Book Description

Book Description

Book Description

The ultimate objective of this book is to help readers prepare for the 21st Century and become an effective manager overseeing global marketing activities in an increasingly competitive environment. Rather than being bound by the traditional bilateral (international) view of competition and marketing, Kotabe and Helsen emphasize the multilateral (global) nature of marketing. This global approach also presents marketing in a cross- functional approach to the business operation.
* Global orientation- This book takes the view that the term, "global" epitomizes the competitive pressure and market opportunities from around the world and the firm's need to optimize its market performance on a global basis.
* Proactive Orientation- Presents a balanced approach between an outside/in and inside/out marketing perspective. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

The best international/global marketing textbook I ever used
I am so happy that I used Kotabe/Helsen book in my class. Not only my students but also I learned a lot of new ideas and great examples to drive home many important concepts. Philip Kotler also uses Kotabe/Helsen. It is an ultimate testimonial to the quality of this book. A good job and keep up with your excellent work. JT

The best international marketing book ever
I used this book in my class at a leading school in Korea. Not only was I able to improve my teaching skills ("how" to deliver "what" topics in class) but also my students loved it so much. I also used it in my executive training with a huge success. This textbook is probably the most comprehensive one that is highly appealing to students and executive audience as well as the most academically sound. Examples in the book are superb in addressing various points. A great book!

A thought-provoking book
Kotabe/Helsen team has really set the standard for the international marketing textbook market. I have read three other similar textbooks, but there is no other book measuring up to this one. They offer an excellent analysis of market converging and diverging forces adding to the complexities of global marketing and how to cope with them. Although I am not an academic, this book provides great conceptual foundations so useful for me to use in preparing my own presentations to the executive board at my company. They have plenty of excellent, well thought-out real-life examples, and those examples are so well built in along with conceptual frameworks that I come away with a lot of useful, and more importantly, usable knowledge.

A modern, analytical textbook on global marketing
I teach Global marketing and I think this textbook is the best. It is not full of anecdotal stories about global marketer's failures or successes but very analytical with straightforward methods students can try out. The cases are excellent and support the theorical lectures very good. From my experience with the research literature it is state of the art.

A very comprehensive yet user-friendly book
I am a doctoral student and have taught international marketing at a state university for a couple of years so far. Among several books I examined, Kotabe&Helsen book stands out in the crowd. It is a joy seeing my students actually enjoy reading the book and learn from it. This book is full of useful insights and timely examples. It is a must reading if you want to be a true professional in the international marketing area. Great! ... Read more

Book Description

The world of international management is no longer limited to jet-setting corporate trouble-shooters or seasoned expatriate managers. Virtually all business conducted today is global business. The need to understand the effect of culture on the practice of management has never been greater.

This book examines cross-cultural management issues from a psychological or behavioral perspective. It focuses on the interactions of people from different cultures in organizational settings and helps the reader gain an understanding of the effect of culture that can be applied to a wide variety of cross-cultural interactions in various organizational contexts.

The first section of the book describes the context in which the international manager functions including the major facets of the international management environment - legal, political, economic, and cultural. Culture is defined and demystified in practical terms and the reasons that cultures form and persist are discussed. The idea that cultural variation is not random but systematic is examined, as are the basics of social cognition as applied to cross-cultural interaction. Among the concepts discussed are selective perception, stereotyping, ethnocentrism, differential attributions, behavioral scripts, and cultural differences in motivation. The second section of the book focuses on the roles that dominate the activities of international managers: decision maker, negotiator, and leader. The process and behavioral aspects of negotiation are discussed in terms of the application of cross-cultural communication. The basis of communication, as concepts that transfer meaning across cultures, are presented as grounding for understanding negotiation across cultures. Western theories of leadership are contrasted with theories indigenous to other cultures, and a cross-cultural model of leadership is presented. The third section is devoted to challenges facing international managers including multi-cultural work groups and teams, the organization and design of international organizations, the unique influence of the multinational corporation on managerial roles, and the relationship of culturally different individuals to the firm. The challenges associated with the assignment of individuals overseas from both the perspectives of the firm and the individual expatriate are also explored. The final section of the book looks at the limitations of current management theory as it applies to international management and key methodological issues with regard to cross-national and cross-cultural research. The book includes extensive up-to-date references and a comprehensive index.

Book Description

The Wealth and Poverty of Nations is David S. Landes's acclaimed, best-selling exploration of one of the most contentious and hotly debated questions of our time: Why do some nations achieve economic success while others remain mired in poverty? The answer, as Landes definitively illustrates, is a complex interplay of cultural mores and historical circumstance. Rich with anecdotal evidence, piercing analysis, and a truly astonishing range of erudition, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations is a "picture of enormous sweep and brilliant insight" (Kenneth Arrow) as well as one of the most audaciously ambitious works of history in decades. ... Read more

Reviews (127)

Diversity is a resource; cultural values matter
Professor Landes has executed a tour de force, a deep, penetrating work that should be required of all college students. He attends to the historic question: Why are some nations so rich and others so poor?

Geography matters, e.g., cold weather countries do economically better than tropical. Climate matters, e.g.,moderate climates are better for growth than are extreme climates. Technology matters e.g., eyeglasses added years to the productive work of skilled crafstment hundrds of years ago. Most of all, culture matters. Landes indirectly yet quite adroitly shows that diversity in all its forms is a resource and that nations benefit from diversity and their other resources in matters of economic and human development if -- perhaps only if -- that nation forges consensus around common values: political and economic freedom; private property and the rule of law; a system of progression and success through merit; and education, training and entrepreneurship.

The anecdotes are plentiful. The data are useful. The scope of the work is incredible. The message is clear and well made. Sure, the most politically correct skeptics will carp. But the world still has not yet witnessed a major economic power between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. A small portion of the world's population produces an abundance of the globe's wealth (and, yes, of course, consumes much of what it makes). And the link between political freedom (and its correlates) and economic growth is very clear. Tyranny eventually fails. Technology will eventually be adopted and exploited.

