Chasing the Tigers: A Portrait of the New Vietnam

Rating:
Summary: A general overview of recent changes in Vietnam.
Review: This book is Hiebert's contribution to the "Is Vietnam the next Asian dragon?" discussion; contents are based on his experiences in Vietnam from 1990-94 as a Far Eastern Econoimc Review bureau chief. While covering a lot of issues, and using interview material to add personal drama, the book does not delve very deeply into any of the economic and political problems plaguing Vietnam. Hiebert instead prefers a rather upbeat spin on the situation, forecasting that although many difficulties lie ahead for the Vietnamese people, solutions exist and those who have the power to implement them will actually do so. The theme of "rapid change in Vietnam" without in-depth analysis of where current trends might lead also makes the material in the book somewhat outdated already. I would recommend this book to anyone with a general interest in Vietnam--it is easy and enjoyable to read--but it is too general to be useful to those familiar with post-1975 Vietnam.