Description
Even before Gunnar Myrdal's monumental Asian Drama was published in 1968 the Twentieth Century Fund decided to produce a condensed version of it. There was precedent for such a step in the Fund's own experience. The Fund had often found that significant original research needed ample space to present the findings in the form required for scholars and specialists. To achieve its ultimate effectiveness, however, a work also has to be presented to the general public in a shorter, more readable form. Thus Jean Gottmann's important Megalopolis, a book of 810 pages, was followed by a popularized version of 128 larger pages titled The Challenge of Megalopolis. Some other Fund studies also have been produced in abridged versions.
In the case of Asian Drama another factor came strongly into play. The cost of a three-volume work would be a serious obstacle to its most effective use in the underdeveloped countries of Asia and other regions which it was most designed to help. For these reasons the Trustees of the Twentieth Century Fund decided to sponsor a one-volume edition to include the heart of Professor Myrdal's searching analysis and recommendations.
Obviously the condensation of a study almost 2,300 pages in length and a decade in the making was a challenging and formidable task. Seth S. King, a conscientious and experienced writer, proved a happy choice to undertake the assignment. He not only possessed personal knowledge of South Asia but had great admiration for Gunnar Myrdal's thorough grasp of the area. He attempted to capture the essence of Asian Drama instead of introducing either fresh or personal material. Recognizing the unique contribution made by Professor Myrdal in assessing the many factors-population, politics, psychology, social traditions-that have a bearing on development, he sought to duplicate, in condensed form, a study in the round. He also appreciated that despite accelerating change the underlying concepts and the relationships among them that Professor Myrdal had set forth remained valid and timely. And he had one other advantage-the benefit of Professor Myrdal's guidance.