A nation's common, progressive, evolving, empowering culture provides the template for economic development and success. Full marks, professor.

Everything you wanted to know about economic history, but...
I have only praise for this volume. Firstly narrative: It read like a thriller; hard to put down. Secondly content: the scope is vast with fine detail in addition to excellent references for further reading. Landes has combined real world knowledge with scholarly research to produce a tome that is immensely readable and rewarding. It is hard not to recommend his work to others. The book is written without regard for unnecessary political correctness; fearless. He clearly addresses aspects of recent history that is usually mired in vagueness and doublespeak. Wisdom and humour shine throughout. It reads like the author was able to magically place himself in various regions at different time periods, observing the proceedings and the back stabbing politics that normally accompany these historical events. And best of all, do look forward to the trivia candy strewn along in the book. For example, while making a point on the relevance of the State, he informs us that in Ottoman Turkey firefighting in the hands of private enterprise would respond efficiently when the alarm sounded. They competed with one another and negotiated with the house owner on the spot. As the negotiation proceeded, the fire burned higher and the stakes diminished. In light of the rewarding experience in reading this book, I am prepared to overlook his statement on the advantage Asians have in fine electronic assembly due to the inherent skill learnt by wielding a pair of chopsticks!

Excellent Book
Very good book. Logical, factual and thorough research. The conclusions are not tinted by political opinions. Gives an honest, even maybe harsh, reasoning behind the current state of economic developments throughout the world.

Great overview of world history from the Economic viewpoint
Whats not to like about this book? If you have any interest in history, sociology, or economics it will be right up your alley. As a Senior finishing up my Econ degree I found the background information in the book to be very illuminating. Despite high level of information contained inside it is written clearly and in a manner that the layperson may understand. This book will rest on my shelf amidst my favorites.

Simply Idiotic
Though I enjoyed Landes' humour sometimes, this book is by no means an honest endeavour to answer the question posed by the title. The work is mostly rhetoric. Though I agree with some of his conclusions but his arguments are almost always fellacious. This is my first history reading and I have almost no background on the subject. Still after few chapters it became clear that the book does not meet the criteria of an academic writing. It is a shame for Harvard that Landes carries its credentials! ... Read more

Book Description

The goal of Global Price Fixing is to describe and analyze the origins, operation, and impacts of global cartels in the markets for lysine, citric acid, and vitamins. The work is fundamentally a historical approach to understanding the interplay among personal motivations, economic forces, and the enforcement of the competition laws of the major industrial nations.

The first chapter highlights the renewed importance of international price-fixing conspiracies after an absence of nearly 50 years. Two following chapters provide background on the economics theory and legal principles relevant to understanding cartels. Nine following chapters comprise the economic core of this book. Three chapters are devoted to each of the three cartels selected for intensive study: citric acid, lysine, and vitamins. The next four chapters then concentrate on the legal fallout from the discovery of the three cartels by the world's antitrust authorities. Chapter 17 provides a description of a few additional selected cartels with features not found in the lysine, citric acid, and vitamins cases. The penultimate chapter considers whether the antitrust resources of government agencies and private plaintiffs are sufficient to deter global price fixing in the foreseeable future. This final chapter attempts to identify major themes that appear throughout the book and to provide a summary of the ultimate impact of the global-cartel pandemic of the 1990s. ... Read more

Book Description

Lessons from China's leading entrepreneurs on competing in unpredictable markets

U. S. entrepreneurs from Bill Gates to Michael Dell have been studied and emulated by executives worldwide. Yet we know next to nothing about the pioneers who are reshaping the world's second largest economy: China. In the face of murky ownership structures, inconsistent access to capital, shifting industrial policy, and other obstacles, an elite few Chinese firms have thrived during the turbulence of the last decade.

In Made in China, Donald N. Sull profiles eight of these formidable ventures to reveal the secrets behind their surprising success. Based on extensive research, including in-depth interviews and access to corporate archives, Made in China explores these entrepreneurs' winning strategies, from how they anticipate and maneuver through emerging threats and opportunities ("active waiting"), to how they manage risks, to how they consistently out-execute rivals. Taken together, these principles represent a comprehensive model for managing in unpredictable environments worldwide.

An insider's look at the playbook of some of the world's savviest and most resilient entrepreneurs, Made in China is essential reading for companies operating in China or in any volatile industry or market.

Donald N. Sull is an Associate Professor of Management Practice at London Business School. Previously an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, Sull was also a consultant at McKinsey & Company, Inc. He advises both multinational firms and new ventures in several countries.

... Read more

Book Description

The ultimate guide to international behavior…now completely updated and expanded! Do’s and Taboos Around the World 3rd Edition "Roger Axtell is an international Emily Post." —The New Yorker "Can help you make friends [and] avoid travel trouble." —BusinessWeek "Helpful…fun to read…" —Steve Birnbaum The first two editions of Do’s and Taboos Around the World helped thousands of high-powered executives and tourists avoid the missteps and misunderstandings that plague the world traveler. This updated and expanded Third Edition provides even more facts, tips, and cautionary tales—gleaned from the experiences of more than five hundred international business travelers—as well as:

• Information on protocol, customs, and etiquette; hand gestures and body language; tipping; American jargon; and the international communications crisis
• Up-to-date advice on dealing with the monumental changes in Russia, Germany, Eastern Europe, the People’s Republic of China, and other locales
• A new chapter on business gift-giving and gift-receiving customs, with country-by-country gift suggestions and precautions
• A special quick reference guide to customs and mores in 96 countries, including revisions and updates from foreign embassies and consulates

Reviews (8)

A Great Resource for International Travelers
The basis of this wonderful book is to show the customs, protocol and laws in societies that may be vastly different from the society in which you live.

The book is categorized according to country, and includes cartoon type illustrations of face gestures, hand and arm gestures, and what they mean. In some countries the same gesture has a completely different meaning, which anyone who uses a lot of body language would do well to learn.

The section on Graceful Gift Giving brings valuable insight so as not to insult anyone from different lands, as gift giving is viewed in different ways according to different cultures.

Whether you are going on a business trip, or are traveling for academics or adventure overseas, it is important to learn the customs of each country.

On a personal note, if you ever go to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, do NOT sit on the rock from which Mohammed Ascended (as I innocently did to pray for world peace) because you can be murdered or jailed for that alone - unless you happen to have a professor who is fluent in Arabic that saves you from harsh penalties, which I was fortunate enough to have. ASK about the Sacred sites in Sacred lands BEFORE you attempt to touch or sit on anything.

Do's and Taboos also provides commonly used terms spelled out phonetically from many lands, so that you can converse among the locals graciously.

Highly recommended for all international travelers.
Barbara Rose, author of, 'Individual Power' and 'If God Was Like Man'

advice for the business traveler, tourist, or EFL teacher
Do's and Taboos Around the World was written in the mid-eighties for American businessmen who regularly traveled abroad meeting foreign clients. I bought this book to help teach culture shock to my Japanese EFL students, and, by and large, I am quite pleased that I have it on my shelf. Even though there is a lot less information about women than men, and some information, such as gift giving, appears to be specifically for business people, there is enough general information about many different countries' cultures to make interesting reading. The chapter on body language and gestures appeared to be well researched, and my students were able to learn many things from teaching material that I made using the book as a reference. There may be some people who would read Do's and Taboos and say that the author has distilled a nation's people to a simple stereotype, and to a point I wouldn't be able to disagree with that. However, if I ever found myself in the company of people whose culture I were ignorant of, it would be nice to be able to scan this book for do's, taboos, likes and dislikes, and give myself a reasonable introduction on what I might be likely to encounter. This book is most useful for business travelers, but it is also useful for tourists and travelers, or anyone living in a culture other than their own.

A wonderful guide to the do's and taboos around the world!
No book is more need then this book in question, e.g., Do's and Taboos Around the World by Roger E. Axtell (Editor). Especially since we are becoming a global village where business knows no bounds and a savvy traveller should be prepared for anything and everything. For instance, in this book, Mr. Axtell guides the unitiated businesman in the art of dining, and says that yes one should eat everything that is being served by the host, e.g., if monkeys brain or sheeps eyes, are the culinary specialty or considerd heute couture in your host country; then one is obliged to go ahead and eat it. Since, not parktaking in the feasting on the speciality or heute couture can be seen as a major snub, cultural elitism or even worst the host feeling as if his guests viewied their dish as something barbaric that only cavemen or wild dogs eat. I loved the book and I can not wait to try some local specialities since diversity of food, culture and customs is the spice of life.

Dos and Taboos
This title offered so much promise. I was really looking forward to reading it and ofcourse decided to start by checking the two countries I know really well, Australia and Japan. Well disappointment just isn't strong enough. How can you trust a book that makes major errors when talking about cultures that you know? Frankly, I can not recommend this book to anyone given the inaccurate out dated infomation I found in the two countries I know really well... Surely there are better books on foreign cultures than this. If not it is not suprizing that Americans have difficulty in understanding people from other countries!

To do or not to do
I bought both this book and Axtell's 'Gestures' to help with research I am carrying out. I have not read either from cover to cover yet, as I have been brought to a confusing full stop. In 'Gestures' I am told that in Egypt one should eat everything on the plate, and yet in 'Do's and Taboos' I am told that it is impolite to eat everything! There is also a discrepency in the meaning of the 'two finger tap' - in 'Gestures' this means 'let's be together' but in 'Do's and Taboos' it is rude and indicates either that a couple are sleeping together or that you are being invited to sleep with the tapper! With anomolies such as these appearing just from the first country I have looked at, I feel I cannot take any of the information offered as reliable. The books are therefore, in my view, only to be considered as light reading giving a very rough overview but bearing in mind that there are errors which could lead to very embarrassing situations - and the whole reason for buying the books was to avoid such situations. ... Read more

Book Description

The foreign exchange (FOREX) market used to be the exclusive arena for professional currency traders and major financial institutions. With the barriers to this market now removed, you too can participate and profit from currency trading–but first you must learn how.

In Currency Trading: How to Access and Trade the World’s Biggest Market, expert trading veteran Philip Gotthelf provides a cutting-edge and comprehensive overview of the largest market in the world–where currency trading volume exceeds $1 trillion daily–and shows you how to take advantage of the fluctuations within currency markets to reap enormous rewards.

Currency Trading is filled with in-depth insights and valuable advice that any level of currency trader can appreciate. Numerous real-world examples and case studies help drive each point home in a straightforward, no-nonsense manner. Topics discussed include:

• The principle of "parity" and how to master it
• How currency markets such as futures, options, Interbank, and forwards work
• Events that affect currency value–from interest rates to a country’s economic position
• Forecasting using fundamental and technical analysis
• Basic to advanced trading strategies for currency markets
• How to avoid scams and take advantage of legal manipulations within currency markets

The dynamics and rules of currency trading are constantly changing. There is no point in following the outdated advice of "experts." Currency Trading offers practical information which will allow you to cultivate your own views of currency trading, sharpen your skills, and ultimately, draw your own conclusions on where, when, and how to trade almost any currency–from U.S. Dollars to Euros. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Thanks Disappointed and Disgusted from Northern California
The author spends way too much time explaining basic economic indicators that should be basic knowledge for any investor. After I read another review that outlined the blundering editorial mistakes, I had to see for myself. All true! I cannot continue reading this text... How can anyone who makes this many conspicuous mistakes get a book deal much less be right about anything? Not worth the $70 price tag!

Great book to start with!
As the author of the book "Futures For Small Speculators" I tend to be very critical of books that discuss my industry. Although this book had a few editorial mistakes, Mr.Gotthelf still did a solid job of getting his point across. For a beginner this is a great start. For more indepth analysis I would go to Mr. Cornelius Luca's books.

Hastily slapped together, poorly written, sloppily edited
It appears that Gotthelf dictated much of this book into a tape recorder, some far-away typist created the manuscript, and nobody bothered to read or edit the final result. How else to explain that "Jim Ellis is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Oracle" on p.43 (I thought it was Larry Ellison)? These sorts of editorial lapses are rife throughout the book.

To name but a few examples, Fig 6.5 caption says "Cash Currency trading screen" but it's actually a bar chart of Yen futures (p.124)

The data for Figure 8.11 (a perpetual contracts bar chart of Yen) is presented with the caption of Figure 8.10 ("Soybeans futures monthly chart"). No soybeans chart is presented at all; instead, a Nikkei futures chart mysteriously appears (p. 212)

Figure 8.41 is printed upside down! (p.236). Honestly. This is perhaps the ultimate insult to the reader and ought to be a source of acute embarrassment to the editor and author.

Academy Award nominee James Caan, with two a's, will be amused to read p. 89 which states "... has been depicted in fiction such as the movie Rollerball starring James Cann" with two n's.

Those who buy the book believing it may deliver on the dustjacket's promise "How to trade the world's biggest market" will receive a disappointment. The only trading strategy Gotthelf reveals is "Go Long when price crosses above a moving average, Go Short when price crosses below a moving average." Then he regurgitates standard methods of creating a synthetic position using options. There is absolutely nothing new here.

No review would be complete without mentioning Gotthelf's mysterious concept of Parity. First he tells you it's "a ratio that always equals one" (page 24). Next he tells you "there are no exact relationships" in FOREX (page 32), leaving you to wonder how Parity could always equal one if there are no exact relationships. Then he muddles through two hundred more pages and eventually you, the reader, decode the fact (which Gotthelf never bothers to state exactly) that his "Parity" actually means "Equilibrium". Great. But where's the insight?

I own several other Wiley Finance books and all of them have wonderful quotes from important figures in the trading world, in the form of testimonials and gushing recommendations on the rear dustjacket. Kaufman's "Trading Systems and Methods" has five, Hill and Pruitt's "The Ultimate Trading Guide" has four, Ryan Jones's "The Trading Game" has five, Sweeney's "Maximum Adverse Excursion" has three, et cetera ad nauseum. But this currency book by Gotthelf has exactly zero quotes on the dustjacket. No recommendations, no congratulations, no endorsements. I suggest you follow the advice of everyone who DIDN'T write a recommendation for Gotthelf's book: stay away.

Soros's Resource
OK, I don't know if Soros used this resource, but he probably would have enjoyed it. This is a classic for anyone who wants to engage in serious trading or speculation in the foreign exchange markets. This book entertains as it illustrates. One caveat is convertibility risk detailed in Tavakoli's book on "Credit Derivatives". We saw this happen in several Latin American countries, Iran, and more, and that effects settlement on foreign exchange and foreign exchange options. Another product Tavakoli writes about is credit default contingent foreign exchange. One can speculate and earn big premiums, but the risk is difficult to evaluate. ... Read more

Book Description

The primary colors of oil today are money (lots of it), technology (basic but demanding) and people (special ones). The colors of the rainbow can be seen in the 100+ oil producing countries. There are a dozen large petroleum producing and exporting countries. Yet most have little in their history that links them to wealth, technology and management. Corruption among the elite and governments, mismanagement and the squandering of the petroleum wealth are endemic. Culture is everything, and no other human endeavor makes this as pointedly obvious as the world of petroleum. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Best overall view of a powerful industry
Michael Economides and Ron Oligney have taken the world of "big oil" and made all of its components easy to understand and an entertaining read for those with industry knowledge and for those without any oil industry background. From the history to the current politics to technical explanations for exploration and drilling technologies, the entire book brings all of the elements of oil together and logically tells the story of a business that the entire world is dependent upon for survival. A great read considering the current issues with oil prices.

At last! Clear thinking and writing about a murky industry
With a one-two punch of factual data and anecdotal stories, Economides and Oligney peel open the somewhat dark and mysterious ways of petroleum in modern culture and commerce. It was particularly fascinating (and somewhat gratifying) to read how the oil industry's own political self-dealing for the first half of the twentieth-century (always with the more-than-willing assistance of supposedly populist politicians) nearly led to its own demise in the 1970s and 80s... And, the impact of those lessons in the so far relatively laissez faire 90s and 00s and into the next century.

I am somewhat baffled by the assertions of reviewer Stephen Mark, especially about the book's "extremely political" and "ungrammatical" nature. If anything, The Color of Oil exposes the foibles of politics and is an appeal to reason, which of course, is essentially (in the truest sense) apolitical. I found the book well-written and entertaining. Check out the anecdote about Stalin's admonition to his oil minister during WWII: "if Hitler gets one drop of oil, we will shoot you..." I won't give the rest away...

If you're the least bit interested in the oil industry, you are in for a real treat...

Not that interesting
I have been dragging my feet to finish reading this book. It is not well-organized and full of opinions without solid arguments. Therefore, it is dry and hard to read. To the author's credit, a lot is covered in this thin book. If it had been expanded, the reader could have enjoyed it more.

Too Heavy-Handed
Overall this is a decent book about the energy business, but could do with a little more fact and a lot less opinion. The attacks on the environmentalists and other critics of the oil industry are a distraction and add about zero value to ones overall understanding of the business.

A Great Page Turner!
When a colleague suggested I read this book I was expecting a really bland read. Boy, was I surprised! This book is very well written and filled with lots of good and interesting information. A newer book that goes into great detail on oil economics, reserves, etc. and vulnerabilities post-9/11 is Terrorism & Oil by Neal Adams. It's a real eye-opener. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume is both a lively introduction and practical guide to the main concepts and problems of intercultural communication. Viewed from within the framework of interactive sociolinguistics associated with Tannen, Gumperz, and others, the authors focus in particular on the discourse of westerners and of Asians, the discourse of men and women, corporate discourse and the discourse of professional organizations, and intergenerational discourse.

In this newly revised edition, the first chapter now includes a section that sets out the authors' distinction between cross-cultural communication and intercultural communication. Another section outlines the methodology of ethnography that is the practical basis of the authors' research. In the new final chapter, the authors return to this methodology and show how they and others have been able to use it and this book to do new research in intercultural communication and how this work has been used in conducting training and consultation programs.

While making use of research in pragmatics, discourse analysis, organizational communication, social psychology, and the ethnography of communication, this book presents students, researchers, and practitioners with a comprehensive and unified framework for the analysis of intercultural discourse. ... Read more

Book Description

Time series analysis has undergone many changes during recent years with the advent of unit roots and cointegration. This textbook by G. S. Maddala and In-Moo Kim is based on a successful lecture program and provides a comprehensive review of these topics as well as structural change. G. S. Maddala is one of the most distinguished writers of graduate and undergraduate econometrics textbooks today and Unit Roots, Cointegration and Structural Change represents a major contribution that will be of interest both to specialists and graduate and undergraduate students. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

modern econometrics with latest developments
This is a book on specialized topics in econometric modeling. Like Franses recent book it deals with ARIMA models with unit roots and advances in the theory of cointegration. This book is somewhat advanced but is perfect for the right audience, the statisticians and econometricians that deal with time series modeling (univariate and multivariate ) and structural equation modeling.

The asymptotic theory is well covered but the unique feature of the book is that it points out that the asymptotics can give very poor approximations in small to moderate sample sizes. The authors provide alternatives including the use of the bootstrap for standard error estimates, confidence bounds and hypothesis testing (particularly tests for unit roots).

It is clear and covers the important literature. Much like Franses book it covers bootstrap and Bayesian methods and really does provide a current and useful approach to important problems and methodology in econometrics.

It could be used for a special topics graduate course or as a supplement to a graduate course in econometrics.

Excellent Book
Excellent book

This one of the best book about cointegration.

Intuition behind modern time series analysis
This book is extremely well written. It gives a good intuition behind unit roots and cointegration. It tells us to be critical when it comes to unit roots and cointegration; they are not very powerful in a statistical sense. The authors warn of using such techniques blindly. This book is a good start for an intuitive feel after a tough Time Series course where one is all entangled in sophisticated statistical techniques.It is also a good book for the professional economist not very knowlegeable in time series econometrics. I personally learned a lot from that book and it increased my critical capacity when it comes to econometrics.

A good reference

The book by Maddala and Kim is a very good and relativelynontechnical pointer to the time series literature on unit roots andcointegration. The book is meant to be used as a reference, not readas a text.

Maddala and Kim do a good job of discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the myriad unit root and cointegration tests that have appeared in recent years. If you want to know more about the asymptotic theory, then refer to _Time Series Analysis_ by Hamilton or read the original journal articles.

For a more balanced review of the Maddala and Kim book, one might also take a look at the book review written by Heather Anderson in the December 1999 issue of the Economic Record. END

the worst book I have ever had!
I was required to read this book as a part of my field course in econometrics. The book is full of mistakes, especially on asymptotic distributions of estimators. Since the properties of these estimators of unit root tests depend on those asymptotic distributions, this kind of mistake is crucial. Also, the results they derive are sometimes misleading and other times even outright wrong! This book is a mere survey of papers other people wrote and not a good one at that. In summary, do not spend your money on this book! ... Read more

Book Description

Growing world trade has helped lift living standards around the world, and yet free trade is always under attack by opponents. Critics complain that trade forces painful economic adjustments, such as plant closings and layoffs of workers, and charge that the World Trade Organization serves the interests of corporations, undercuts domestic environmental regulations, and erodes America's sovereignty. Why has global trade become so controversial? Does free trade deserve its bad reputation? In Free Trade under Fire, Douglas Irwin sweeps aside the misconceptions that litter the debate over trade and gives the reader a clear understanding of the issues involved. This second edition includes a new chapter on trade and developing countries and updates the entire text to deal with new issues such as outsourcing and steel tariffs.

Book Description

Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital, now available in paperback, presents a novel interpretation of the good and bad times in the economy, taking a long-term perspective and linking technology and finance in an original and convincing way.

Carlota Perez draws upon Schumpeter’s theories of the clustering of innovations to explain why each technological revolution gives rise to a paradigm shift and a ‘New Economy’ and how these ‘opportunity explosions’, focused on specific industries, also lead to the recurrence of financial bubbles and crises. These findings are illustrated with examples from the past two centuries: the industrial revolution, the age of steam and railways, the age of steel and electricity, the emergence of mass production and automobiles, and the current information revolution/knowledge society.

By analyzing the changing relationship between finance capital and production capital during the emergence, diffusion and assimilation of new technologies throughout the global economic system, this seminal book sheds new light on some of the most pressing economic problems of today. ... Read more

Book Description

Twenty-one sets of twenty-one ideas, activities and tips drawn from decades of international practical experience

Making participation real requires workshops, training and learning that are themselves participatory. This sourcebook presents the results of the author's vast experience in the form of twenty-one sets of ideas, activities and tips, both serious and fun, for topics such as getting started, seating, forming groups, managing large numbers, analysis, feedback, evaluation and ending.

From the Preface: "This is for all who try to help others learn and change... There is something here for participatory teachers and trainers; for organizers, moderators and facilitators who want their conferences and workshops to be interactive; for staff in training institutes who want to enliven their courses; for faculty and teachers in universities, colleges and schools who would like to enable students to do more of their own analysis; and for those engaged in management training who want to widen their repertoire." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Single best volume
I have taught facilitation for 20 years and maintain an extended bibliography of available books. If someone said they can buy only one book as a resource in facilitating, I would recommend this one. It is a remarkable collection of exercises, tools, strategies, and tips. ... Read more

Book Description

Of all the terrorist movements since World War II that had any realistic potential to form a national government, only one was decisively defeated on the battleground of ideas.Sendero Luminoso, the Shining Path, arose in Peru in 1980. It was distinguished by both the radicalism of its Maoist ideology and the viciousness of its tactics.An American diplomat, Bernard Aronson, called the Shining Path the most murderous guerilla group ever to operate in the Western Hemisphere and compared them to the Khmer Rouge.At one point this group commanded eighty thousand followers--two-thirds the size of Great Britain's standing army--and was the single largest political organization in the country.

The task of making the Shining Path politically irrelevant was accomplished primarily by ideological means.Hernando de Soto offered an alternative vision of Peru's poor. Rather than see them as the proletariat, he showed that they were in fact budding entrepreneurs whose greatest desire was not to bring down the market economy but to join it. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Excellent Analysis of History, Politics, and Reality
Unlike most political theorists, de Soto has actually gone out and dug up evidence for his work. He starts with an excellent history of Peru, and shuns the concept that those who operate outside the law are necessarily criminals. Indeed, when his Institute for Liberty and Democracty attempted to _follow_ the law to set up a small business, they found out that it was literally impossible!

This book makes many excellent arguments for the removal of many layers of government, and shows the predictable results when government attempts to fix itself with more government.

De Soto as a modern day Adam Smith?
In many ways, I am disappointed that I read this book after reading de Soto's other book, "The Mystery Of Capital". Both this and his other book largely contain the same ideas, but "The Other Path" focuses more intently on de Soto's experiences in Peru rather attempting to answer a very broad question. Because "The Other Path" focuses on squarely on Peru, it can more completely chronicle how his ideas have been used to better the lot of poor Peruvians, and have contributed to the defeat of Sendero Luminoso.

I would have preferred it if the book did not purport to be a general answer to terrorism. While his ideas are very applicable with respect to Maoist revolutionaries attempting to (in theory) uplift the poor, they seem less relevant to "non-economic" terrorists, such as certain rich scions of Saudi families that fly airplanes into buildings, for example. But that is a minor point.

A Devastating Critique of Centrally Planned Economies
The original version of this book was written in the mid-80's to offer the people and government of Peru specific suggestions to combat Sendero Luminoso by making it possible for ordinary people to have a productive and meaningful participation in the nation's economy. This new printing includes a preface written in 2002 that provides the context and history for non-Peruvian readers and gives some analysis of the successes of the suggested reforms under the Fujimori government.

The first part of the book is a detailed analysis of three sectors of the Peruvian economy: housing, transport, and trade (small manufacturing and retail primarily). In each of these, De Soto demonstrates how the barriers raised by regulation and legal process from both right and left wing governments in Peru have forced the majority of persons participating to do so in informal/illegal ways. The result is that formal activity bears the brunt of taxation and informals have little protection in terms of property rights, contractual instruments, and so on. The net result is that everyone is impoverished. This section of the book can be tough reading because of the amount of detail, but its necessary in order to understand the importance of the second half.

The second half suggests that the Peruvian situation is really the reemergence of mercantilism, not a market economy. De Soto then provides some suggestions to peacefully transitiont to a market economy, and convincing warnings that failure to do so will almost certainly result in a violent transition.

The points that De Soto makes are increasingly significant to non-Peruvians as societies like America have increasingly centralised economies. Ironically, the cover includes blurbs from both Presidents Bush and Clinton. One suspects that netiher of them actually read the book.

Agreed -- would have been better first
I agree that this book would have been more interesting if read before Mystery, but now the mystery is gone.

This is good stuff just the same.

Lots of good points that are useful in a classroom.

Really worth 4.5 Stars
I enjoyed this book but was spoiled because I first read "The Mystery of Capital" and then this. This book's stats are somewhat outdated because so much has happened in the last 15-20 years, which takes away from the crispness of the argument, but the argument is still apparent and sound. Although I agree that eliminating government red tape to let more people become a part of the economic system and therefore become plugged into the benefits of the system (eg, a legal work address for customers to reach you at, legal recognition so to advertise, etc.) and thereby allow government to collect more taxes so to (hopefully) put more money toward fighting social problems; I hope de Soto agrees that the economic answer to terroism is not the only answer. Stregthening the economic infrastructure is a strong part of the answer, but much more is also needed for some people to not desire to kill other people, and that may be something which can never be had. Although I would say "The Mystery of Capital" is a must read, this is nonetheless a great supplement to "The Mystery of Capital". ... Read more

Book Description

Today's most exciting trend in the shopping center industry is the creation of retail entertainment destinations. This book describes how the industry has evolved, best practices in development, and how this concept has been incorporated into mixed-use, town center, and shopping center projects in the U.S., Germany, Hungary, and the Philippines. ... Read more

Book Description

International Marketing 2002 Update is a completely up-to-date text for one of the most dynamic upper level and graduate courses in the marketing department today. It offers the entire range of international marketing beginning with start-up operations, continuing with new market entry considerations and concluding with the international issues confronting giant global marketers. Special emphasis in this edition is given to the impact technology has had on the marketing world in the past few years. This edition also includes updated vignettes within the chapter as well as brand new video cases! ... Read more

Book Description

When Corporations Rule the World explains how economic globalization has concentrated the power to govern in global corporations and financial markets and detached them from accountability to the human interest. It documents the devastating human and environmental consequences of the successful efforts of these corporations to reconstruct values and institutions everywhere on the planet to serve their own narrow ends. It also reveals why and how millions of people are acting to reclaim their political and economic power from these elitist forces and presents a policy agenda for restoring democracy and rooting economic power in people and communities. This new edition is expanded with new information, including a new preface, a new introduction, a new chapter on The Global Democracy Movement, and a new epilogue. ... Read more

Reviews (49)

Thank you David Korten
No book or university course has provided me such a concise description with compelling examples, measures and details of the workings and history of the global economy.

The title could have been simply "Corporations Rule the World".

First and foremost, the book provides a foundation for thinking about sustainable business, ones' role in society, day-to-day habits and our collective need to create a future for our children.

Take note, however, that the book is worth a read in a very pragmatic and personal way, as a primer for investors.

I was given the book on Aug 17 '98 and finished it by the 22nd. In recent years, I had placed all of my hard earned cash, and some inheritence from hardworking grandparents -- for convenience sake -- in the hands of fund managers dealing in "blue chip" companies in the global equity markets. Understanding something from Kortens' book, and his apt description of the world now around us...I sold all of those equities and funds on the 24'th. The markets collapsed on the 25'th. I'll go back to directing my own investments with the cash I've saved -- thanks to a timely reading of Korten's informative book.

Kortens' work is as brilliant as a Hitchcock movie -- providing space for the reader to fill in the "gaps", to "get" his global picture in a personal way. Korten avoids confronting readers with the simple statement that WE ARE corporations. We ARE government and we ARE civil society -- however healthy or sick...

Having said that, Korten's book is entertaining and frightening because he is fact-based and truthful.

Unlike other Amazon.com book reviewers, I generally accept and enjoy pondering Korten's ideas.

I volunteer and commit to spend my rare time on this planet to forward Korten's kind of agenda for people-centered development. There's no point having kids and no way to sleep at night, without wisdom and change.

I'll invest in new forms of global business opportunity, based on Korten's wisdom and call for change. I'll start by changing myself, to make my actions consistent with my words, to make my words consistent with such wisdom as Korten's and to make my business work towards a healthy tomorrow.

Thank you, David Korten.

When Corporations Rule the World
Author David C. Korten addresses some of the main issues affecting the global environment today. In my opinion, anyone who considers him/herself an environmentally conscious person should read this book to broaden his or her sense of environmental thinking. Korten touches upon the issues and concerns that have driven the thoughts and arguments of many people in the past that are concerned with the future. These are such things as human population numbers increasing at such a high rate, which Paul Erlich has written about in the past, to a new line of thinking dominated by the notion that corporations, and more importantly money, is at the root of all environmental problems.
He mentions that only the rich countries can focus on economic growth. I think there is a lot of truth to that. If you can put yourself in a poor and developing country and see what they see and do, and do what they do to survive, there is no way that your main concern is going to be economic growth when it is difficult just to put food on the table. Korten gets at the root of the problem by blaming corporations that are just seeking money. Many of the big global corporations today make most of the pollution today, especially in developed nations like those of Europe and the U.S. These developed and commercialized corporations produce their excessive amount of waste and force underprivileged nations and environmentally concerned citizens to clean it up because it is more economically advantageous to do so.
The leaders of these corporations are also in a tight spot. The CEOs of these big companies are put there for only one reason and that is to further the company by making as much money as they can for the board members and stockholders. If these CEOs fail to come up with new and innovative ways to make money they get fired and are out of luck. In a way the positions of the CEOs and citizens of poorer countries show an unusual similarity. The CEOs are considered some of the wealthiest people in the world but in their civil society they are doing what they have to in order to keep their job and maintain a certain way of life. The citizens of developing countries care about the environment but, in their situations, it is one of the only expendable things they have access to. They are also doing what they have to in order to survive in their respective civil society.
So if environmental problems like deforestation and overpopulation are to be solved, these two very different, but somewhat similar, civil societies must come to each other's aid and work together. Right now the only thing that is really happening is that poor nations are using up their natural resources and destroying ecosystems in order to supply companies like Chiquita Bananas with enough product to make a profit. While doing this, the workers of the poor nations barely get enough money to live off of and often times are forced to make their children work at a young age in order to eat. The idea of globalization is often thought of as a bad thing because people say that the rich countries are forcing their way of life on to others. That is true, but if globalization can be changed to mean that the entire globe works together to solve the environmental drama facing this planet today, it is a step in the right direction towards a healthy Mother Earth.

The Long Road to Democracy
By far, the most comprehensive, well-researched, incisive documentation of systemic corporate abuse available. When Corporations Rule is not simply a litany of profligate corporate excess, though. Korten explains the dysfunctional logic of our system, outlines the horrendous consequences for community and environment, and provides clear, cogent plans of action to create real democracy and awaken culturally.

We always harangue socialism as an "extreme ideology," but as Korten makes clear capitalism is also an extreme ideology. Socialism concentrates power in a centralized government, creating unsupportable social and environmental costs. Capitalism concentrates power in huge private institutions (the modern multinational corporation), which also have enormous social and environmental costs. Both advance the concentration of rights of ownership without limit, to the exclusion of the needs and rights of the many who own virtually nothing. And as Korten shows, the impoverished many are growing.

As of 1992, the richest 20 percent of the global population received as much as 82.7 percent of the total world income. The poorest 20 percent received 1.4 percent. These figures indicate growing economic inequality, which is has become even more pronounced in the last decade. In 1998, the world's top three billionaires totaled more assets than the combined GNP of all the least developing countries and their 600 million people. Of the world's 6 billion people, 2.8 - that is, nearly half - were living on less than 2 dollars a day. Some 1.2 billion of that half lived on less than a dollar a day.

Inside America - the global economic trendsetter - this growing inequality that we see between nations is mirrored in microcosm. In fact, inequality and hardship is even more exaggerated in the Land of the Free. The wealthiest 10 percent now own almost 90 percent of all business equity, 88.5 percent of all bonds, and 89.3 percent of all stocks. In 1999, the total compensation of U.S. corporate CEOs was 475 times the average production worker's pay; and 29 percent of all U.S. workers were in jobs paying poverty level wages, defined as an hourly wage too low to meet the needs of a family of four. Moreover, with each new mega-merger and corporate takeover, more capital, power and control are concentrated in these already mammoth institutions. What ever happened to the anti-trust laws?

These are just a few of the statistics sited in the book, but When Corporations Rule offers more than statistical analysis. With laser precision, Korten essays economic and political history, uncovering the reasons for these global trends: including the illusion of growth, the loss of governmental oversight in the affairs of corporations, the rise of the Newtonian mechanical worldview and its subsequent devaluation of spiritual values, etc. His critique of globalization is absolutely stunning: including the effects of NAFTA, and the general policies of the WTO, the WB and the IMF. Finally, his call for localism, activism, spiritualism and an ecological awakening are inspiring and timely.

Not a stone goes uncovered. The failure of development strategies for the Third World (his stated specialty), critical discussion of traditional economic theory, the rise of PR, global poverty, currency speculation and corporate raiding, downsizing, contracting labor, automating, the loss of the small farm, the effects of Walmart and the like, ecological collapse, the coming Ecological Revolution, sustainability, socially responsible investment, systems theory, urban design, history of the current globalization protest movement, a detailed agenda for democratic change - these and so many other important issues are weaved together in a remarkable argument that will shock, sober and move you. I cannot think of a more important book for those who still have faith in the global economy. This troubled planet needs more Kortens. Bravo!

Pulling the props from under the propaganda
This very succinct and very clear account of global capitalism run wild does the job where most leftist accounts of their subject too often suffer addled brain syndrome due to Hegelian brain rot. All it takes is a few pokes. Gosh, I had no idea the limited liability joint stock corporation was a problem, like the now passe institution of monarchy. The regime of mass media is so constant in its effect that we are already filled with sound bite refutations of the obvious facts of the case. And conventional economists are usually in recovery from their neo-classical college degree. At first sight the treatment appears lightweight and the text doesn't seem to amount to much, but within a few pages the relatively loose argument does its job. Take as a vitamin supplement for couch potato syndrome, or the daily newsspeak. Nice.

It's not When, they do. Good overview of the concerns.
The fact that transnational corporations and their agendas have come to dominate cultural, political, and economic life on a global scale can hardly be disputed. These powerful corporations have used national governments and government-created international bodies to create a legislative and institutional regime that accedes to and actively promotes and implements a "free-market" ideology. This book is largely concerned with detailing the tremendous costs to the political, economic, and social fabric of the entire global community as corporations have become ever more capable under this ideological regime in extracting wealth and generating huge profits on a worldwide basis. The author sees poverty, social and political disintegration, and environmental degradation as the main consequences of this global corporate ascendance.

The ability of corporations to penetrate the political and cultural sectors of our society is hardly a late twentieth century phenomenon. Despite the founders' efforts to contain corporations by explicit and revocable state charters, emerging industrialists in the post-Civil War era became powerful enough to sway legislators and the judiciary to act in their behalf. Not only did corporations generally gain rights to perpetuity, but the Supreme Court declared corporations to be legal persons entitled to the same rights as ordinary citizens, in addition to limited liability. By the late 1920s capitalism had largely emerged triumphant over worker and community interests. Consumerism was instilled as the only legitimate avenue for realizing individualized "freedom."

According to the author, a form of democratic pluralism existed among the civil, governmental, and market sectors of society in the post-WWII era, but any such sectorial accommodation was mostly an aberration that came about only because of the necessity to solve the twin crises of the Great Depression (caused by corporate-led economic excess) and WWII. Any social accord that may have existed was shredded as corporations, backed by the Reagan administration, renewed their assault on the working class and relentlessly pursued self-interested global strategies. Over the last two decades, middle-class jobs have been lost, median pay has stagnated, and austerity has been imposed on the less fortunate as a profound upward redistribution of wealth and income has occurred.

Globally, the structural adjustment measures forced upon developing nations by the World Bank and the IMF to qualify for loans, ripped the fabric of those societies and have actually increased indebtedness to First World bankers. Trade agreements and administrative bodies, such as the NAFTA and the WTO, are designed to eliminate local restrictions on investments by international firms and barriers to the free movement of goods between nations. The freedom for capital to move freely among nations has also fueled rampant financial speculation unrelated to productive investment. Unconscionably, American taxpayers have been forced to bailout those engaged in extracting wealth from the developing world.

Free market ideology is used to justify the gutting of the social and legal structures of nations. But it is a disingenuous view. Free market activities posited by Adam Smith involve local, individual economic actors, none of whom have the power to control the marketplace. Unregulated market activities by huge economic entities can result in market coercion. For example, monopolistic firms can externalize costs, that is, they are powerful enough to force societies to pay for the social and environmental side-effects of their activities. For example, labor and environmental regulations are often ignored with impunity with society picking up the pieces.

The impact of corporations acting as legal persons cannot be overemphasized. Corporations overwhelm actual citizen political participation and free speech by the extent and intensity of their political lobbying and media controlling efforts. Corporations and the rich, in a form of legalized bribery, basically fund political campaigns. They also heavily sway public opinion through public relations front organizations, conservative think-tanks, and the control of the major media. The dependency of the media on advertising dollars virtually guarantees presentation of views that are compatible with corporate interests, not to mention the fact that the huge media empires are themselves transnational corporations with no interest in harming broader corporate interests.

As the author indicates, corporations have largely "colonized" the common culture. Television is the main media outlet for the inculcation of business-friendly values, which emphasizes the avid pursuit of consumption. Even political activity has become mostly the marketing of pleasing candidates. The message is incessantly and subtly delivered that a free market system is self running and stabilizing and needs little or no political interference. Of course, the reality is far different. Corporations have infiltrated government at all levels with the sole purpose of ensuring that governments take an active role in supporting the corporate agenda, or pro-business regulation. In addition, gover