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.

高柏於1983年在北京大學東方語言文學係日語專業獲得學士學位，於1986年在北京大學高等教育研究所獲得碩士學位。從1987年起高柏在美國普林斯頓大學社會學係學習，獲得碩士學位和哲學博士學位。從1993年起，高柏在美國杜剋大學社會學係任教，現為該係教授。他還曾經在美國普林斯頓大學曆史係任講師並在日本東京大學、一橋大學、橫濱國立大學，以及東京經濟大學訪學。 學術興趣　　他的主要研究領域包括經濟社會學、比較曆史社會學、組織理論、比較政治經濟學和國際政治經濟學。 主要著作　　主編“當代經濟社會學叢書”， 包括： 　　《經濟意識形態與日本産業政策——1931-1965年的發展主義》、《組織分析的新製度主義》、《市場的結構——21世紀資本主義社會的經濟社會學》、《經濟社會學》、《打造産業政策——鐵路時代的美國、英國和法國》）由上海人民齣版社齣版。