Exports Books

This is a funny book. Concern is that the GREAT Canada is the only Western country that has people from every ethnic background, religion, race, culture and nationality living with peace. Fact that the US and UK have a huge history of racism, violence and discrimination makes Canada unique. This is hard for people like Frum and Bell to accept. Whether supporting the neocon agenda or "preserving the purity of white race" (which most European Canadians do not believe in), Bell has made an unsuccessful attempt to begin the process of poisoning Canadian politicians against growing diversity in Canada.

Fact is that whatever Canada is today, it is because of the immigrants who have brought with them unique set of skills and culture and have readily accepted the culture of others. Of course, there are hardly any natives left in the country but Bell does not mention how European Immigrants used all sorts of terror and torture tactics to take over the land that belonged to the Indians. This is evident in every organization of the country where you will only see immigrants, some who came from Europe 200 years ago, some 50 years ago or some who came from other parts of the world 25 years ago.

Canada is a country that has not only tolerated but readily and happily accepted all cultures. Perhaps this is why it remains the only major country in the World that has no problem with any other country. It has people representing minority groups (not minority for long) in Parliament, govenment organizations and private sector. This goes against the agenda of Bell and people who fund him who, with their imperialist beliefs, continue the silent propaganda of divide and rule and would like to inflict this wound to Canada as well. Unfortunately, Bell has failed in his fist attempt. Better luck next time!!

There aren't all that many terrorists. But they can do plenty of damage. The author points out that some folks are opposed to anti-terror measures, no matter what they may be. But that policy is no good. As the author reminds us, "the state's primary function is the protection of its citizens, and there is no rational defense for the kind of random violence directed at noncombatants that is the essence of terror."

That's true. And if the state refuses to defend its citizens against violence, vigilantes will try their hand at it and the society will fall further apart. Something has to be done to oppose terror if we want to have a productive society.

Well, perhaps one can appease the terrorists. But the author points out that many, if not most, terrorists are unappeasable. Instead, they relish the freedoms they enjoy in Canada as they go about trying to destroy them. Yes, Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien did, in a speech at the United Nations, "propose ending terror through foreign aid." But Bell explains that this is not going to work. I agree. In many cases, such money winds up being given to terrorists, which generally leads to more terror.

This book shows how poorly Canada has fared in dealing with the problem of terrorists within its borders. And it shows dramatically just what some of the results have been. I highly recommend it.

Stewart Bell's book is a vital contribution to the growing awareness that terrorists have penetrated and used Western societies to advance their goals. Complacency and a false understanding of tolerance in Canada has perpetuated, and continues to perpetuate, not only the political leadership's blindness to the problem, but a public discourse that can't comprehend the distinction between Islamist terrorism and Islam, allowing terrorists and their sympathizers to plead victim-hood when held to account.

I recently read an article dutifully relaying as factual the irresponsible comments of a Toronto human rights lawyer synonymizing Islamist terrorism to Mandela's ANC. This analogy is not only false--the ANC's violence was reluctant, rare, and assidiuously avoided civilian casualties while the entire object of Islamist terrorism is to maximize civilian casualties--but serves to demonize the emasculated Canadian counter-terror agencies and inhibit their ability to protect Canadian society.

The incomprehension of Canada's public, legal, and political circles of the relationship between terrorism and the networks that support them are troubling, and even more troubling after after September 11 made such issues so vitally immediate. The Canadian legal community's lack of conscience over their responsibility to civilians targeted in other countries is especially baffling. Given Canada's cultural past-time of condescending to Americans, it seems that the habit is so ingrained that it is hard to devote attention to anything else.

Bell's book details a range of failures in Canada's establishment towards terrorism, focusing on Sikh terrorism, the Sri Lankan Tamil Tigers, Hezbollah and Hamas, and lastly al-Qaeda. Complacency, appeasement, and denial are the main themes that run through the book, written in a journalist's narrative style. What is most troubling is the lack of awareness, let alone the absence of a sense of responsibility, to victims of terrorism in other countries.

