Interest in the Philippines has grown substantially over recent years. "The Philippines: A Global Studies Handbook" provides an all-encompassing introduction to the dramatic history of this intriguing nation as well as the contemporary social, political, economic, religious, and artistic life, written for travelers, business people, researchers, students, or general readers.

The author, an award-winning professor of Asian studies, explores the effects of centuries of change and continuity on this fascinating, often contradictory land. It is a locals-eye view that gets straight to the...