How can a country modernise without losing its identity? What happens when indigenous culture breaks down and modernity comes from the outside, as is the case in Asia? Ian Buruma, a former journalist with the Far Eastern Economic Review, and a well-known commentator on Asia, travelled around eight Asian countries to discover if hamburgers and rock music make Thais less Thai, or Japanese less Japanese. Beginning in Burma, where the "outside" has been excluded, and ending in Japan, where Hiroshima has become a mirror of the US, Buruma's perceptive commentary on the complexities of modern-day Asia is interspersed with fascinating interviews (with people from all areas of life), news stories, the historical and political background, stories, extracts from plays and anecdotes. A stylish, informative, entertaining read for anyone who wants to understand the Asia behind the headlines.