This is not a uniquely Canadian phenomenon, by any means. Successive American administrations failed to treat terrorism seriously, and as anything other than a series of particular, isolated crisis management problems. Western societies in general are, by their very nature, given to infiltration and penetration by terrorist organizations.

But it is important to come to terms with this history, acknowledge failure, and move on. For Canada, this will require a different cultural attitude than what is now popular. The idea that, as Bell puts it, terrorism is a problem solved by "smothering them with niceness" can only be termed oblivious. With a Labour Party that treats terrorism as a public relations/media issue, rather than as a fundamental security threat not only to historical allies but to themselves, is frustrating to others.

As more and more terrorists--whether Tamil, Hezbollah, of al-Qaeda--are caught with Canadian passports, linked to support networks in Canada that are perceived in the world as tolerated by Canadian society, Canadian citizens must be prepared to be perceived very differently in the rest of the world.

Bell's book is more a theme with a narrative built around it, rather than a comprehensive scholarly account of this problem, but he makes the case well and in a way that is very accessible to readers.

Canadians need to read this book. We have been sanguine for too long, letting our government continue to its ostrich mentality.
Bell writes a comprehensive and coherant book on terrorist activies in Canada going on under the radar. My dismay is that it has recieved such little attention until now.

Stewart Bell, a seasoned journalist who has written on terrorism for a dozen years, has been criticized for allegedly targeting minority ethnic groups. But this is no hysterical racist on a crusade; the author is a calm, dispassionate observer who has done his research and analysis in a painstaking and objective manner. His targets are the tiny but terrifying minorities within minorities, and the politicians who tolerate and thus encourage them.

Even if one believes, as so many Canadians seem to, that Canada is an unlikely target for terrorism, it is certainly not in our interests to continue harbouring terrorism aimed not only at faraway "enemies", but at our nearest neighbour and chief trading partner. Cold Terror is a serious treatment of a vital problem for which Canadians should demand swift and decisive action.

I've just logged on especially to put this review, as this book I found amazing. I've never read anything since to compare, I'd say buy buy buy. I've already bought two copies just for friends as I insist the world needs this book. I was so devastated to read that the author is no longer with us though. That's such a shame but what a legacy he left...

Actually I bought this book accidentally. I am glad I did. When you start reading 'dangerous parking' you will not be able to stop. It's thrilling, funny, sad, creative, realistic, fantastic, strong, and much more. You will live with the main character, you'll feel with him, and for him. From time to time I just closed my eyes and let the picture flow. Great! Many thanks to Stuart Browne. To everybody: read this book!

It's impossible to offer the smallest criticism of this beautifully written, heart-rending and blindingly honest book. In facing up to his own death, the author has given us a life-enhancing work. It's far from being a depressing read. Browne has far too active a sense of humour and too much love to allow us depression. But you won't come away from it scot-free. Dangerous Parking demands that we inspect ourselves and the way we run our lives. There may be other occasions when an artist has put his entire soul into a single work, but I can't recall them. Start it knowing you won't be reading a better, or more important book, for some time.

...I read this book at the perfect time. It deals with alcoholism, death, spirituality, love, and the finding of one's purpose in this big scary world. It's cinematic, it's deep, it's lovely. Holy moly it's good. And it's not just the mian character who is finding spirituality at the end of his life, Stuart Brown poured himself into Dangerous Parking as his final act in this life. It's way too bad that he won't be writing great books for years to come.

I read this book on a family holiday in Santorini, Greece. Now, of course I know holiday reading should consist of a diet of Jackie Collins set against the gentle sound of the surf and the clink of ice in one's glass of Ouzo...and for me this holiday was meant to be a break from a stressful time. So, obviously, pick a book about an alcoholic with cancer, eh? But Stuart Browne's brilliant novel sucked me in from the beginning. I found the scenes in which he described his pain and cancer almost too real to bear, but knowing they were real for him made me feel I couldn't cop out and put the book down. I ended the book feeling as if I knew and loved him. Jackie Collins it wasn't...thank God. And thank you, Stuart, for your honesty and generosity.

