This document is an essay that analyzes and critiques a book recently translated and distributed by Capes about higher education in the BRIC countries (Brazil, China, India and Russia). The mentioned book is a product of the field of Comparative Education and focuses on the similarities and differences between the four countries in facing the challenges of globalization by investing in the expansion and improvement of their university systems. The present essay considers aspects of the Brazilian case that differ from those of the other three counties and points out limitations with respect to Brazil’s approach to higher education, as suggested from a reading of the book in question. The author concludes that, although suffering from some limitations, the book is of great value to the Brazilian reader, both because of the huge amount of information presented and because it exemplifies the methodology that undergirds comparative analyses.