In contrast to most studies of regionalism, Grugel and Hout focus on countries not currently at the core of the global economy, including Brazil and Mercosur, Chile, South East Asia, China, South Africa, the Maghreb, Turkey and Australia. What seems clear from this original analysis is that far from being peripheral, these countries are forming regional power blocs of their own, which could go on to hold the balance of power in the new world order.

PART I Theoretical framework; Chapter 1 Regions, regionalism and the South, Jean Grugel, Wil Hout; Chapter 2 Theories of international relations and the new regionalism, Wil Hout; PART II State strategies and the semi-periphery; Chapter 3 Australia and regionalism in the Asia-Pacific, Derek McDougall; Chapter 4 Brazil and MERCOSUR, Jean Grugel, Marcelo de Almeida Medeiros; Chapter 5 The Chilean state and new regionalism: strategic alliances and pragmatic integration, Jean Grugel; Chapter 6 Becoming Western: Turkey and the European Union, Mine Eder; Chapter 7 China: the challenges of reform, region-building and globalization, Shaun Breslin; PART III Reconfiguring regions; Chapter 8 Regional integration in South East Asia, Chris Dixon; Chapter 9 Unequal partnership: Europe, the Maghreb and the new regionalism, David Seddon; Chapter 10 Regionalism versus regional integration: the emergence of a new paradigm in Africa, Daniel C. Bach; PART IV Conclusion; Chapter 11 Regionalism across the North-South divide, Wil Hout, Jean Grugel;