"Most companies do not have the capabilities to institute the multidimensional organizations that are required by their strategies and necessary to serve their global customers. In one memorable conversation,...Chris Bartlett summed up the situation well, stating that companies pursue third-generation strategies using second-generation organizations staffed with first-generation human resources. When first-generation managers attempt to institute third-generation multidimentional organizations, they fail and attribute the failure to the organizational form, not to their lack of capability. They then call for a return to simple, first-generation organizations. These simple organizations will work if the companies follow first-generation strategies in clear and stable industries. However, if a company wants to enter complicated countries like China, create value for the global customer desiring solutions, and be competitive in converging industries, it must pursue a third-generation strategy. This book is intended for those who wish to design the third-generation organizations required by third-generation strategies...I believe in 'keeping it simple' but with two twists. First, I believe we should keep it simple for the customer; a company should work toward being easy to do business. Second, I believe we should keep it simple for front-line employees-those people with direct customer and product contact...The new mandate to keep it simple for customers and front-line employees makes management's job difficult and complex; how to organize in order to manage this complexity is addressed in this book...Some firms, like ABB, IBM, and Citigroup, believe that the winning companies are going to be those that can manage global complexity. It is for these firms that this book is written" (from the Preface).

In this context, Jay R. Galbraith:

* highlights some of the reasons for adopting a global organizational capability as well as some of the inherent challenges in doing so, and also spotlights some of the managerial and business-environment mind-set that can prevent these strategies from being embraced and employed to full advantage.

* argues that the global organizations are complex and multidimensional networks as a result of balancing many strategic factors; and then describes these factors in four categories: level of international development, amount of cross-border coordination, activity of host local institutions, and diversity of international business porfolio.

* argues that the level of international development-one of the strategic factors that influence how a company organizes its international operations-consists of three dimensions: the role of subsidiaries, the mode of participation in the local economy, and the proportion of assets and employees located outside the home country; and then defines the different types of competitive advantages, and focuses on the different levels of international development and how a firm changes from one level to another.

* argues that after exporting, the next level of international development is investment in foreign countries with a partner; and then focuses on the partnering process itself and the organizational skills-particularly the organization design.

* describes six tasks of geographical division: (1)transfer advantages from existing geography, (2)localize the success formula, (3)build a local business, (4)communicate with and educate the home country, (5)champion the new subsidiaries, (6)build international capabilities; and also describes the organizational design decisions involved in performing these tasks.

* reviews the variety of multidimensional structures chosen by companies, like Nestle, ABB, HP, and DuPont, by varying strategic factors, like fixed costs, markets, products, customers, competitors, transportability, and portfolio diversity.

* defines the lateral organization as an informational and decision-making process that coordinates activities whose components are located in different organizational units, and describes different types and amounts of lateral network coordination related to the strategic factors.

* argues that the easiest lateral organization is the informal or voluntary organization, and management's role in this self-organizing process is to create the appropriate context and remove any barriers to free-flowing contacts. In the next level, management-building on the informal networks-designs formal cross-border groups to manage shared functions, coordinate business units, and create global products; and then describes what makes the groups formal, and discusses the design issues involved in creating formal groups that coordinate across borders.

* discusses the factors that are creating transnational form as the last level of international development, and then elaborates organizational-design issues of this in an example.

* argues, the full complexity facing many companies involves simultaneously managing functions, geographies, product lines (or business units), customers, and solutions-at the very least. These companies must use multidimensional structures, with the dynamics of global business requiring that these multiple dimensions be reconfigurable. Different customers require the services of different combinations of business units and country subsidiaries; to be competitive, a company must be able to configure and reconfigure its profit centers to create value for customers. And then presents the framework for organizing around multiple dimensions, with focusing on the customer and customer solutions in cases of Citibank and IBM.

Finally, he writes,"Regardless of whether globalization continues, stalls, or even reverses, the models described in this book should continue to guide organizing choices. The most likely new level of international development will probably be a consrtium or some type of electronic or virtual combination of local companies".

