In these elegantly written essays, Kishore Mahbubani sets forth a wake-up call to Asians and Westerners alike. In such diverse pieces as ''The Ten Commandments for Developing Countries'' and ''The Dangers of Decadence: What the Rest Can Teach the West,'' the author challenges the West’s intellectual universe, arguing that Western consciousness has become trapped in intellectual rigidity. An iconoclastic theme underscores Mahbubani’s message: After 500 years of Western domination of Asia, the 21st century will see a two-way exchange of ideas between East and West. The author’s perspectives will resonate with Asians and provoke debate in the West, but in Mahbubani’s words, ''The world will be a much richer place when Western minds stop assuming that Western civilization represents the universal civilization.'' ''Mahbubani writes with a diplomat’s charm, gleefully untangling political knots into simple threads.'' - Time