Woodier is a director of a global consumer group at Citigroup, and he has written this volume to address the impact of the media on the democratization process in Southeast Asia. Aimed primarily at scholars of political science, international relations, media and public relations, this volume balances the "durability of authoritarian regimes" with more sophisticated methods of political communications and PR. The author analyzes the nationalized efforts of propaganda and the flow of outside information in such countries as Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore, and notes the difficulties of influencing citizens amid the growing entertainment industry and globalized pop culture. A chapter is also devoted to pirated communications and how surveillance objectives are often subverted in these situations. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)