I highly recommend this invaluable study.

Globalization has become such an overused buzzword that it has become nearly devoid of meaning. Here, author Jay R. Galbraith injects new precision into the concept: Going international means plenty of hard work and painstaking attention to detail. Because every company's strategy, market and competitive advantage is unique, it's impossible to define one single, perfect, organizational structure for an international business, but Galbraith provides some fascinating alternatives to consider. Although Galbraith's book is jargon-filled and dense, it is full of useful, illustrative examples. He manages to reduce international business to its simplest form: A company develops an edge, and then tries to take it abroad. This involves many challenges, which Galbraith describes in rich detail. So if your company is multinational - or wants to be - we at getAbstract recommend this book to you. It is tailor-made for executives who are involved in international business - or who hope to expand their global reach.

Background: Geography is History!! So went an advertisement from a telecom company a few years ago. And as globalization proceeds to breakdown national boundaries, open up cultures and increases access for economic activity, an awareness of this process of breakdown of geography has become a necessity for any corporation wanting to grow and flourish. Increasing size in this dynamic environment brings with it many challenges including increasing structural complexity, need for quick and seamless communication to manage this complexity, as well as an ability to assess and predict the changing external world, recognize opportunities therein and fashion nimble responses to gain competitive advantage. `Designing the Global Corporation' is a book written to address such issues in an attempt to help managers structure their thinking towards an increasingly boundaryless world.

Synopsis: Jay Galbraith begins his book by arguing against the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid!) of organizational design. He recognizes that increasing foreign direct investment (FDI), breakdown of trade barriers and improved communications via media like the Internet along with a corporations need to reach customers globally have increased the complexity of doing business. Corporations could fight this complexity and simplify their operations, or learn to accept, manage and in fact use this complexity as a competitive advantage against simpler competitors.
He then goes on to inject great precision into the concept of a globalization for a corporation and defines 5 different levels of international development in increasing order of complexity. A corporation may develop a competitive advantage in its home country and then try to export this advantage to international destinations, evolving through different levels of international development. Or, a corporation like Logitech, may be designed as a transnational corporation from its very inception, with hardware R&D located in Switzerland, software development in California, manufacturing in Taiwan and sales in every country. Evolution from level 1 to level 5 may not be inevitable and/or desirable, with many companies deciding to settle into a particular niche depending upon the nature of their business and their long-term goals.
The rest of the book is devoted to a very clear, well-illustrated nuts and bolts description of designing global corporations with different levels of internationalization. The geographical entity headed by a country manager, multinational single business units and the multinational multi dimensional organizations are described in great detail. Underlying theme of this entire discussion is that the structure of the organization has to cater to its overall strategy, and the former has to change as the latter evolves.
The author spends considerable time and space on the need and means for developing informational and decision-making networks within such complex organizations. Here again he describes 5 different types of networks in increasing order of complexity beginning with informal voluntary communication and going up to a formally structured matrix organization. He discusses the advantages and limitations of each and how such networks may be used to propagate the agenda of the corporation. As a corporation increases its level of internationalization, it has to deal with increasingly complex networks that transcend geography, business function and culture.
He ends the book by describing the 5 dimensions that a global corporation must learn manage in order to remain successful. These 5 dimensions are managing functions, geographies, product lines (or business units), customers and solutions.
Finally, he writes, "Regardless of whether globalization continues, stalls, or even reverses, the models described in this book should continue to guide organizing choices.....and as businesses struggle to compensate and thrive on their ever expanding journey, the ideas and structures presented in this book can serve as a road map."

Critique: The author has presented his ideas very clearly and illustrated them with many examples from real companies. The organization of the book follows a logical flow of thoughts and the language used makes it fairly readable. Having said that, the complexity of many of the concepts presented in this book precludes it from being a casual bedtime reading, rather it demands full concentration and a careful attention to detail from the reader.

