General Books - Page 5

Mr. China: A Memoir

Tim Clissold

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 47 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Never Mind the Business, Here's Chinese Culture 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Although he certainly never intended it as such (MR.CHINA is subtitled "A Memoir" and has a target audience of gung ho, wanna-get-rich-investing-in-China business types) this is probably the most accurate and the most devastating portrayal of authentic Chinese culture since Bo Yang's THE UGLY CHINAMAN. For those looking at becoming better aquainted with Chinese business culure, or more precisely: Chinese business ethics, here's a free starter lesson:

There aren't any.

Foreigners shouldn't take this personally. The Chinese have been cheating each other as a matter of course for centuries. What's more, they have been so poor and so oppressed for so long that they will go to nearly any extent in order to make their bundle and head for the hills. In Taipei, Taiwan, in which I live and in which there is a free press, there are an immoderate number of newspaper articles that mirror the anecdotes conveyed by Tim Clissord in what is a very enthralling book. Scheming, swindling, duplicity, and general dishonesty are deeply, deeply ingrained aspects of the national psyche in China. And so, when some hopelessly niave Westerner waltzes into town with a suitcase full of cash and a bunch lofty ideas concerning efficiency and profit sharing, then, well, if the stars didn't just align.

"Nonsense," cries the next Mr. China (a sentiment echoed in some of these reviews) "I'm a trained lawyer." Fine, but you'll have to bribe the anti-corruption officials just to open up dialogue. "If I got suspicious of my Chinese partner, I'd have funds frozen." Great, if the bank manager (who might very well be your partner's cousin) hasn't emptied the vaults and flown to Hawaii. "My factory in Guangzhou is humming along just fine." For now, but are you sure the land title hasn't been transferred, or the managers haven't used your money to build an identical plant across town? "My business partner is a man of integrity." Read the book.

There's a hitch to getting rich in China. Each and every one of the people you will have to deal with has the exact same idea.

Troy Parfitt, author

Editorial Review:

Mr. China tells the rollicking story of a young man who goes to China with the misguided notion that he will help bring the Chinese into the modern world, only to be schooled by the most resourceful and creative operators he would ever meet. Part memoir, part parable, Mr. China is one man's coming-of-age story where he learns to respect and admire the nation he sought to conquer.

Africa Rising: How 900 Million African Consumers Offer More Than You Think

Vijay Mahajan

Amazon Price: $19.79 List Price: $29.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wharton School Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 24 new & used starting at $14.98

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Profit from the World's Largest Untapped Market: Africa's MORE THAN 900 MILLION Consumers! "This book lays out a powerful portrait of the growing opportunities in Africa. It is clear to us that any global firm interested in growth must see Africa as an essential part of its portfolio." --E. Neville Isdell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Coca-Cola Company, USA "While we consider Africa one of our most important markets, we are very aware that it is often overlooked as a place to conduct sustainable business. This book shows that Africa offers opportunities equal to other developing regions that receive more attention. Through the Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards, we have committed to promoting high-quality coverage of the business environment in Africa. This book makes an important contribution in providing a vivid picture of the African market opportunity." --Paul Walsh, Chief Executive Officer, Diageo, UK "This book presents a compelling argument for waking up to the potential of a continent with a population of over 900 million and a high rate of growth.The African continent is rich in natural resources and presents opportunities across a wide cross-section of industrial and commercial areas for companies with appropriate business strategies and a genuine commitment to improving the quality of life of the local population. " --Ratan N. Tata, Chairman, Tata Group, India "Unilever has invested in Africa for over a century and is committed to building strong market positions in the region by meeting the needs of African consumers. As this book highlights, the opportunities for consumer goods companies are considerable and the potential to do business in Africa is much greater than many companies realize." --Patrick Cescau, Global CEO, Unilever, UK "Bravo. The timing of this book is perfect. It will be much quoted. I especially like how Professor Mahajan uses the voices of Africans to bring it to life, alongside the research." --Barbara James, former Managing Director of the African Venture Capital Association and founder of the Henshaw Funds, the first independent pan-African private equity Fund of Funds, Nigeria/UK With more than 900 million consumers, the continent of Africa is one of the world's fastest growing markets.In Africa Rising, renowned global business consultant Vijay Mahajan reveals this remarkable marketplace as a continent with massive needs and surprising buying power. Crossing thousands of miles across the continent, he shares the lessons that Africa's businesses have learned about succeeding on the continent...shows how global companies are succeeding despite Africa's unique political, economic, and resource challenges...introduces local entrepreneurs and foreign investors who are building a remarkable spectrum of profitable and sustainable business opportunities even in the most challenging locations...reveals how India and China are staking out huge positions throughout Africa...and shows the power of the diaspora in driving investment and development. *Recognize that Africa is richer than you think Africa is richer than India on the basis of gross national income (GNI) per capita, and a dozen African countries have a higher GNI per capita than China.*Aim for Africa Two Opportunities exist in all parts of the market, particularly the 400 million people in the middle of the market.*Find opportunities to organize the market From retailing to cell phones to banking, companies are succeeding by building infrastructure. *Develop strategies for the most youthful market in the world Companies are recognizing opportunities from diapers to music to medicine in a market growing younger every day.*Understand that Africa is not a "media dark" continent From Nollywood to satellite to broadband, media is exploding on the continent.*Recognize the hidden strength of the African diaspora The African diaspora brings resources and knowledge to African development and expands the African opportunity beyond the continent.*Build Ubuntu markets Create profitable businesses, sustainable growth, and social organizations by meeting basic human needs.

