In deft strokes, "Partners or Competitors" sets the stage with both Europe and America vying with each for a piece of the trade prize which is Asia. Although there is a history of competition between the U.S. and the EU, the economic downturn in Asia made both aware that they were in the same boat, in that both were going to suffer substantial losses due to debt that is unlikely to be repaid.

The competitive systems of the EU and the U.S. are similar, which creates a concomitant desire for similar outcomes in trade negotiations with Asian countries. The mutual interests between the EU and the U.S., especially in light of an Asian economic downturn, would seem to compel cooperation on trade issues and, perhaps, shared economic pressure on Asia to comply. However, there are enormous barriers to cooperation--some of which are inherent in the structure of the trade organizations currently used to negotiate international trade agreements.

The editors have put together an impressive array of contributors who, together, have written a careful exploration of the prospects for Asian trade liberalization along with the barriers to U.S./EU cooperation. Some of it is descriptive, some of it is prescriptive, all of it is brilliant.

This book is an absolute must for anyone interested in international trade negotiations, European/U.S. cooperation to affect trade policy, and the application of political power to open foreign markets.

Bravo.

This is now require reading for all of my students

I am related to Charlie Lawson. General Lawson was my grandfather. My parents (Jess & Trudie Pruitt) told me the story when I was younger and the book tells the same exact story. My mother was interviewed for this book.

Ok, so I haven't read the book, but I DID go to the old school that the Lawson children went to. The school has been shut down from about 1930 or so. My freinds and I walked down a long dark path and when we got so close to the school, we had to leave! Very odd things happened while we were there. We were planning to go in but we just couldn't! After we left the school, we drove to the grave site (which is about 10 miles from the school) where the whole family had been burried. All together with one huge tombstone "Lawson" The father was burried on the far right then the mother and infant together and then Marie(the oldest daughter) That is all we got to before some weird things happend.

My father used to have this book (we are related to Charlie Lawson) but at the time he had it, he didn't let me read it because i was too young. Now that i am older i amd more fascinated (and so is my dad) about the Lawson Family Murders. My dads grandpa (Sanders) was out hunting with the oldest son of Charlies the morning of the murders. We would like to contact other family members who are interested in this. My grandpa Lawson lives in NC (close to thomasville) so if we ever come down we would like to visit the grave with other family members.

This slim volume is a useful introduction to the problems facing the Japanese economy today. Unfortunately, the proposed solution: a free trade area between the United States and Japan, plus joint committees between the United States Congress and Japanese Diet is so ambitious as to unfeasible for the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, the description of the problems confronting Japan is apt.