Let's begin with Galbraith's concluding remarks: "The new development process for global products [and services] is one of the key organizational capabilities that a firm must master when evolving into a multinational company. Even without the global challenge, the product development process has become complex: products [and services] have to not only meet market requirements but also be manufacturable, reliable, serviceable, useable, and recyclable, and meet target costs in shorter and shorter cycle times." If this brief excerpt describes the situation your organization is in now or one to which it hopes to relocate ASAP, this brilliant book is "must reading."

In a very real sense, Galbraith functions as both a management consultant and an architect. The emphasis on the principles of "design" is intentional and eminently appropriate. Here are some of questions he answers:

What is the challenge of organizational complexity? How to overcome it?

How to organize the global corporation?

What are the levels of international development?

What does partnering require? When and why is it beneficial?

What is the significance of geographical division?

Which multidimensional structures are most important? Why?

What are the most effective strategies for coordination between and among networks?

What are cross-border formal networks? What are their significance?

What are the most effective ways to shift power across networks?

What is the "transformational form"? What is its significance?

What is a "multidimensional multinational"?

What are the most effective organizational strategies to serve the global customer?

What is a "front-back hybrid organization"?

After "A Look Ahead", Galbraith provides an Appendix ("The New Global Process of New-Product Delopment") which, all by itself, is well worth the price of the book. To repeat, I consider it "must reading" for organizations already embarked upon globalization or which are now preparing to begin that perilous journey. There is another category of organizations which can also derive substantial benefit from this book: Those who now do business with or plan to do business with others now active in the global marketplace. With all due respect to Galbraith, there is no single "design" which is appropriate for all or even for most organizations. Moreover, today's appropriate design may well prove inadequate in the near future, if not by tomorrow. Therefore, I suggest that you use Galbraith's book to identify the questions which must be asked and then answered, to take full advantage of the advice he provides and of the guidelines he suggests, and to view the design process as a unique opportunity to energize (or re-energize) everyone involved. Galbraith asserts (and I agree) that companies CAN transform themselves to design local products or devise local services that capture global scale yet fit local-market requirements. Only those which do will prosper. The choice is theirs. It really is.

Galbraith has succeeded in filling the gap that he intended to fill in that specific area of management literature where organization theory and international business research interact. Although I was initially rather skeptical of the scholarly value of the book - since it appears to be particularly aimed at practitioners - I was pleasantly surprised at the wealth of novel theoretical insights that I was able to extract from it. Although it clearly builds on Galbraith's earlier work (for which he is renowned), it definitely adds something to the field. This book will leave those interested in international business (both practice and theory!) with an enhanced understanding of some of the organizational aspects of the multinational corporation that seem to me to be relatively underresearched.

I loved the Thomas Flanagan trilogy.
By chance, I believe I came across the primary source books for each of the three.
The Year of the French seems quite obviously informed and inspired by Thomas Pakenham's Year of Liberty, a novelistic but dense nonfiction recounting of the western uprising in 1798.
The End of the Hunt takes much of its feel from "The Big Fellow", Frank O'Connor's beautiful account of Michael Collins' revolutionary career.
If these two are obvious the third is less so:
The Tenants of Time builds very effectively upon the foundations of Micheal Davitt's book, "The Fall of Feudalism in Ireland." This book, by an 1867 Fenian who became a leader of the Land League movement and an obstructionist member of the British parliament, is rich in detail about the Land League and the parliamentary struggle of the late 1800's that shows up in the Flanagan book.
I recommend these books to readers who have finished the trilogy, just as I would recommend the trilogy to all.

Though I have not a drop of Irish ancestry I have long been fascinated by nineteenth century Irish history. The Green Flag: The Turbulent History of the Irish National Movement, by Robert Kee, was the best book I read in 1972, and The Parnell Tragedy, by Jules Abels, was the best book I read in 1974 (even tho it is not the best book on Parnell--F.S.L. Lyons' book, Charles Stewart Parnell, which I read 20 May 1979, is equally good and Robert Kee's The Laurel and the Ivy: The Story of Charles SAtewart Parnell and Irish Nationalism [which I read May 1, 1996] is better). This novel by Thomas Flanagan is written with a most authentic-seeming Irish touch, and the story takes us through the Fenian and Parnell years with a better story line than The Year of the French, the first volume in the trilogy, had for its period, the rising of 1798. Anyone who likes to absorb history by reading fiction could scarcely do better than read this book as to late nineteenth century Irish history.

