In sum, a "softened" concept of the region is advocated by most present- day Southeast Asianists. Donald Emmerson that "Southeast Asia" is argues something which is useful, being something between description of partway a something that exists and a creation of the mind 25 Anthony Reid, writing on the early modern era, has been quite outspoken in his defence of Southeast Asia as a viable physical concept: "Southeast Asia was a region united by environment, commerce, diplomacy, and war but diverse in its fragmented polities and cultures." In a recent anthropological survey, Victor King puts it as follows: