This book by Kishore Mahbubani, a former member of Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and later a professor at the National University of Singapore, and Jeffery Sng, a former diplomat in Bangkok, is an excellent account of the history of ASEAN and its relations with regional and global powers. This is in line with a synthesis of the history and culture of Southeast Asia, and thus attracts the attention of both enthusiasts of the subject and lay readers. Since its publication, the book has received not only international but also Hungarian acclaim.

The subject of the book is the unique institutional phenomenon of ASEAN, the modern-day adaptability of which can serve as a model for various other international and regional organisations. In addition to an economic or social organisation, its founders envisioned the formation of a culturally integrated society.

ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a fascinating institution in more ways than one. It is a ‘miracle’ of a diverse region that decades ago was referred to as the ‘Balkans’ of Asia. However, it is currently among Asia’s most prosperous organisations. ASEAN is also remarkable in terms of social, cultural, and economic integration. Kishore Mahbubani and Jeffrey Sng's long-awaited, lucid and logically organised work explores the position of an Asian organisation in the modern world.