A Year Without "Made in China": One Family's True Life Adventure in the Global Economy

Sara Bongiorni

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 57 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Includes a Foreword by Joel L. Naroff, PhD,
President, Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc.
Chief Economist, Commerce Bank
"Over the past century, Americans' images of China have fluctuated wildly from victim, to heroic fighter, to Communist fanatic. We have loved them and feared them. And now, as Sara Bongiorni shows in vivid personal terms, we are in a new phase where it is a little of both. China has become an economic giant that can step on our toes, but that we must embrace."
-John Maxwell Hamilton, Dean and Hopkins P. Breazeale Foundation Professor Manship School of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University
"When the writer resolves to forgo Chinese imports for one year, she leads her lively family in a fascinating experiment that requires surprising feats of will power and ingenuity. The family's adventure through the maze of modern America's consumer life is both thought provoking and delightful to read. Those little 'Made in China' labels will never seem the same again."
-Mark Fabiani, former White House special counsel and media/political consultant
"Breaking up is indeed hard to do, as Sara Bongiorni proves in this winning memoir of her household's one-year boycott of Chinese products. Equal parts Erma Bombeck and economics, A Year Without 'Made in China' is that lively miracle-a crash course in globalization that is also consummately entertaining."
-Danny Heitman, columnist for The Advocate (Baton Rouge)
"A funny and engaging story about one family's experiment in our global economy. The Bongiorni family does without sneakers, sunglasses, and printer cartridges, but develops a dogged creativity and much needed sense of humor. The myriad moral complexities in the relationship between American consumers and Chinese factory are evident in each shopping trip."
-Pietra Rivoli, PhD, Professor, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University and author, The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy
"You will never go shopping the same way again! It's impossible to read Sara Bongiorni's book and not be captivated by the complexity and challenge of her task, and to then try it yourself for a day and fail miserably at it by lunchtime. This is the rare book that makes you think about how big global issues actually hit home, and it will have you discussing those issues with your friends."
-Chuck Jaffe, Senior Columnist, MarketWatch host, Your Money (www.yourmoneyradio.net)

How Small Business Trades Worldwide: Your Guide to Starting or Expanding a Small Business International Trade Company Now

John Spiers

List Price: $25.95 By: Seattle Teachers College Press Amazon Marketplace: 8 new & used starting at $17.74

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Total reviews: 30 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

At some point in most careers one considers the idea of starting a business. Some people want to pursue a dream, some figure they can beat the boss at his or her own game, and for some people unemployment forces the issue. US Customs tells us most international traders are small businesses, and world trade continues to grow rapidly. Given the improvements in transportation and communication worldwide, inevitably now small business in USA has some international component...some more than others. Surely there is no safer investment for your time and money than self-employment. Surprisingly, for many who start their own businesses, making money is not always the prime motivator. Nonetheless, recent studies provide some remarkable information about self-employment: 80% of the millionaires in USA became so in their own career - 2/3rds are self-employed; the self-employed are four times more likely to be millionaires than others. It seems the most common career move in becoming rich is to become self-employed. This book now shows you how to build a business and takes you through the steps so you will know you can do it, and is structured so you may take positive steps after each chapter toward building your business. Surely you will finish the book before your business gets started, but by the time you finish the book, not only should you feel "ready to go", but actually be on your way. World trade is different from the domestic variety, and small is different from large business. Small Business International Trade has some specific challenges which this book illumines and solves. Starting a business is necessarily disruptive... but to what extent? Like the tennis pro who shows you how to get great improvement out of small changes, book assumes you can stand minimal disruption and risk. For those who desire to engage directly in world trade, and for those who are hired to do so, this book explains how small business trades worldwide.

