A unique, revealing look at the history and contemporary culture of the Philippine Islands and their multicultural and foreign-influenced facets. 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 heart of the Filipino experience-a cultural tour that measures the profound impact of the islands' Japanese, Spanish, and American conquerors, as well as the influence of Islam, the Marcos regime, and the People Power revolutions that ousted Ferdinand Marcos and, 15 years later, Joseph Estrada. An etiquette section that discusses respect and levels of interaction, first names and surnames, titles of respect, and core values versus surface values Twelve photographs of noteworthy figures such as physician and novelist Jose Rizal, nationalist Andres Bonifacio, and other Filipino heroes