Confucius Lives Next Door

Confucius Lives Next Door: What Living in the East Teaches Us About Living in the West is a book by Washington Post writer T.R. Reid. (Vintage Press, 2000; ISBN 0-679-77760-1)

This book invites the reader to consider East Asia's non-economic "miracle": its allegedly unusually low rates of crime, divorce, drug abuse, and other social problems.

T.R. Reid, a commentator for National Public Radio and the former Tokyo bureau chief for the Washington Post, lived in Japan for five years. This book draws on his experiences during that time. He claims to show how the Asian Dragon economies have built modern industrial societies featuring the safest streets, the best schools, and the most stable families in the world.

Reid credits Asia's success to the ethical values of Chinese philosopher Confucius, who taught the value of harmony and the importance of treating others decently.