FT Business Book of the Year

Best business books

All the books longlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award

The Emerging Markets Century by Antoine van Agtmael

The Emerging Markets Century

If Van Agtmael can claim to have defined an asset class, then his new book can be seen as an attempt to redefine it.His arguments are persuasive, backed with data and personal experience, and deserve to shape debate about the future of emerging markets. — Read the complete FT review

Synopsis

A new breed of powerhouse companies from the emerging markets is catching their Western competitors off-guard. Household names of today - IBM, Ford, Wal-Mart - are in danger of becoming has-beens as these more innovative superstars rise to dominance, representing both an urgent competitive challenge and an unprecedented investment and business opportunity. Understanding how they have become world-class market leaders - and where they are going next - is crucial to an understanding of the future of globalisation.

Training his brilliant investor’s eye on the top twenty-five of these emerging market companies, visionary international investment analyst Antoine van Agtmael takes readers into the boardroom suites and labs where they are outmanoeuvring their Western competitors. He reveals how these companies have made it to the top of the global heap, profiling major players such as China’s Haier appliance manufacturer; Korea’s Samsung; Brazil’s Embraer jet maker; and India’s Infosys. Divulging their strategies for future growth, he analyses how their rise to prominence will change our lives. His unique insights reveal both how we in the West can capitalize on the opportunities these companies represent while also mobilizing a powerful response to the challenges they present.