Analysis of a global survey of 21,980 firms from 91 countries suggests that the presence of women in corporate leadership positions may improve firm performance. This correlation could reflect either the payoff to nondiscrimination or the fact that women increase a firm's skill diversity....

"Compared to other regions of the world, the Middle East was once unique in its combination of authoritarianism and stultifying stability: No longer. Beginning in Tunisia, a wave of political upheaval has rolled across the region, reaching Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, and other countries caught...

"Asian financial systems, which serve the most economically dynamic region of the world, survived the global economic crisis of the last several years. In this book scholars argue in separate essays that Asian systems must strengthen their quality, diversity, and resilience to future shocks in...