Export-management Books

Since India has a distinct culture from the US, I expected to receive some useful guidance from this book. It is very elementry - just remember to be polite and you will do better than you would by following this book's suggestions. Not worth the money or the weight in my luggage.

A word of caution: This book is not terribly useful for business travel in India. I spent 2 months in Delhi and didn't bother to check the publication date of this book. It is dated, to put it lightly.

There are a few useful tips in this little book (mostly about business/social interaction). However, I found that the main cultural differences in business were clear after the first week of being there--no book could have prepared me. India is an incredibly vast and varied country; no one general guide can smooth the transition.

If you're going to India to travel, the lonely planet or eyewitness guides will do you some good (really good if you're planning to visit out-of-the-way places). If you're going to India on business, then I'd suggest simply chatting with your Indian co-workers before or upon your arrival. Most likely they'll give you a better idea of what to expect; also, their advice will be tailored to your type of business and, more specifically, to the people with whom you'll be working.

As with all people and places--we're unique. Allow your Indian experience to be unique too.

This is a compact book with a lot of useful information. However, while reading this portable guide, or similar sources, it is important to keep in mind that the given information is the author's subjective view, which might not be accurate. For example, either in order to make the book more entertaining or due to misleading research, Mitchell writes, "On an historical note: In Communism's heyday, many Russians gave children such inspirational names as Tractor, Melor (an acronym for Marx, Engles, Lenin, October Revolution) or even Ninel (a girl's name that is actually Lenin spelled backwards)." It is true that in the most remote locations during the pinnacle of Communist ideology that there were a few instances of people being named in this way. However, to say that "many" Russians named their children this way is completely untrue. A few Russian people of older generations who lived all of their lives in Russia said that they never heard any of these names.

The information that the author provides on typical Russian women's attire and appearance also differs from reality. Mitchell states, "High fashion for Russian women tends toward very high heels, tight dresses (often too much Tatiana or Luda stuffed into too little material), heavy makeup and big hair. Wealthy mutton invariably dresses as lamb - a sight that often takes some getting used." Those who traveled to major Russian cities in recent years would disagree with the author's perception. Perhaps the author lacked the company of other kind of ladies.

At a certain point the author describes how many young women in Russia are hired to work in businesses based on their looks rather than on their credentials and skills. Although it is possible to find such job advertisements, they are certainly not as common as the author would have us believe. Russian women have been actively participating in the workforce since the beginning of the 20th century and often have held the same positions as men. The author also mentions that work advertisements often specify that a young woman should be "prepared to perform other duties related to client entertainment..." Then he proceeds, "...But this should come as no surprise in a country that once held televised vacuum cleaner races to celebrate International Women's Day - a day meant to honor the contribution of women to world culture."

Mitchell probably did not conduct enough research on this matter. In 1910 at the International Conference of Women Socialists in Copenhagen, Klara Tsetkin, the well-known German revolutionary, suggested dedicating the 8th of March to International Women's Day. This holiday signifies the international solidarity of women in a struggle for economic, social and political equality. It was first celebrated in Europe in 1911, and in Russia in 1913. Russian women received equal rights in the second decade of the century, while in the U.S. equal rights for women began to appear only in 1970s with Affirmative Action legislation (Or with Equal Rights legislation?).

The author's comment about the "vacuum cleaner races" as a questionable means of celebrating womens' contributions, simply demonstrates the perspective that the author chose to portray it in, i.e. humorous. In reality, March 8th is a holiday in Russia where all women receive flowers from their sons, fathers, brothers, husbands, and male friends. Men try to do something special for the women in their lives on this day. The 8th of March has always been one of the most beautiful holidays in Russia.

Overall, the book is a fun portable guide, which does contain valuable information. However a Russian person reading this book would disagree with many of authors' comments. A Russian person would likely note that the book is not judgment-free and often pokes fun at Russian culture rather than describing it. The conclusion is - use several sources to prepare for your business trip to Russia.

This is a compact book with a lot of useful information. However, while reading this portable guide, or similar sources, it is important to keep in mind that the given information is the author's subjective view, which might not be accurate. For example, either in order to make the book more entertaining or due to misleading research, Mitchell writes, "On an historical note: In Communism's heyday, many Russians gave children such inspirational names as Tractor, Melor (an acronym for Marx, Engles, Lenin, October Revolution) or even Ninel (a girl's name that is actually Lenin spelled backwards)." It is true that in the most remote locations during the pinnacle of Communist ideology that there were a few instances of people being named in this way. However, to say that "many" Russians named their children this way is completely untrue. A few Russian people of older generations who lived all of their lives in Russia said that they never heard any of these names.

The information that the author provides on typical Russian women's attire and appearance also differs from reality. Mitchell states, "High fashion for Russian women tends toward very high heels, tight dresses (often too much Tatiana or Luda stuffed into too little material), heavy makeup and big hair. Wealthy mutton invariably dresses as lamb - a sight that often takes some getting used." Those who traveled to major Russian cities in recent years would disagree with the author's perception. Perhaps the author lacked the company of other kind of ladies.

At a certain point the author describes how many young women in Russia are hired to work in businesses based on their looks rather than on their credentials and skills. Although it is possible to find such job advertisements, they are certainly not as common as the author would have us believe. Russian women have been actively participating in the workforce since the beginning of the 20th century and often have held the same positions as men. The author also mentions that work advertisements often specify that a young woman should be "prepared to perform other duties related to client entertainment..." Then he proceeds, "...But this should come as no surprise in a country that once held televised vacuum cleaner races to celebrate International Women's Day - a day meant to honor the contribution of women to world culture."

