Book Description

"Disguised as a very good book about Asia and business. Mastering the Infinite Game is a significant work of ethical philosophy. It will be interesting to see who catches on to its message first - western business people eager to keep up with the Asian tigers,or western communitarians trying to head off the current round of Social Darwininsm." Stewart Brand Global Business Network. Author of Buildings that Learn and publisher of The Whole Earth Catalogue.

"The use of the two symbols for the Finite Game and the Infinite Game is brilliant. It unifies the book and constantly reminds the reader of its message as he/she is taken through the various aspects of business values and practice in East Asia (Singapore). and of the way these contrast with the "West". This is one of the most powerful statements yet made of how we have to shake off our acquired assumptions. based on a false sense of superiority, or otherwise go under." Professor John Child - Guinness Professor of Management Studies and Fellow. St. Johns College University of Cambridge.

"A bold integration of management, Asian studies and cultural philosophy that both illuminates our future and suggests its practical imperatives. Those looking for the subtext of the new economy need look no further than the notion of infinite games. An inspired and valuable work." John Kao Graduate School of Business, Harvard University. Author of Jamming: The Art and Discipline of Business Creativity.

"An intriguing book which explores the habits and methods of thinking across a wide range of cultures. It emphasises once again that traditional Western thinking is only one set of habits" Edward De Bono

"A truly enlightening insight into the Overseas Chinese approach to business and thinking. This book challenges most of the existing economic, political, managerial and directorial thought about world trade. It is a stimulating read!" Bob Garratt Chairman, Organisational Development Ltd. Hong Kong.

"A necessary revelation…a fine piece of radicalism, beyond left and right, reconciling ‘heaven and hell. In fact. I kept thinking of William Blakes line as I read: ‘Opposition is true friendship." Sir Peter Parker

"The dynamic duo of cross-cultural management…repeat their success of unraveling values and cultures which underlie corporate behavior and management in the booming economies of East Asia to Western readers." Sakae Sugai Professor of Management, Tokyo International University.

"This excellent book reflects a paradigm shift of the Western view towards Asian cultures. This understanding is urgent and even more important than is knowledge of the West by Easterners." Professor Dr Jae Ho Park Yeungnam University, South Korea. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Often confusing and trite
There is little here that is new, but a couple of metaphors; however, the compilation is quite original. Of the two metaphors, the snake and double helix, after finding them on almost every page and certainly in every chapter, I found the continuous references at first a slight novelty, than overdone and irritating. I also the found the book inundated with make-believe examples, and "statistics" on the phenomenal growth of the Tiger economies -- a nostalgic hearkening back to the good old days of "Asian values" touted by Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew. Do not avoid this book -- but do read it with another that marries the concept of East Asian values to real-life managerial strategies such as Haley's "New Asian Emperors: the Overseas Chinese, their Strategies and Competitive Advanatges."

Insightful!
I found Mastering the Infinite Game to be a very helpful resource while writing an organizational behavior research paper about Asian cultures. The studies and research included in the book are both useful and insightful to gaining an understanding how Asian cultural values pertain to the field of business manangement.

A must-read for those interested in doing business with Asian firms! ... Read more

Book Description

Japan has been in an economic slump for more than half a decade. Why did this once-strong economy topple? What do its troubles tell us about competing in the new global marketplace? In Can Japan Compete?, world-renowned competition strategist Michael Porter and his colleagues explain why American assumptions about Japan have proved so inaccurate, what Japan must do to regain its strength, and what its journey can tell us about how to succeed in the new global economy. The research behind this book began in the early 1990s, at a time when Japan's economic success was overwhelmingly credited to the Japanese government and its unique management policies. Porter and his colleagues started by asking a crucial but previously overlooked question: If Japanese government policies and practices accounted for the nation's extraordinary competitiveness, then why wasn't Japan competitive in many of the industries where those policies had been prominently implemented? The authors and a team of colleagues surveyed a vast array of Japanese industries. This surprising book is the result of their work. The continuing influence of Japanese government and management strategies worldwide makes Can Japan Compete? a must read for anyone competing in the global economy.

On The Competitive Advantage of Nations: ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Dead On
I work for a Japanese company that is mentioned in this book and the book is a dead on diagnosis of how Japanese companies are managed. For anyone familiar with the current Japanese economy (which is in a huge depression) there are some major problems with how the Japanese economy operates. There is nothing inherently genius about the solution that Porter offers, which is simply a call for a true free market system in Japan; free of tariffs, trade barriers, cartels, and collusion. However, if you work for a Japanese company I strongly suggest buying this book to understand why your company is managed the way it is.

Japan¡¯s success and failure in light of business strategy
...

