This is understandable, since the overall statistical numbers, attitudes, longitudinal studies, and percentages of FBSEs returning to their country are relatively poor, and are scattered among various federal agencies and professional societies. Predictably, North argues that the large number of FBSEs has lowered wages paid to scientists and engineers relevant to other professions such as medicine, law and business. He repeatedly states the consequences of the fact that the U.S. labor market could easily rely upon highly-qualified FBSEs to meet its needs, thereby relieving our society's need to improve science and math education and develop and encourage appropriate representation from minorities and women. The book allows both U.S. citizens and foreign-born readers to focus on their own relationship to the problem. In academia, foreign-born scientists and graduate students make significant contributions to research and teaching, but the large pool of Ph.D. graduates results in seriously underpaid postdoctoral positions.
North concludes with a series of suggestions for dealing with the situation.
Finally, he encourages professional societies to become stronger advocates for the economic well-being of their memberships. The repressive environment in communist China and the collapse of the former Soviet Union resulted in a large influx of students from these countries, for example. There are, however, some emerging trends that are not included in North's study, related to the strong growth of foreign economies, especially in Taiwan, Korea, India and China. Although somewhat provocative, North's book does not take a nationalistic or xenophobic stand. His arguments are well-reasoned, and overall the work is a significant contribution to our understanding of the overall impact of FBSEs on the current and future labor markets and academia.