Theassumption thatthereare universalwaysof thinking*,feeling, andbehaving aroundtheworldis misguided."*

Over the last four decades,Asiahas beenthe primary engine of global economic growth. This year the economy in India is expected to grow more than 6 percent, according to the IMF and OECD.China,now the world's largest economy in purchasing-power-parity terms, issitting on $15trillion in bank deposits ,growing at $2trillion annually. And since opening its borders to global trade in 2012,Myanmar, formerly Burma,is creating an extraordinary entrepreneurial environment owing to its "greenfield" advantage: a rare opportunity to build a fit-for-purpose economy tosuitthe modern world.

What does this mean for global leaders? According to SHARON SCHWEITZER, an expert in intercul­ tural communication and international etiquette, Asia's economic force signifies a call to action: executives, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders,whether they presently do business in Asia or not,would be well served to become culturally smart about their Asian counterparts. Only then, as opportunities knock,can they build successful,long-lasting businessrelationships.

Ms. Schweitzer recently made this task simpler and easier. In her new book AccesstoAsia: Your Multicultural Guide to Building Trust,Inspiring Respect,and Creating Long-Lasting Business Relationships (Wiley, 2015), she offers a one-stop guidebook to intercultural relationship building and international etiquette in 10 Asian countries: China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea,and Taiwan. Additionally, she explores the U.S.business culture for any leader seeking a deeper understanding of the United States..

Country bycountry, Schweitzer leaves no stone unturned. In Access to Asia she addresses it all-from belief systems to business etiquette, customs to communication styles. She also shares. advice and anecdotes from interviews with more than 100 business professionals and regional gurus.The result:a unique, user-friendly manual to help leaders gain cultural awareness and succeed in the relationship business in Asia.

A guiding theme in Access to Asiais Schweitzer's fundamental eight-question framework. For each one of the 10 Asian countries featured, leaders can go on a functional fact-finding mission:

1.How do people prefer to act-individually or as a group?

2.How are power and authority viewed?

3.How do people compare rules and relationships?

4.How do people regard time?

5.How do people communicate-directly or indirectly?

6.How formal or in formal do people tend to be?

7.How aligned are people's social and business lives?

8.How is the concept of women in business handled?