Michael Porter become the celebrity in the field of business strategy with his two books, ¡®Competitive Advantage¡¯, ¡®Competitive Strategy¡¯. Takeuchi and Sakakibara secured their name in organizational learning school with their book, ¡®The Knowledge-Creating Company.¡¯ With this book, ¡®the word, ¡®knowledge creation¡¯ has been widely circulated within business schools.
This book poses the question, ¡®Why does Japan stumble?¡¯ it¡¯s the single most popular subject in Japanese studies. Numerous books come to mind on that issue. The approach this book takes is, nonetheless, unique. While others have tackled it in the view of macroeconomics or political economy, authors of this book take the view of microeconomics, or more precisely business strategy. They argue that more-than-decade-long deflation and liquidity trap are not the fundamental problem, but just symptoms. The underlying problem must be hunted for elsewhere: the eroded competitive advantage of Japanese companies. There has been warning signs since 1980s well before bubble bursting:
1. Since 1980s, no new internationally competitive industry has emerged.
2. The profitability, or capital productivity has long been low. Export share has been achieved and maintained partly by sacrificing returns to capital.
3. Japan¡¯s share of world exports peaked in 1986 (10%). But it has fallen since then to below 8%.
Bubble and subsequent financial meltdown certainly is serious trouble. But above reveals much deeper crisis: the loss of competitiveness.
Michael Porter maintains that firms initially gain competitive advantage by altering the basis of competition. They won not just by recognizing new market, or technologies but by moving aggressively to exploit the,. A firm¡¯s local rivalry in home nation plays a critical role in shaping manager¡¯s perceptions about the opportunities that can be exploited. Firms that survive vigorous local competition are often more efficient and innovative. In the 1970s and 80s, Japan set the world standard for operational effectiveness, that is, for improving quality and lowering cost: TQM, JIT system, lean production, cycle time reduction. Japanese companies pushed the productivity frontier well beyond the capabilities of many Western companies. Japanese companies¡¯ competitive advantage was obtained through cut-throat local competition. But starting in the mid- and late 1980s, the gap between Japanese and Western companies began to narrow through so-called restructuring or reengineering. Now Japan¡¯s source of competitiveness has been eroded away. As a result, international competition has ever more vigorously intensified not in the behalf of Japan. Worse, what drove Japan to be competitive now serve as drag on it. Fierce local rivalry degrade into competitive convergence. It means that all the competitors in an industry compete on the same dimension. As rivals imitate one another¡¯s improvements in quality, cycle time, or supplier partnerships, competition becomes a series of unwinnable races down identical paths. This occurs because Japanese firms believe that by mimicking competitors¡¯ technologies and products, they can avoid being in a weak positioning in the market. Because, as a result of mutual benchmarking, Japanese companies cannot but think of competition only in terms of operational effectiveness for their product lineup converges, the have made it almost impossible to be enduringly successful. The more benchmarking, the more they look alike. To avoid such a stalemate, they try to diversify product lineup. But it inflames only to another round of convergence. This kind of local rivalry has finally led to excess costs to over-differentiation for products as well as their components. Such costs have become too high, thus leading to a considerable waste of resources. When they set the best practices, such a cost could be dissipated at the expense of Western competitor¡¯s market share. But now such an advantage rarely exists, if any. Competitive convergence leads to the lack of focus. The lack of focus results in no obvious competitive advantage for they are over-diversified. Authors recommend to compete on strategy: Operational effectiveness is just one of two ways a company pursues superior performance. The other is through strategy, or competing on the basis of a unique positioning involving a distinctive product of service offering. The essence of strategy is to perform differently from rivals. It¡¯s choosing not to do something. They succumb to the temptation to chase easy growth by adding popular features and taking on product lines or services that do not fit their strategy. Or they target new customers to whom the company offers noting unique. But attempting to compete in several ways at once creates confusion and undermines organizational motivation and focus. Profits fall, so more revenue is seen as the answer. In sum, authors argues that the problem of Japan is more in mind-set than in unchangeable circumstances in Japan.

Reviving the competitive advantage of Japan
Michael Porter is Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and a leading authority on competition and strategic management; Hirotaka Takeuchi is Professor and Dean of the new Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy at Hitotsubashi University in Japan; and Mariko Sakakibara is Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"This book aims first and foremost to offer a theory that can explain and interpret Japan's postware economic trajectory." This 'theory' follows a mostly academical and economical research method. In Chapter 1 the authors first discuss Japan's economical history, whereby the authors use extensive graphs, figures and tables to prove their point: "Japan's actual competitive performance, then, has been mixed for decades." Expanding on their discussion on the economical history, the authors challenge the Japanese government model. "At the core of the Japanese government model is a particular conception of the process of economic development and the bases of competitiveness. It embodies an implicit aversion to certain forms of competition and an effort to channel competition in various ways." This model goes back to the early post-World War II period, when "the nation was in shambles". There is an 12 developmental policies list which form the building blocks of the Japanese governmental model. The authors discuss the impact of these policies on Japan's successes and failures.

In Chapter 3, the authors discuss Japan's unique management model. "The model stresses attributes such as teamwork, a long time horizon, and dedication to continuous quality improvement, all of which remain important Japanese strengths. But it has also encouraged conformity and a conception of competition that is dangerously incomplete." Again, the authors introduce a list of policies which are typical for the Japanese corporate model. The authors' biggest complaint is that most Japanese companies do not have a strategy, they tend to compete on operational effectiveness. (For more see Porter's 1996-article 'What is Strategy?')

In Chapter 4 the authors try to explain Japanese competitiveness. This model for competitiveness follows the universal model: "vigorous competition in a supportive business environment, free of government direction, is the only path to economic vitality." Most of this chapter is directly taken from Porter's 1990-book 'The Competitive Advantage of Nations', discussing various industries (both successful and unsuccessful).

