Michael Haas has been one of the most prolific and respected progressive scholars of international relations (IR). Over the past half-century he has written or edited over fifty volumes in the IR field. Throughout his career, Haas has retained an avid interest in the Asia-Pacific region, and his latest work on regional cooperation there showcases his basic theoretical insights and empirical orientations. The book has much to offer for those convinced that cooperation and conflict avoidance in any region is best secured via the broadening and deepening of institution-building. It may be felt by some, however, to fall short by insufficiently acknowledging the magnitude of those security challenges now threatening to overwhelm institutionalism as a viable approach to realizing the Asia-Pacific region's stability.
The book presents two major arguments. The first is that the “Asian Way” and the “Pacific Way” infuse a set of shared norms and values into the...