Mitchell probably did not conduct enough research on this matter. In 1910 at the International Conference of Women Socialists in Copenhagen, Klara Tsetkin, the well-known German revolutionary, suggested dedicating the 8th of March to International Women's Day. This holiday signifies the international solidarity of women in a struggle for economic, social and political equality. It was first celebrated in Europe in 1911, and in Russia in 1913. Russian women received equal rights in the second decade of the century, while in the U.S. equal rights for women began to appear only in 1970s with Affirmative Action legislation (Or with Equal Rights legislation?).

The author's comment about the "vacuum cleaner races" as a questionable means of celebrating womens' contributions, simply demonstrates the perspective that the author chose to portray it in, i.e. humorous. In reality, March 8th is a holiday in Russia where all women receive flowers from their sons, fathers, brothers, husbands, and male friends. Men try to do something special for the women in their lives on this day. The 8th of March has always been one of the most beautiful holidays in Russia.

Overall, the book is a fun portable guide, which does contain valuable information. However a Russian person reading this book would disagree with a many of authors' comments. A Russian person would likely note that the book is not judgment-free and often pokes fun at Russian culture rather than describing it. The conclusion is - use several sources to prepare for your business trip to Russia.

Incredibly detailed point-by-point dissection of the crisis in Asia Pacific as well as somewhat current business conditions, but at the same time incredibly boring and repetitive.

If you think this book gonna make you reach you are wrong . It's a nice written book with littel information

I am surprised by all the other negative reviews. THis is a good book on the basics of importing. It is a little general, and some is a little out of date. Good ideas, and a good start. I copied the cover so I could read some of the publishers other titles. I liked it. I also recommend Nelson, Zodl, and Weiss' books. THose are more specific with details.

This book might be nice for a pre-kindergarten reading level and someone that has absolutely no serious interest in starting an import/export business, for the others i recommend not purchasing this crap. This book will only anger you when it defines importing as follows "Importing is, basically, the opposite of exporting..." Ya don't say!? I'm still searching for another import/export book worth a flip, so far i've found my best information from digging through the U.S. customs website, better luck to the rest of ya.

The title of the book should be along the lines of starting a small business. Maybe the wrong jacket was put on it during publishing!

There is nothing in this book about importing or exporting. It is about starting a business in general and is full of information you could obtain in one average business magazine. Total waste of time.

This book should prove to be of no help to anyone. The technology recommendations are completely out of date and there is little information on Importing/Exporting. I found it a waste of time.

Although this book is published end 1998, it has many inaccuracies, especially the efforts of Malaysia's Multimedia Super Corridor. The author got many facts wrong, and he tends to be very negative of the situation. I think the contents will not give Westerners a correct view of the situation.

Although published in 1999, the facts in this book is either out of date or inaccurate. It is not worth the buy.

If only there was a choice for zero-star rating, I would have given this book what it really deserves. Bullis is so biased with his views on Malaysia's IT efforts, blinding readers with his politically-insighted views. He must have a personal vendetta against Prime Minister Mahathir's policies, and resorted to discredit him further with his biased writing. This book is total blasphemy and one-sided - so much that one might tend to believe that it was the Singapore govt engaging Bullis to discredit Malaysia. Bullis was inaccurate in his views and readers should not take them into consideration. In fact, DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK AT ALL. If you want to get a fair view on doing business in South-East Asia, go read some other book.

Thia book is out-dated.. the information it provides is to broad

this was somewhat of a disappointment. i ordered through entrepreneur magazine, and the shipped product did not seem like the same thing i read about in their magazine. i was going to photocopy it and return for a refund, but the book was so awful i forgot i had it until after the return expiration date. althoug the book is somewhat helpful, the information (especially the info regarding the type of computer needed for office) was extremely outdates. i bought this in the summer of 1999, and it mentioned something about buying a 386 computer with an 8800 bps modem. i would pass on this, and stick to the more informative and less expensive selections available in the site. many of the pages seem like photocopies or even black and white printouts from an old laser printer, the folder accompaning the information is nothing special either.

Ravenhill and Noble have edited a disappointing collection. The topic is of great importance, but the collection is shallow. This might be because it was brought together rather quickly, when the discussion of the Asian Crisis was still somewhat recent. However, the contributors do not come to grips with the long term consequences of the crisis and nor do they offer a very deep analysis of the genesis of the crisis. There is little deep discussion of over-production, global production trends, inequality or poverty. I expected more from the editors and authors.

This book is devoid of plot, though the use of 6-point type and an antiquated font (namely:82Gremlin) make this an enjoyable read, particularly if you're the kind of person who enjoys consuming toenail clippings and pizzette with prociutto. I can't suggest you read this if your intelligence roll was less than a 17, though if you have a +2 mace or the magic missile spell, you might be able to guilbault a dungeon or two.

I bought "A Guide to Doing Business in Japan" in preparation for an upcoming. month-long business trip to Japan. Having been to the island nation once before, I figured that a little brush-up on etiquette, practices, and customs couldn't hurt. This wasn't the book for that, however. "A Guide to Doing Business in Japan" is focused on helping those who want to set up businesses in Japan, not those who visit. It is very easy to read, but the information is only centered around legal issues, real estate practices, descriptions of the business calendar, and like topics. There is little to be gained here for a short trip on business.

Additionally, the book has become quite outdated. Published in 1996, it fails to cover any of the situations brought about since the Asian economic crisis and Japan's own banking system failures. It is in bad need of a refresh, and even more so a re-titling. Casual business travelers would be better off buying one of the tourist-oriented guides to Japan that demonstrate how to deal with it's people and culture.