In Chapter 5, 6, and 7 the authors aim to come up with an answer to move Japan forward. The authors discuss the requirements for both government and companies. "What is needed is nothing short of a new economic strategy, one that builds on the true bases of Japan's past success, recognizes the differences between the country's rebuilding challenges and its present circumstances, and addresses the realities of modern global competition." So can Japan compete? The authors believe it can. "Japan has a history of competing successfully at the highest level and rapidly advancing national productivity, when competition was allowed to proceed unfettered. ... Japan can compete. To do so, however, it will require the systematic changes in both business and government we have described. ... As it has shown in earlier periods of transition, if mind-sets change, Japan has the capacty to move rapidly."

Yes, I do understand the disappointment of some of the other readers. In line with Michael Porter's 'The Competitive Advantage of Nations' (1990) this book is more about governmental issues than the activities within companies as in Porter's bestsellers 'Competitive Strategy' (1980) and 'Competitive Advantage' (1985). In their search for their answer to the title-question (Can Japan Compete?) the authors use an mostly academical and economical approach, which can be daunting to some readers. The book is mostly aimed at Japanese multinationals, economists, and governmental officials, and includes some strong critical comments toward their policies.

Worthless
This book is another attempt to capitalize on a name brand (Porter; Harvard) as opposed to providing a substantive, insightful take on what is happening in Japan and what needs to be done in order to correct certain problems in the Japanese economy. It also gives the false impression that Japan is somehow a pre-mature version of the US. Porter is not a Japan expert and I would be very careful, as an American/foreigner, to not to take books on Japan by foreigners who have never lived their or speak the language too seriously. The book is not about Japan, it is a generalized theoretical black box solution to a much more complex problem in which one needs to understand a lot more than just management theory. Japanese management is much more complex and, unlike in the US where a monkey can be trained to fire people, Japanese managers have many more issues to deal with. People tend to forget the fact that Japanese managers have done a much better job (though moving more slowly) at reducing the negative impact of restructuring. Its more difficult to keep a company going and competitive when its against the law to fire people than if you could fire people on the spot-- US management "expertise" is incredibly over-rated the recent market correction shows the incredible amount of resources that are wasted by corporate America on such things as management consulting. Those foreigners who have written on Japan's economy and financial markets who have the language down (speaking; reading) and have been in-country for an extended period of time as expats can provide a very interesting and highly useful perspective for those looking from the outside in a way most Japanese cannot (and will not). Being a "senior advisor" to a few large Japanese companies does not qualify someone to write on this topic.

A Gimmick..Not worth a penny
The title 'Can Japan Compete' raised my hopes of finding some thought provoking insightful debates in pages to come. However, most of the solution that Porter suggests are basic rules of a capitalist economy.

Porter, again, suggests solutions without keeping in mind the 'contexts'. 50 years after the defeat in war, today, Japan has companies that compete globally, its people living a high standard of living. Compare the rate of this 50 years of development with any other country's development and you find Japan a clear winner. And Porter just writes them off!

Every country has unique siuation (its context) thus, the exsisting economic structure in Japan is the product of its unique situation. Poter wants to turn blind eye to this. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good Information but not very comprehensive
This book provides some good information for anyone new to the area of import/export and small businesses, but it lacks the comprehension that can be found in other comparable books on this subject matter.

Quick understanding of the business
As a Realtor I had a week to learn about the business when I became involved in the sale of a manufacturing business. Zodl thankfully does not dwell on theory or historical origins but jumps right into the nuts and bolts of transactions from both the import and export side. Almost written in a cookbook style that quickly brought my understanding from nearly zero to a high level of confidence, leaving no questions in my mind how these transactions successfully take place. There are no wasted sentences in this book and if you skip one sentence you might miss a piece of valuable knowledge that could take months of trial and error to obtain.

Very good introduction to Ex/Im from a businessman
Zodl's book was one of many Ex/Im books I've looked at. His book is a quick read and one can easily finish it in one sitting. He has enough detail to give you an excellent overview of ExIm and also plenty of guidelines and pointers to strong resources. With this book, you should have enough to take your business into ExIm without much difficulty. You will have to learn more, or course, but Zodl gives you enough information to seek the right team and expert advice (many times free expert advice) and ask the correct questions. He also covers complex topics like NVOCCs, Shipper Export Declaration Forms, and other things that one should look out for when getting into this type of business. He writes with authority, common sense, and an easy style. He gives very practical advise and easily digestable advice on legal issues with ExIm and also plenty of examples of important documents you must use in the process.

A book worth the money, but since it is relatively short (170 pages), I would suggest borrowing it from a library and reading it while taking notes in a small notebook. That way you'll remember what you've learned and have an organized way of accessing it later.

