Not only has Vietnam been influenced by China's Confucian culture and legal system for millennia, but the northern giant has shown how a communist bureaucracy can foster growth without apparently sacrificing stability.

ECONOMIST: Hanoi Bill

But he scored points by appearing extra-solicitous with his counterpart, behavior that is valued in the deeply Confucian traditional culture of both Koreas.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | Korea: Korea's Big Show

Those are not the sole focus of my book, which explores topics ranging from Confucian thought to consumer culture, from generation gaps to the World Expo.

FORBES: Comparing China And India