Thailand's boom!

Pasuk Phongpaichit is a Thai economist and her husband, Chris Baker, is an historian. By combining their backgrounds (and arguing about their assumptions over dinner), they have produced an outstanding piece of work. This is not simply an academic history of the recent boom years in Thailand (1980's-1990's), but an interesting and enjoyable (i.e. easy) read from a couple who have been living in Thailand rather than just studying it.The timing of this book was a little unfortunate, though. When first published near the end of the economic boom, it was a very good analysis of the recent history. But then came the economic collapse, which changed everything.So should you buy this book? No need. Shortly after Thailand led SE Asia into the economic abyss, the authors wrote an abridged version: "Thailand's Boom and Bust". This is essentially the same book with a few additional chapters tacked on to the end.For those who are looking for an initial understanding of the overall Thai history to put it all in perspective, look for "Thailand: Economy and Politics" by the same authors. (It appears that there may be an updated version coming out in May.) When the original version was first published in 1995, I became a fan for life.If you are interested in a readable Thai history, Phongpaichit and Baker are the only authors you'll need.