The country of Vietnam stands at a crossroads. Located in the geographical center of Southeast Asia, it is a complex mixture of ancient and modern culture as a Soviet-style legacy contrasts with an emerging Western-style market economy. Vietnam, faced with pressing political, social and economic challenges, is a country full of hope and potential.

In Vietnam Today: A Guide to a Nation at a Crossroads, Dr. Mark Ashwill and Thai Ngoc Diep paint a broad picture of Vietnam, past and present, and explore today’s defining issues. Readers come to understand how a two-thousand-year history of foreign invasion, occupation and war has influenced the Vietnamese character. The Chinese, French and Americans have all left their imprint, and the struggle against opposition has infused the Vietnamese with a fierce spirit of nationalism and caution in their dealings with foreigners. Building relationships and trust as a prelude to doing business are critical to the Vietnamese, whether at home or abroad.

Vietnam Today reveals the most prominent characteristics of the Vietnamese: their energy and drive, the dominance of group over individual and the paramount importance of maintaining harmony. Ashwill and Diep shed light on many sources of misunderstanding between Vietnamese and Western professionals, but ultimately show that, for those who are prepared to learn and appreciate its culture and history, Vietnam is becoming a land of promise and opportunity.