Really good. Makes a difficult subject clear.
This is very well written, and explains how things actually work in international business. It explains the terminology and how to do the documents, and where to get the documents done for you (third party providers that you can hire). The chapter on Getting Paid is especially useful. The chapter on Terms of Sale explains how to avoid a lot of mistakes you could make really easily. ... Read more

Book Description

This unique collection of contemporary international public relations case studies offers in depth insights into the effective use of public relations in a range of organizational contexts. The cases examined demonstrate the breadth of contemporary public relations practice and the increasing importance and sophistication of the public relations function in both public and private sector organizations. ... Read more

Book Description

Export-Import Theory, Practices, and Procedures is a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of export /import theories, practices and procedures. This valuable book also explores emerging areas such as intellectual property, countertrade, the role of logistics and transportation, and regional trade arrangements. Export-Import Theory, Practices, and Procedures provides a substantive analysis of international trade theories and techniques for students, researchers and professionals in the field. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

GOT TO HAVE IT
This is a very good book.As a student in college, I used this book asguide.Which has assisted me in my research projects which I received anA.This book written by Seyoum is very straight forward, and easy tounderstand. This book has many strategies and marketing techniques, whichare very helpful. It makes you understand the importance of trading andunderstanding the reasons behind all the documentations.This book evencould help you operate your own export-import business.If you areinterested in the international trades I recommend you to buy it, andinclude this work in your library as a good refrences. I hope you enjoy itas much I enjoyed reading it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Quick Reference, But Other Books Will Give You More Depth
This book gives a quick rundown of the differences between Chinese and Western business etiquette, but does not prepare one for the aspects of Chinese culture that cause culture shock in Western business travellers - rude public behaviour, extraordinary personal habits; things that can distract you from the task at hand if not aware of them. A good supplement is Taiwanese writer Bo Yang's *The Ugly Chinaman and the Crisis in Chinese Culture,* which traces, frankly and informatively, the long, sad history of cultural stagnation and repression which is the other half of China's story in addition to Confucius and the poetry of Li Po, and has an impact on encounters between Westerners and Easterners today. Most important is Bo Yang's comments on the concept of "Face" - that is, the importance of not losing face to a Chinese - this is more important to a Chinese than anything else, and can affect the subject under discussion in a business meeting. The more aware the Western business person (or again, traveller) is of Chinese society, the more successfull his trip will be (and the more positive his appreciation of China, ultimately, will be). The style of *The Ugly Chinaman* will give you additional insight into how Chinese culture differs from ours.

Another book I recommend is Paul Theroux's account of travelling across China, *Riding The Iron Rooster*. Many aspects of this far-flung trip mirrored my own practical experiences business-travelling in a much smaller part of China (and Hong Kong). I found it enlightening and helpful as a general, prepatory work (it is also highly readable).

For Hong Kong, in addition to Bo Yang's book, I recommend Jan Morris's book *Hong Kong* which has a wealth of detail on the unhappy history of the millions of refugee Chinese who fled to British Hong Kong in the last four or five decades and who are (understandably) very touchy about this subject (it involves, again, loss of "face"). In Hong Kong today there is a reluctance to admit this sad history but a knowledge of it is essential to understanding how Hong Kong ticks, and a business traveller who absorbs this knowledge will be in a better position to understand Hong Kong. The book also contains a wealth of absorbing, easy to read history about British days.

Paul Theroux's book, *Kowloon Tong* though a novel, captures the mood of Handover-era Hong Kong and has illuminating portraits of different types of Western and Chinese characters of a kind you will meet and interact with if your stay in Hong Kong is extended or you are domiciled there.

An informative two-column quick reference guide.
This informative little 55 page paperback book gives summary comparisons of business practices in China versus the United States. The authors' presentation is made in a two column style throughout the book. The left-hand column is for United States normal business practices, protocols, and social customs; whereas, the right-hand column presents the complementary practices, protocols, and social customs in China. The book is designed as a quick reference pocket book. Chapter headings are: 1. Welcome to Business China 2. The Global Marketplace 3. Doing Business in a Global Marketplace 4. The Chinese Culture 5. Chinese Business Etiquette 6. Chinese Gestures 7. Communication Interferences 8. Succeeding in International Business 9. Quick Tips: China 10. Common Phrases ... Read more

Book Description

This book, drawn from the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP), aims to help readers conduct quantitative analysis of international trade issues in an economy-wide framework.In addition to providing a succinct introduction to the GTAP modeling framework and data base, this book contains seven of the most refined GTAP applications undertaken to date, covering topics ranging from trade policy, to the global implications of environmental policies, factor accumulation and technological change. ... Read more

Book Description

The definitive dictionary of business.

Not only outlining simple definitions but also, in the way of an encyclopaedia, providing analysis of concepts and business activities, this is a core reference book for anyone who wants to do well in business. It looks at all the key areas: economics, finance and accounting; marketing communications and consumer analysis; business strategy; production and operations management; organisational behaviour; human resource management and industrial relations. It includes entries on a large number of business thinkers and business institutions. And a comprehensive system of cross-referencing makes it easy to navigate your way around. ... Read more

Book Description

This handbook provides a comprehensive analysis of the transfer pricing issues that affect taxpayers and tax collectors alike. It has a practical focus advising taxpayers about transfer pricing techniques and their consequences.

• Provides non-tax transfer pricing guidance on such issues as imported merchandise, customs-related issues, and customs appraisement
• Describes IRS penalties in detail
• Describes various transfer pricing methodologies

The 2002 Supplement includes updates to both Transfer Pricing 3e and Transfer Pricing International. It contains:

• Two new chapters on Cost-Sharing Buy-Ins and Technology, Licensing, and Economic Issues in Transfer Pricing
• Complete revisions to chapters on New Zealand, Singapore, Belgium, Czech Republic, Russia, and South Africa. (with updates to Germany chapter)
• New Appendix containing information regarding Practice Note 7

Reviews (2)

too academic, no idea of real business in China
The author seems to have no idea of real practical management and intercultural issues of China today. Moreover he uses a very academic, abstract way to explain his quiet strange assumtions how to handle management issues in China.

Nothing new
This is a repositioning of Dr. Schlevogt's dissertation (published by dissertation.com) and also available on amazon.com. The great bulk of this book, including data and theory dates from 1999.

The book covers some interesting theoretical ground and applies contingency theory or understanding "fit" between success in China and organizational structure.

It would have been nice if some of the implications for success were developed further -- indeed, the advise given, such as "adaptability", should prove successful for organizations anywhere, not necessarily Chinese! Yet, the author also argues that this idea of adaptability is one that has been exported from China to the West! Also contingency theory is almost a dead avanue of study. The author's use of cross-sectional surveys is even more questionable as the book looks at change.

One thing I found disturbing is that the author took several concepts from "New Asian Emperors", (Haley, Tan and Haley, 1998), include action-driven decision-making and experience-based planning, yet gave no credit to this classic study of Overseas Chinese business practices. Indeed, many of the author's management ideas are presented far better in this book!

This book also appears schizophrenic, swaying wildly between gushing about China's great contribution to Western philosophy, and attempts at a more academic tone with data and statistics. I found self-congratulatory statements such as "These findings allow for groundbreaking, statistical generalizations previously unknown in the field" particularly irritating. It would have been helpful if the author had been more honest, or more thorough, in the presentation of his literature survey.

Pass on this book. I would recommend John Child or George Haley as alternative auhors who cover the same terrain with less gushing, more practical implications and a more balanced approach. ... Read more

Book Description

Acclaim for Against the Dead Hand

"Informed, lively, and challenging, Brink Lindseys book illuminates the tough road ahead in the fight for free markets and against the dead hand of the past. I have benefited greatly from reading this book and so can everyone who cares about freedom." —George P. Shultz, Former U.S. Secretary of State

"There are few higher callings than exposing the antiglobalization movement for what it really is: an enemy not just of clear thinking but also of economic progress. Brink Lindsey rises to this task manfully. In this eloquently written and powerfully argued book, he shows that, far from being complete, the current wave of globalization has just begun. And to charges that globalization is responsible for the problems of much of the developing world, he explains that the real blame lies with years of failed experiments with big government and closed borders. Read this book if you want to understand the most important debate of our time." —Adrian Wooldridge,Coauthor, A Future Perfect: The Challenge and Hidden Promise of Globalization

"In this fascinating and wide-ranging book, Brink Lindsey destroys two dangerous myths: that trade is bad for the poor and that globalization is inevitable. From the Thai countryside to the streets of New Delhi, he shows how todays economic problems spring from choices made decades ago, when the worlds governing classes were enamored of the gospel of centralization and control. Only if we turn away from that Industrial Counterrevolution, he argues, will we find our way toward international peace, prosperity, and progress." —Virginia Postrel, Author, The Future and Its Enemies: The Growing Conflict over Creativity, Enterprise, and Progress

"Despite globalization, recent years have been filled with cruel disappointments for many of the worlds poor in developing and formerly communist countries. Brink Lindsey insightfully identifies the formidable obstacles that block their progress. In particular, he shows that the failure to build adequate legal institutions that define and protect property rights is of critical importance." —Hernando de Soto, Author, The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else ... Read more

Reviews (21)

A Realistic Look at Globalization
This is a terrific book. So much of what has been written about globalization so far has been either dry or full of hyperbole (both for and against it). "Against the Dead Hand" explains the world as it really is in a way that was a pleasure to read. The book combines history, first-person reporting, and clear analysis. Lindsey begins by telling the story of the first round of globalization that ended with World War I. In many important ways the world was more globalized a hundred years ago than it is even today, but the whole system fell apart in the face of anti-market ideologies and rising nationalism. The warning I took from this section is that there is nothing inevitable about globalization today. It can all fall apart again, plunging us back into the same kind of political and economic darkness that plagued the world for decades after 1914. Lindsey explains convincingly that globalization has returned not because of some grand vision of free-market thinkers but because socilaism proved to be such a failure. He points out that some of the great "reformers" in recent years have been communists and socialists themselves. The most important contribution of the book, in my view, is to remind us of how far we still are from a world were free markets and free trade predominate. The "dead hand" of the old collectivist systems still dominates economic life in most countries. Countries such as Argentina are still struggling against runaway government spending and corrupt legal and political systems. In one of my favorite passages, Lindsey describes a visit he made to a village in India where the villagers were assembling their own cars from kits. Import duties and regulations make it cheaper in India to build your own car! If you want to understand what is going on in the world today, why some nations are making progress and why others seem to stumble from one crisis to the next, "Against the Dead Hand" provides compelling answers. This book is realistic but in the end hopeful that we are headed to a better place. I highly recommend it!

The Real Deal on Globalization
The popular perception of globalization portrays political leaders fighting against corporations and unfettered financial markets being manipulated by greedy speculators using lightening fast electrified capital. According to Brink Lindsey, author of "Against the Dead Hand - The Uncertain Struggle for Global Capitalism", this formulation has the main direction of causation backwards.

The failures of central planning have led governments groping for market reforms as a pragmatic response to the failures of big government.

The trend toward what we now refer to as "globalization" was interrupted during the nineteenth century by what the author calls the "Industrial Counterrevolution". World leaders, impressed by the productivity and efficiency of big business, began to apply the same techniques as those used in business. Merged with these techniques were different theories of collectivism which arose as a result of the apparent chaos of the marketplace.

Though the U.S. never plunged headlong into state control, political leaders of both parties were swept up by its own version of the Industrial Counterrevolution, the Progressive movement.

We now have over a century of experimentation in various social and economic policies in several countries. The evidence shows free market principles produce better results, but market proponents should not confuse a change in trend with victory in the battle of ideas. Those general principles - competition, choice, limited government, private property, sound currency, free trade - are now seeping deeper into more areas of society that had been impervious to them. The change could be seen in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. recently when the Court took up the constitutionality of school vouchers. On one side were minority parents demanding educational choice who were pitted against public school teachers protecting the status quo.

Educational choice is one reminder that market proponents do not have a free ride. Laments Lindsey: "The defunct ideas of centralized control exert a waning but still-formidable influence on the shape of the world economy... The invisible hand of markets may be on the rise, but the dead hand of the old collectivist dream still exerts a powerful influence."

A belief in market economics is not simply the hope for the absence of government. Among government's most important responsibilities is maintenance of a legal order that protects property and enforces contracts to exchange that property.
Mr. Lindsey's entry is an easy reading but serious antidote to the double dose of hype from pro-globalization cheerleaders and anti-globalization protesters. I recommend it.

Economics & history that is plainspoken and factual
I'm not surprised that preceding customer reviews are love-or-hate. Lindsey is a free-market advocate, trying to zap anything that remotely resembles marxist, top-down central planning. He clearly advocates a strong and responsible role for government, for important duties such as: protecting individual rights (including orderly transfers of property), centralized functions that cannot compete with market driven processes (e.g. defense), and providing economically sustainable safety nets for those who need help and care and have no resources.

It might be hard to see if Lindsey's heart is a youthful 16 or 20--he definitely doesn't come across as a socialist. But his principles have anecdotal, qualitative and quantitative truths from more than a century of history, so his brain is certainly working just fine. For example, Lindsey presents a compelling case on protectionism leading to trade wars and world war. His equating pay-as-you-go entitlement systems (legislated by leaders such as Bismarck, chiefly concerned with opiating the masses) with Ponzi or pyramid schemes (deemed illegal by the same governments) is unassailable.

If you care about shaping the socioeconomic world that our children and grandchildren will be inheriting, and if you are concerned about what fiction will be taught to them in most universities (e.g. liberally spun Keynesian economics, without contrasting neoclassical or monetarist economics, or even historical resultants of collectivist policies), this is a great book.

If you want to revisit the Dark Ages, then disparage this book and its commendable author.

Painfully ignorant and simplistic--an embarrasment to Cato
Brink Lindsey is a fundamentalist. He believes that "free trade" will cure every problem in the world. And he believes that a lack of "free trade" is to blame for wars, poverty, and all other ills of humankind. Unfortunately, Lindsey seems to possess a childish understanding of "free trade," of world history, and of economics.

To take just one flaw, in a book filled with flaws... Rather than carefully examine the wholesale gutting of Russia, when free trade fanatics took over (in the early 1990s), and when the Russian economic nearly collapsed, industrial output plunged, corruption and crime roared, prostitution exploded, AIDS and drug epidemics devoured the nation, poverty is up exponentially--and Lindsey can only say that they didn't go far enough!

Three billion humans live on less than a dollar a day--and while 45 million human beings face death from AIDS, Lindsey offers them only the market. Most of them will die, while free marketeers talk of future salvation.

One need only read Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz's Globalization and its Discontents for a far more intelligent overview of capitalism today. Stiglitz, who is an ardent fan of capitalism, carefully disects the ways in which "free trade" is often anything but.

The problem with free market lunatics like Lindsey is that they fail to see the ways in which powerful nations and corporations bully the marketplace, control politics, and stack the deck in their favor. Just look at the cartels which control oil, fruit, cocoa, diamonds, automobiles, etc. They control prices, laws, wages, and politics around the globe. They profit from wars and from child labor. It takes either a fool or a free market fantasy to miss these basic problems with unregulated "free trade." Like all fundamentalists, Lindsey needs less faith and fervor and more critical analysis.

Wide-ranging but one-eyed.
Lindsey is a neo-conservative and this book represents a wide-ranging but finally unsatisfactory addition to the non-debate about globalisation. It divides the world into two groups - the free marketers, who are good, and the collectivists, who are anti-modern and the cause of most if not all the failings of the current highly imperfect free markets. Anyone who can lump George Soros' concept of the Open Society with collectivism, really has a bad dose of the current tendency to declare 'if you are not with us, you are against us'.

Read the book for a sometimes fascinating excursion into history, politics, the informal economy, the failings of collectivism and state control (but not the failings of the market), but do not expect to have much light cast on the underlying issues of wealth and poverty, sustainability and the proper place of money in judging the progress of society. Equally, do not expect to see useful engagement with the issue of the role of great international economic agencies (WTO, IMF, World Bank) and the processes by which nations, corporates and the common people influence their decisions. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Finally a Speech Book for Geeks !
There is no passion to write an excellent book here. It might be a good book for geeks. Perhaps Chapter 4 (Engaging Audience) is the reason that I am left with this feeling. That chapter is particularly shallow. Or may be because the author Jefff Slutsky uses the powerful phrase "street fighter" so banally. The book is often very superficial in its advise. Just one example at bottom of page 30. "Humor should be funny." The title of this books touts three objectives. Overcoming fear is one of them. It never gets around to fear in any meaningful way. It is an easy book to read but partly because it does not get intense about any subject. This is a good book if you are going to be talking to very conventional run of the mill crowds where you can be contrived and shallow because you are not going to develop into a great speaker. If you address high powered people this is not the book for you. Co-author Michael Aun won the Toastmasters International championship in 1978. I have listened to this speech several times and it is greatness. Just to be a finalist is a glory--ardently admired. To win is beyond my ability to extol sufficient respect. Their are many good points to this book but they are found in quiet little places and if you have read a number of books on speaking this book can be read to advantage.

OK if you're promoting seminars...
This book seems to be more directed at those who wish to promote themselves through public speaking. For the rest of us who just want some good, straightforward information on how to become better at speaking in front of a large group, it falls short.

This book gets straight to the point with tips you can use.
Michael Aun and Jeff Slutsky deliver a practical guide to using the skill of speaking to move your business forward, whether you're a speaker or not. A lot of great information packed into an easy read. David DeCurtis, Executive Vice President, Enanti Corporation ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

A companion to the Customs Modernization Handbook, this book provides case studies on customs modernization initiatives in seven countries (Bolivia, Morocco, Mozambique, Peru, the Philippines, Turkey, and Uganda). The initiatives in each of these countries show similarities as well differences in their approach and design. Some have relied on a model of Independent revenue authorities (Uganda and Peru), others have called upon private sector service providers to initiate the modernization process (Mozambique), others have taken the drastic step of a complete overhaul of their customs staff (Bolivia and Mozambique), while still others have approached the modernization process as a pragmatic, well-focused, result-oriented process. ... Read more

Book Description

This text is firmly established as the standard work on the subject of export management and practice. Overall, it is renowned internationally for its lucidity of complex issues. It gives particular focus on developing an export strategy in a pragmatic, professional and profitable manner in a competitive international environment. The fourth edition has been completely up-dated and reflects the many changes that have emerged in the fast changing global marketplace. Export Practice and Management takes full account of future trends in the conduct of international trade, its environment and its increasing complexity. There is more emphasis on management techniques and strategy of international trade including new chapters on logistics and globalisation, market entry options and the criteria of market selection. The text provides a practical and professional approach to the subject. ... Read more

Book Description

An intelligent and accessible overview of one of the world's fastest growing and most important stock markets.

Sixteen years after the first shares were traded in Shanghai, China's stock market is now recognized as the developing world's most important market and is already the third largest in Asia. All the large Western banks and investment firms have a strong presence in Shanghai. Now that China has become a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the growth of the Chinese stock market is being eagerly watched.

This is an informative and accessible guide to China's stock market. It will explain the creation of the market and how it has developed since the 1980s. Key policies will be examined; major scandals recounted; and the different types of investors, institutional and individuals, analysed. Finally, the book will map out the likely development of China's stock market over the next 10 years, and examine the opportunities and risks involved for foreign investors. ... Read more

Book Description

Hailed as an indispensable resource (Booklist), this guide to business success on foreign ground features the latest facts and figures, including the changes in trade status with China and Vietnam

Free trade is thriving worldwide--which means good business for American businesses.But when Americans recoil at kisses on the cheek from a Brazilian or invite an Egyptian to lunch during the month of Ramadan, they face an undeniable fact:successful trade abroad demands a firm grasp of not only economic, but political and social forces.Thoroughly revised and updated, this guide gives global deal-makers the insights to avoid cultural gaffes and forge strong alliances.

Here are candid snapshots of the USA's top trading partners, including an all-new chapter on Vietnam.Whether their target country is China (including Hong Kong), Germany, or Mexico, readers will get the lowdown on business prospects, including population growth, age breakdown, per capita income, marketing regulations, and overall risk rating.They'll also learn crucial cultural factors, including negotiating style, sanctioned topics of conversation, perceptions of time and punctuality, holidays, and standard work hours.And from business travelers who've been there, they'll get telling notes on dressing and behaving for success, plus notorious faux paus.

Complete with passport and visa requirements, samples of key documents, and helpful websites, DUN & BRADSTREET'S GUIDE TO DOING BUSINESS AROUND THE WORLD holds the keys to international trading with skill and confidence. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Not up to the authors' prior standard
When I saw the authors were the authors of "Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands" I immediately bought this book. It was disappointing, because the authors have shown they can write good books.

The biggest problem is with keeping current. (The authors allude to this issue in their preface.) This book was based on 1999 material and published in 2001. There's a lot of material that has very limited shelf-life, such as a list of government officials in Italy. They publish a list of national holidays for each country, listing both date and day of the week. (Where was their editor?) Obviously that information is only good for one particular year.

