T.J. Pempel
When it comes to Asian regional institutions the ideas that have mattered most have not, Amitav Acharya argues, been those of external Western thinkers that eventually wormed their way into resistant local cultures. Instead, this tightly argued book demonstrates that the deeply rooted norms and values of Southeast Asians themselves were truly definitive. By so privileging the constructive power of indigenous thinkers and their ideas Acharya provides fresh insights on the relationship between ideas and agency that will be influential well beyond Asia.
Jeffrey T. Checkel
Amitav Acharya's book is a must-read for students of regionalism, international relations theorists, and constructivists. In this carefully argued account, he gives domestic politics and agency pride of place. This not only fills significant—and serious—gaps in recent constructivist theorizing; equally important, it gives us a powerful analytic frame for understanding the unique contours and features of Asian multilateralism.
Stephan Haggard
Amitav Acharya has led the way in thinking not only about the international relations of Southeast Asia but also about how to conceptualize international security more generally. This is another important contribution from him, with fascinating new historical material on the evolution of ASEAN.