High-Speed Empire by Will Doig

HIGH-SPEED EMPIRE by Will Doig focuses on a fairly narrow idea – high speed transport development by China – with surprisingly broad impact. Doig is a journalist whose work has appeared on NPR, Salon and The Daily Beast in addition to Next City and George Soros's Open Society Foundations.  Doig’s expertise in the areas of urban development, transportation, and infrastructure is readily apparent in his analysis of China’s ambitious projects throughout Southeast Asia. In talking about development in Laos for instance, Doig noted “what many in Southeast Asia today both yearn for and fear: the heavy hand of China reaching deep into their countries, … but also a rising level of Chinese visibility that stirs up concerns about sovereignty and identity.” This relatively short book is part of the Columbia Global Reports series and even though it is a fast read, it is filled with interesting and thought-provoking statistics. For example, 10 of the world’s top 20 container posts are in China; its expressway system is longer than the US Interstate Highway System and plans are underway for building forty new airports between 2015 and 2020. This is a country on the move, not only within its own borders, but also within the region as evidenced by the increasing value of trade and projects like the One Belt One Road initiative. HIGH-SPEED EMPIRE has received praise from scholars and was named one of 800-CEO-READ's Must-Read Business Books for May 2018.  If you are interested in a related text exploring the geographical potential of this area, look for Where China Meets India which was written a few years ago by Thant Myint-U, noted historian and grandson of U Thant.