About the author: Professor Gerald L. Houseman (Ph.D., University of Illinois) has an extensive teaching and research background in Asian studies. He is the author of nine books, including America and the Pacific Rim: Coming to Terms with New Realities (Rowman and Littlefield, 1995) and has also published numerous articles on Asian studies and political economy. He has lived in Indonesia, Malaysia, and other Asian countries, and he resides in Spokane, Washington.