This concise and informed introduction to the way the Malaysian and Singapore governments work is based on the author’s unusual combination of academic training and professional field experience. Stanley Bedlington goes beyond a mere description of government institutions and political parties. He moves easily across various disciplines—including history, anthropology, sociology, and political science—to provide a rounded picture of the contemporary political and socioeconomic scene. He shows how each country in its attempts to build a state has embarked upon ambitious programs of rapid social and economic change, and he focuses on the causes and effects of persistent interethnic animosities. He has also included a chapter on Brunei, a small sultanate about which little has been published.