One aspect that overwhelmingly defines the second half of the 20th century is the remarkable economic growth of Asia. This book offers a comprehensive view of the various factors--scientific, technological, and economic--that enabled the region to make a brilliant comeback after centuries of oppression. The past is often a mirror into the future. By exploring these factors from a historical perspective, the book attempts to look into the future and predict what the twenty-first century and the new millennium will bring.