This Brave New World

Anja Manuel, who served at the State Department and later advised American business leaders, argues that China and India are becoming two of the world's leading powers and that the United States should stop focusing on China alone. Drawing on encounters with political and business figures in Delhi and Beijing, she shows how the history and politics of each country shape its behavior today. The book covers the problems both countries face, from the poverty of slum dwellers and factory workers to corruption scandals, polluted rivers, toxic air and restless citizens. Manuel contends that India will do more than any other non-Western country to shape China's rise, and urges Washington to treat both nations as partners instead of alienating either.

It appears among Reid Hoffman's picks in a What CEOs are reading roundup.