BOOKS AND ARTS: "Asia's quest for wealth: Going for growth; The Miracle: "The Epic Story of Asia's Quest for Wealth, By Michael Schuman, Harper Business; 464 pages; $29.99 and £16.99," The Economist, 1 August 2009.

The "crucial role" played by America, as paraphrased by The Economist:

Willingly and unwillingly, [America] provided critical technology, from the transistors at the core of Japan's televisions and radios to the semi-conductor designs produced in Taiwan's forges. It accepted products from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan when none of the three showed any reciprocity (something still true in many areas of China's economy today). Moreover, many of America's most dynamic companies were prepared both to open manufacturing operations throughout the region and to place critical initial orders with Asian companies so as to help them launch industries such as India's data outsourcing centers.

Point: it wasn't just the Leviathan work that was crucial.