Heed perils of growth led by consumption, writer warns

It took Malaysian Chandran Nair a long time to gain the confidence to start his first book, though the idea was incubated for 20 years.

Consumptionomics - Asia's Role in Reshaping Capitalism and Saving the Planet, published in January, 2011, is about the re-emergence of Asia as an economic power, and the dilemma this poses to itself and the world.

Nair, founder and CEO of the Global Institute for Tomorrow, an independent think tank advancing the understanding of key issues and challenges related to globalization in Asia, says many Asians are too shy to express their opinions, in the wake of nearly 200 years of colonial intellectual subservience.