Book excerpt: The Asia-Pacific countries are in various stages of socio-economic development. Geo-political factors affect the pace of development of the countries in the area also referred to as the Colombo Plan region. TVET’s acknowledged importance in the efforts to improve the quality of life of its people is a common motif in the book. The twenty articles by TVET experts and practitioners as well as policy makers provide the reader researcher with a comprehensive appreciation of the respective TVET problems and issues in the countries included. The book is the latest attempt to put under one cover both macro and micro views of TVET, underscoring its current status, emerging trends, best practices and challenges that beset Individual systems. The book presents a comprehensive body of TVET information for use as a handy reference, both by serious researchers and national policymakers, also by practitioners on how TVET plays a pivotal role in national socio-economic development. The experiences shared can be models of “systems that worked,” learning from them and “avoiding the pitfalls.” They further emphasize that “no one solution fi ts all” when addressing the gamut of challenges and concerns, the resources required and the preferred mindset when implementing TVET reforms.