting, because she spends almost the whole book explaining how these countries have gained power, their history, and their global economic impact. It almost seems that she was running out of funding and needed to publish a book quickly so she threw some jargon down to finish her book that would kind of explain what American must do to counteract this surge. As a reader and an American, it felt almost like the end of the Soprano’s television show. There was all this buildup on how they were going to end the show, and it was a complete let down. The audience was left confused and distraught about what just happened and what the main characters were actually going to do. This sort of feeling is not the reaction that a reader wants nor does an author, because it leaves a sour taste in your mouth and makes you almost repulsed at the idea of reading another one of her books. I understand that she is a journalist and not a macro economic mastermind, which is probably why she didn’t feel comfortable to explain what America needs to do to prepare us for the future economic climate. Knowing this, she would of fared better off without having the section on what America needs to do at all, or she should of had someone with that sort of expertise help her explain in greater detail what should be done. Her attempt to give ideas to what America needs to do just leaves a sour taste in my mouth, and I would say that it is the major flaw of the book.

Conclusions
Much credit must go to Robyn Meredith for her embodiment of work. She must of spent countless hours collecting all of the data and statistics that make this book very interesting and gives pertinent information that anyone interested in international business should consider. Her writing style is what is expected from a Forbes journalist, which is bland and almost unbiased. Unfortunately, this sort of style works well for articles but not a book, because of it’s more in depth analysis. This should not sway a person from reading this book, because of the insight it has on these developing countries and its impact on America. In my opinion, The Elephant and the Dragon is a good read for someone interested in the global market and the ever changing business world, and also anyone that feels that their job could possibly be outsourced in the near future. All in all, I give this book three stars out of five for its interesting information on these foreign powers. Although it lacks concrete ways to defend America against the elephant and the dragon, it successfully makes the reader aware of these new powers and explains that a change is needed. Like I stated before, I am just not sure how.