Treatment is superficial in many aspects. Under "currency" they only state the name of the currency, with no reference to pegging or exchange rate volatility. Under "Intellectual Property Rights" they discuss the treaties the country has signed. You would never learn there is an intellectual property issue in China from reading this book, because China has signed all pertinent treaties.

Their treatment of cultural issues is not structured. They list five cultural tips per country. These tend to focus on manners issues such as being (or not being) on time. I'm more attune to the method that Geert Hofstede uses in his books where he defines a cultural trait, discusses its implications, and then states how strong that cultural trait is in the country. For example, Hofstede introduces "power distance" as a measure of hierarchy and respect for authority. He then discusses implications for the decision making and negotiation processes. Finally, he gives the scores for each country, leaving the reader to draw conclusions. The authors of this book do discuss one cultural trait for all countries, defined as "Time." To them it means attitudes toward promptness. There is no discussion of the inverse relationship between attention to promptness and flexibility in scheduling, which is a hugely important issue in buying or selling.

Finally, and this is a personal issue because I am a purchasing consultant and educator, there is a heavy emphasis on selling in other countries but almost no attention to buying there. They could have given GSP-status for imports into the US, for example.

I recommend spending your money elswhere. Buy "Kiss, Bow" to learn about manners issues. Get "Culturegrams" to get annually updated information on history and geography. If you really want to study a country it will take more depth and more current material than this book carries.

A musta have for the international businessman!
If one is interested in doing business internationally, then this book in question, i.e., Dun & Bradstreet's Guide to Doing Business Around the World by Terri Morrison, et al, is a must have have. In this book the author presents a plethora of useful information, e.g., negotiating styles, investment climate and protocol, to mention a few. The book is well written and Dun & Bradstreet is a venerable company with a long and distinguished history for exellence.

An Incomparable Source of Information and Commentary
Here is the best single-source I have come across thus far which provides information about trade opportunities, tariffs, risk factors, negotiating styles, investment climate, protocol, and cultural tips. (I refer to the revised and expanded version.) The authors discuss 40 countries (in alphabetical order, from Argentina to Venezuela), then provide five appendices: Contracts and Websites, Documents Used in International Trade, Abbreviations of International Organizations, Corruption & Bribery Index, and Conversion Factors. I am now convinced that almost every company throughout the world will eventually become involved, directly or indirectly, with e-business. Here is a comprehensive guide which contains invaluable information and hard-headed recommendations based on real-world experience. Other volumes are now available which provide more information about a single county (eg Stuttard's superb The New Silk Road whose subject is China) but none, to my knowledge, which is comparable in terms of global coverage.

Excellent resource for U. S. exporters of all sizes.
This book provides valuable information on the social, political, economic and marketing aspects of the 40 major trading partners (countries) of the United States. It rates the credit worthiness of each country based upon its trade and monetary policies, climate for foreign investment, import duties and taxes, political climate, and attitude towards protection of intellectual property rights. It does an excellent job of addressing the cultural aspects of doing business abroad. Our staff uses it often as a resource for conducting international market research and working with consulting clients. Recommended for purchase by John R. Jagoe, Director, Export Institute ... Read more

Book Description

The uproar at the World Trade Organization conference in Seattle focused attention on the conflict between the mainly western-owned global corporations and the poorer nations whose natural resources and cheap manpower sustain corporate profits, and who are also the unwilling purchasers of overpriced and inappropriate goods. In this book David Ransom vividly reveals the realities of trade as experienced by coffee-growers in Central America or the workers making jeans in Bangladesh sweatshops. He examines the roles played by the WTO, UNCTAD, ILO, IMF, G7, and other powerful organizations hiding behind bland initials. Even when their motives are benevolent, he argues, their activities are often inadequate and misguided.

About the No Nonsense Guides: Major issues facing the world today, complex as they are, are further obfuscated—often deliberately—by political and corporate jargon and media spin. By contrast, New Internationalist Magazine has been a leading source of reliable information and clear analysis for the last twenty years. This new Verso series of No Nonsense Guides, published in conjunction with New Internationalist, cuts through the confusion to present the facts and arguments concerning contemporary global issues as accessibly as possible. Concise, comprehensive, and affordable, the No Nonsense Guides will be of interest to busy people, from school age on, who want to know how the world works. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fair book at best on a crucial topic
This is the weakest of the seven no-nonsense guides I have perused so far. Unless you already know quite a bit about fair trade (including the specific examples used in the book) the book is very confusing. To be honest, I am surprised this got past the editors at New Internationalist and Verso. The first chapter, on Chiapas, Mexico, is utterly nonsense (in direct violation of the series title!). It does, however, get a little clearer from there on.
My other complaint is that the author portrays fair trade as a something of a panacea solution to the ills of the non-western world, at least right up until the last chapters. Fair trade, at best, will be one small part of a much larger solution to the disparities between the rich and poor of the world. This book gives something of a disingenuous "good news" feel, as for now, while fair trade is creating some opportunities for a lucky few in the Global South, what it's been really effective at is producing a target niche market for guilt-ridden consumers in the North. Don't get me wrong, we should all feel guilty about our complicity in the problems of the South, and buying fair trade is one small thing each of us can do. But my hunch is that there are folks out there who feel like they're "saving" the world through fair trade purchasing, making it for some, no doubt, yet another conscience-tonic for the well-off. ... Read more