In this major addition to the literature on modern Japanese development, Bai Gao emphasizes the role of ideas and ideology in industrial policy, and explores how the Japanese themselves perceived the issue of economic development. During the Great Depression and World War II, the ideology of developmentalism - characterized by a nationalistic perspective, a production orientation, and a strategic view of the economy including restraint of market competition and rejection of the profit principle - emerged and strongly influenced policy innovation in Japan and institutional reforms in its economy. Liberal capitalism in the postwar era demilitarized the Japanese economy, and forced developmentalism to adapt to democratic political institutions and the free trade regime. Nevertheless, the economic principles that served to combat the Great Depression and sustain total war during the period 1931-45 survived. Transformed from a military to a trade strategy, developmentalism became the basic framework of Japanese industrial policy, facilitating economic growth and the development of modern economic institutions.

高柏于1983年在北京大学东方语言文学系日语专业获得学士学位，于1986年在北京大学高等教育研究所获得硕士学位。从1987年起高柏在美国普林斯顿大学社会学系学习，获得硕士学位和哲学博士学位。从1993年起，高柏在美国杜克大学社会学系任教，现为该系教授。他还曾经在美国普林斯顿大学历史系任讲师并在日本东京大学、一桥大学、横滨国立大学，以及东京经济大学访学。 学术兴趣　　他的主要研究领域包括经济社会学、比较历史社会学、组织理论、比较政治经济学和国际政治经济学。 主要著作　　主编“当代经济社会学丛书”， 包括： 　　《经济意识形态与日本产业政策——1931-1965年的发展主义》、《组织分析的新制度主义》、《市场的结构——21世纪资本主义社会的经济社会学》、《经济社会学》、《打造产业政策——铁路时代的美国、英国和法国》）由上海人民出版社出版。