According to many observers, the 21st century will see the centre of global power shift from West to East. The Asian megacities presented in this book form the heart of this new centre, where economic indicators often hit “double-digit figures”. The book is not a guide to these cities. It is a nonfiction, journalistic account that aims to provide a very personal (in the eyes of the writer and photographer) outlook on this new world through its most powerful symbols. It may be a useful tool for those wanting to do business, start a new career or even a new life. For those wanting to distance themselves from a Euro-centric vision and understand how the world could be changing.
For Kristine Oustrup, an expat that founded and leads Qi, a think-tank that studies new social, cultural and economic eco-systems, Singapore’s soft power is also seen in fashion, in design and in a thousand of others forms of the ‘new economy’. She defines them as ‘“goods with a soul”.