The China Price: The True Cost of Chinese Competitive Advantage

Alexandra Harney

Amazon Price: $10.88 List Price: $16.00 Not yet published By: Penguin (Non-Classics)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The China price and the Walmart price 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Discussions of free trade sing its virtues, while the reality is something different: the unequal terms of that trade, especially vis a vis China and the United States, where two sets of rules are at work. One result is the 'China price' and the growing imbalance in trade relationships. The larger picture shows the other side to globalizaton: the exploitation of cheap labor, disregard of environmental law, and the generally totalitarian nature of this mutant form of capitalism. This book usefully presents the information absent from most public media discussions of the issues of free trade and is an eye-opener. However, the portrait given is of an unstable situation that can't last forever, whatever new mutation lies down the road. Residents of the United States have been caught up in an ambiguous contradiction, the destruction of domestic industry, and the addictive temptations of Walmartization. As the wheel turns from this unstable new development in global capitalism to the next combination, some awareness of the disinformation created by 'economics' discussions in the United States is needed to correct the long-term destructive character of this confused, yet to some very profitable, constellation of capitalist trickeries.

Editorial Review:

In this landmark work of investigative reporting, former Financial Times correspondent Alexandra Harney uncovers a story of immense significance to us all: how China’s factory economy gains a competitive edge by selling out its workers, environment, and future. Harney’s firsthand reporting brings us face-to-face with a world in which intense pricing pressure from Western companies combines with ubiquitous corruption and a lack of transparency to exact a staggering toll in human misery and environmental damage. This eye-opening expose offers, for the first time, an intimate look at the defining business story of our time.

Gestures: The Do's and Taboos of Body Language Around the World

Roger E. Axtell

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Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

As featured in the New York Times and Reader's Digest "An eye-opener into the pitfalls awaiting the unaware traveler." -Washington Post "Can save the innocent abroad from great gobs of serious trouble." -Chicago Tribune Before you raise your hand to signal the waiter, extend your thumb to hitchhike, or flash the "O.K." sign with thumb and forefinger, Stop! Think of where you are and exactly what you are trying to say-otherwise you could create an international incident. Remember when President Bush thought he was flashing the "V" for Victory sign to cheering Australians? (See inside.) Exploring the ins and outs of body language from head to toe, this newly revised and expanded edition of Roger Axtell's indispensable guide takes you all around the world of gestures-what they mean, how to use them, and when to avoid them. This latest edition includes:
* Updates about the 200 most popular gestures and signals-and dozens of new examples
* New sections covering special gestures-from American Sign Language and tai chi to flirting and kissing
* Information to guide you through gestures country by country-from Switzerland to Japan, Nigeria to the Netherlands
* Amusing anecdotes and helpful hypothetical scenarios

Chinese Business Etiquette: A Guide to Protocol, Manners, and Culture in the People's Republic of China (A Revised and Updated Edition of "Dealing with the Chinese")

Scott D. Seligman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Rich in cultural anecdotes but lacking in the big picture 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

To be sure, with its rich Chinese cultural anecdotes and the author's vivid writing style, this book is not only useful in helping the reader understand unique Chinese concepts like Guanxi, Mianzi and Lijie but also an entertaining read - suitable for business travelers.

However, after reading Wei Wang's The China Executive, I realize that Seligman has not been right on "the single most important and fundamental difference between Chinese and Westerners". On pages 44-47 of Chinese Business Etiquette, Seligman says that this is the difference between the "individualism" of Westerners and the "group-centeredness" of the Chinese. (Of course, Seligman is not alone in getting this wrong; since the publication of Geert Hofstede's Culture's Consequences in 1980, this Western individualism-Chinese collectivism dichotomy has become the most widely-talked assumption in almost every book on China business including the authoritative Harvard Business Review on Doing Business in China).

To elaborate on Seligman (page 45), "[In China,] matters are often debated at great length until agreement is reached on a course of action. Once a decision has been made, however, individual group members are expected to fall in line, embrace it, and act on it, and nobody presumes to question it, at least overtly."

Now, the reality is that, with nearly a hundred million dollars invested in China, one of the biggest complaints our expats have against local staff is the latter's inability to follow a pre-agreed course of action or plan. In addition, the Chinese do not like group discussions, not to mention "debates at great length"; most of them like to remain quiet rather than actively voice their opinions. Also, if the Chinese were group-centered, their state-owned enterprises would have been so successful that multinationals have stood little chance to compete with them - but the very opposite is true (most state-owned enterprises cannot be closed down fast enough because they are "a pile of sand")!

