The eleven countries of Southeast Asia are diverse in every way, from the ethnicities and religions of their residents to their political systems and levels of prosperity. These nations -- Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Brunei, and East Timor -- are each undeniably unique, yet the vestiges of their shared traditions mean that each country is also characteristically Southeast Asian.

In Southeast Asia: A Very Short Introduction, James R. Rush explains what makes each nation typically Southeast Asian. The book traces the...