Coming Full Circle: An Economic History of the Pacific Rim

Analyzing the long-term, historical development of the major economies around the Pacific Rim in language aimed at the general reader, Coming Full Circle throws light on the most important relationships in the region today as well as on the prospects for future economic development and political cooperation. The authors begin with a critique of the popular notion of an integrated "Pacific region," paying particular attention to the influence of geography and environment on population distribution and patterns of regional economic activity. Their study covers the diverse indigenous development of pre-European times, later periods of direct European influence, and the evolution of modern-day urban societies in the region. Finally, they track the rise of the United States and Japan as the dominant regional economic powers and forecast changes we can expect to see in the years ahead, noting in particular the increasing importance of China.

About the Author

Eric Jones is professor of economics (economic history) at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, and professorial associate of the Graduate School of Management, University of Melbourne. He is author of The European Miracle: Environment, Economies, and Geopolitics in the History of Europe and Asia. Lionel Frost is lecturer in economic history at La Trobe University and author of The New Urban Frontier: Urbanisation and City-Building in Australia and the American West. Colin White is senior lecturer in economic history at La Trobe University and author of Russia and America: The Roots of Economic Divergence.