Robyn Meredith's book, The Elephant and the Dragon, describes and compares the recent political and economic developments in India and China and purports to state the meaning of these changes. Meredith is a foreign correspondent for Forbes magazine. Accordingly, her book is filled with facts and figures, but it is largely a superficial account written by someone on the outside looking in. By comparison, James Kynge's book, China Shakes the World, also by a financial writer, is an insiders account in that Kynge has lived in China since 1982, speaks the language fluently and has an understanding of the country that only someone with a long standing experience in it can have. Meredith lacks that background and thus that understanding. Her book is a useful, but limited account. She largely gets the main points accurately, but does not provide the kind of insights necessary for a solid understanding of these two countries. The book is worth reading, but to truly understand the meaning of India and China you should look beyond it.

For example, I lived and worked in India (New Delhi) for one year. My apartment was in Defense Colony, a middle class neighborhood. Every morning I would sit on the balcony of my second floor apartment having breakfast. A woman, a servant in the house across the street, would come out and sweep the trash from in front of her house to the front of the house next door--and leave it there. This example epitomizes the problem with India. Problems are not solved, but merely shifted from one place to another. People with some degree of wealth and success do not see the need to share that success with their neighbors. There are so many poor and needy people that a sense of hopelessness (or selfishness) pervades most of those who are relatively well off. The government is so hopelessly enmeshed in bureaucratic rules and regulations that it cannot act or acts too slowly. In sum, it takes someone who has lived in India for an extended period to really understand the nature of the country. Meredith lacks that kind of understanding and thus sees the potential upside without fully realizing the downside. She does discuss some of these problems--the slums in Mumbai, the bad roads and generally poor infrastructure, the illiteracy, etc. but in the end she seems mesmerized by the glitter of Bangladore.

One problem is that the topic is huge and cannot be adequately covered in a book limited to some 200 pages. Another is that her writing style is stilted, filled with repetitions and is stereotypically what one might expect from a financial writer. One particular irritant to me is her repetition of the word "tectonic." Admittedly, after a dull beginning, Meredith does make the book more interesting by relating personal stories and examples. For the most part, the book alternates chapters between the two countries on such topics as the kind of businesses being developed in each country, culture and politics.

The main ideas of the book are (1) both countries have begun to take off economically; India later (starting in 1991) and slower (6% or so growth per year) than China (starting in 1978 and 9-10% growth annually.) (2) India, given its large English speaking population and poor infrastructure, has focused on service jobs, while China, given its good level of basic education and strong infrastructure, has emphasized manufacturing. (3) India's growth has been hampered by its changing political system and the demands of its people for immediate improvements, while China has benefited from an authoritarian political system that can impose its will on a largely compliant population. (4) Both countries face enormous problems such as pollution and potential political strife (India with Pakistan and China over Taiwan).

Finally, I cannot agree with Meredith's conclusion that India and China will join the United States in the future as the three great superpowers. In my view the European Union, which Meredith largely ignores or denigrates, China and the U.S will form this group and that India will, at best, be a part of a second group (including a reviving Russia and an emerging Brazil) of economic powerhouses.

In the end I give the book 4 stars because I think it is worth reading and Meredith does get it right for the most part. But you have to go beyond her book to really understand what is happening is these countries.

A solid expose about the strengths and weaknesses of India and China. Many individuals view these two competitors as superstar economies, but Meredith points out that both countries have some great strengths but also huge weaknesses. When you think of India and the growth of technology, one thinks of super smart computer programmers doing the jobs that Westerners once did. However, as Meredith reports, 35% of Indians cannot read. Simarilarily with China, one thinks of super cheap workforce with great productivity. However, China's government subsidizes the West through a cheap currency, and their political system is balanced on a population that may overthrow it. America's goal is to compete with these two giant countries with a smart, innovative workforce in high technology. Only through this method will the USA be competitive five to ten years down the road.

This is a great book to read about the rise of China and India. All Americans should take interest in what Meredith says because their job may depend on it. Only by being smart and innovative will Americans prosper in a world where India and China compete.

I purchased this book when studying Marketing in an International Context. I wanted to find out about this emerging power centre in the East as the business focus is increasingly shifting in this direction. I found this book explaining the situation in a very comprehensible way. I already knew some of the things presented in the book, but it also changed the way I was looking at this part of the world. This book puts the global economic power shift into context leaving the reader with a fresh pair of eyes when discussing issues such as economies of scale, supply chain management and international business.

Meredith's book is an attempt to describe and articulate the newly-fashionable theme of the China and India's rise to political and economic prominence.

However, the book lacks a coherent plan of detailing its facts and linking them in a sensible way. The author jumps from one set of facts in one paragraph to some totally unrelated commentary in the next and then comes back to the first set of facts in a later section. This patterns keeps repeating througout the book, giving the reader a feeling this is a hastily cobbled collection of one-paragraph magazine articles. There's precious new information presented, as the author has made no effort to research beyond the top layer of Chinese and Indian economies i.e apparel factories and call centers respectively.

I would highly recommend Edward Luce's book on India (Inspite of the Gods)as a more substantive and detailed book on emerging India. I'm sure there are better books on China as well, though I'm not as informed on those choices.

Very informative book. Vividly illuminates how development in central Asia is reshaping the world market place.