Capitalism seems to have exploded onto the Southeast Asian scene (generating intense excitement on Wall Street and elsewhere), yet traditional Western views of Southeast Asia as a society fueled by agrarian interests has not significantly changed. The essays contained in this collection explore the origins and roles of Southeast Asian business groups, especially as they developed during the 1970s and 1980s. Essays include "Marcos, His Cronies, and the Philippines' Failure to Develop" by Gary Hawes and "The Chinese Business Elite of Malaysia" by Heng Pek Koon. This far-reaching study of big business focuses particularly upon those who have been conducting such business as well as upon political economy. Essays by Akira Suehiro, Richard Robison, Jean Aden, Sieh Lee Mei Ling, Heng Pek Koon, Gary Hawes, Jamie Mackie, and Richard Doner on the origins and increasingly important role of domestic business groups in Southeast Asia.