According to Wei Wang in his book The China Executive, "group and individual are the two sides of the same coin; one cannot exist without the other", and therefore Westerners actually exhibit dual individualism-collectivism. And the heart of human relationships in China is human feelings. In other words, Chinese and Westerners do not represent two poles of the same individualism-collectivism continuum.

In addition, "there is a limit to learning the Chinese way," says Wang. "There are things that you need to go about the Chinese way but there are also things that you need to go about the Western way - otherwise, you lose the purpose of going there in the first place."

To understand why and, more important, its profound implications for China business or indeed business in the China era (including management, leadership, strategy and worldview), you have to read The China Executive.

Editorial Review:

shows how to avoid costly misunderstandings, interpret behavior, avoid the unintentional gaffe, and make positive impressions -- all while closing million-dollar deals and forming priceless friendships.

International Marketing (The Irwin Series in Marketing)

Philip R. Cateora

List Price: $126.05 By: Irwin Professional Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

College Textbook 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book is very good as a textbook for college. Alot of information with current examples to reinforce the written material.

excellent 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The textbook came in excellent condition and right on time for class. THANK YOU!

Still number one! 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I have used this book for an undergraduate course in global marketing
for more than 10 years. My students generally love this book, except the cost.

The book is complete with everything from import, export, culture, supply chain, letter of credit, etc. Anything you name, it got the content. No wonder it is the 13th edition now.

I recommend this book to all instructors and students. Yes, it is bulky. But that is what global marketing is about. You can also use it for MBA students. The difference is, you need to cover case studies in depth.

For any professor that did not work in global marketing as a practitioner, this book may not be for you.

Editorial Review:

Cateora and Graham's "International Marketing" is far and away the best selling text in the field, with a pioneering approach to making the material accessible and relevant that has become the standard by which other books are judged. Providing a well-rounded perspective of international markets that encompasses history, geography, language, and religion as well as economics, Cateora helps students to see the cultural and environmental uniqueness of any nation or region. The 13th edition reflects all the important events and innovations to affect global business within recent years, while including several new and updated technological learning tools.

The Competitive Advantage of Nations

Michael E. Porter

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Now beyond its 11th printing and translated into twelve languages, Michael Porter's The Competitive Advantage of Nations has changed completely our conception of how prosperity is created and sustained in the modern global economy. Porter's groundbreaking study of international competitiveness has shaped national policy in countries around the world. It has also transformed thinking and action in states, cities, companies, and even entire regions such as Central America.

Based on research in ten leading trading nations, The Competitive Advantage of Nations offers the first theory of competitiveness based on the causes of the productivity with which companies compete. Porter shows how traditional comparative advantages such as natural resources and pools of labor have been superseded as sources of prosperity, and how broad macroeconomic accounts of competitiveness are insufficient. The book introduces Porter's "diamond," a whole new way to understand the competitive position of a nation (or other locations) in global competition that is now an integral part of international business thinking. Porter's concept of "clusters," or groups of interconnected firms, suppliers, related industries, and institutions that arise in particular locations, has become a new way for companies and governments to think about economies, assess the competitive advantage of locations, and set public policy.

Even before publication of the book, Porter's theory had guided national reassessments in New Zealand and elsewhere. His ideas and personal involvement have shaped strategy in countries as diverse as the Netherlands, Portugal, Taiwan, Costa Rica, and India, and regions such as Massachusetts, California, and the Basque country. Hundreds of cluster initiatives have flourished throughout the world. In an era of intensifying global competition, this pathbreaking book on the new wealth of nations has become the standard by which all future work must be measured.

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

Sam Harrison

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Get those creative juices flowing 4 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

A very quick read (could easily be knocked out in a weekend), this book is a good mixture of actionable items and creative stimulation. Get out of your comfort zone and pay attention to everything around you is one of the themes of this book along with taking good notes in some fashion because your creative thoughts and ideas may not be as easy to remember as you believe they will be at a later time. Anyone can be creative if they put themselves in a postion to encourage it.

Overall, I really liked the book and appreciate the advice and action items contained within. If you're looking to stimulate your creative juices, get and read Idea Spotting. I also read Zing, and Idea Spotting contains similar material so if you're wondering which book to choose--go with this one.

Editorial Review:

By getting away from their desks and looking past demographics, busy professionals can find their next great idea. Sam Harrison's "IdeaSpotting" shows them exactly how. This innovative book: offers real and unique insight into the creative process, as well as exercises to help anyone generate viable business ideas; features an organic and attractive design - light on words and full of ideas - to spark exploration as well as appeal to busy readers; and shares creativity techniques from a seasonal business pro who's worked with major corporations, including Hallmark, the NFL and Hasbro. "IdeaSpotting" will train business people to step outside of their daily routine in order to find the next great idea.