"Tenants" begins on the eve of the Fenian uprising of 1867. We meet four young men and their compatriots as they train to confront the British and the Irish Constabulary and free Ireland -- or so they hope. There is Robert Delaney, shopkeeper and politician to be, Ned Nolan, a returning Irish-American whose hardline sympathies presage the IRS, Vincent Tully, squireen and future brother-in-law of Delaney, and Hugh McMahon, schoolteacher of Kilpeder.

But the uprising is only the beginning of their travels. After serving their time after the failed rebellion, we follow Hugh, Robert, Ned and Vincent through their lives and the history of Ireland in the late 1800s; Parnell and the Land League and the boycotts which nearly succeeded in driving the British out altogether and succeeded in breaking the backs, largely, of the Ascendency. It ends with Parnell's disgrace and downfall, and the deaths of two old friends.

Flanagan's writing has a lovely Irish flavor; it may be this, as much as the story itself, which holds so much pleasure for me.

An earlier reviewer complained that the path of one character's life too closely paralleled the more famous events which occurred in history. But rather than a flaw, I see that as the author's intent, bringing the historical events close and helping you see them from the inside through smaller characters rather than trying to put words in the mouths (not that he didn't do that anyway, to some extent) of the historical characters they represented.

Bob paralleled Parnell, rise, disgrace and fall; Vincent, the Anglo-Irish landowners whose life was disrupted for all time by Parnell's boycotts; Ned, those who found Parnell and his non-violent approach at best wrongheaded and at worst traitorous to Ireland; and Hugh stood outside it all as everyone else did, having some of the picture but not all, seeing it for us.

I bought this in an airport because I wanted something to read. It has become one of my favorite books ever.

"Tenants of Time", Flanagan's book between "Year of the French" and "End of the Hunt", deals with the Parnell era in Irish politics. But it is much more than that. Three men bound together by an act of failed rebellion in their early years, remain tied to one another and their actions on that day while a young historian tries to understand "a single moment in history" represented by that doomed rebellion.

The characters are large and complex, the ideas even bigger and the setting so evocative that you won't want the book to end.

Great literature that is also a great read. I really can't do the book justice. Read the first fifty pages and I bet you can't stop.

One minor complaint: Delaney's circumstances too closely mirrored Parnell's in the O'Shea debacle.

Spanning four decades of tense Irish history after the Famine years, Flanagan's tour de force masterfully weaves the life stories of four boyhood friends from County Cork whose adult lives result in different and conflicting choices regarding their roles in Irish society and politics. Together, they join the Fenian brotherhood in 1865, but the revolution's failure pushes them on divergent paths for fuller meaning in their lives. In exploring these developments, Flanagan expertly combines the characters' life challenges with the dramatice course of Irish history in the late Victorian era, presenting vivid depiction of the Fenian assassins, the agrarian struggles of the Land League, the rise and fall of Parnell, and the inevitable growth of Ireland into the modern era. Yet this striking panorama of Irish history never overshadows the rich and complex dynamic of the relationship between Hugh, Robert, Ned and Edward, whose struggles to find fortune and meaning in their world thrusts them into tragic internecine conflict. This is a novel you will never forget, and I would rank it among the best historical novels ever written.

It is important to note that this excellent book by John B. Stuttard, former Chairman and CEO of PricewaterhouseCoopers China, carries amazing wisdom within that remains as true today about China as when it was written, all the way back in 2000. The outlined principles and shared experiences about Mainland China are timeless. So readers concerned that books written even a few years ago about China will quickly become out-of-date, in this case absolutely need not worry. In fact, I have read this book several times over the years and it was the single biggest source of inspiration for the book I co-authored about China, Know China Business: The Insider's Guide to Doing Business Successfully in China.

There are a number of case studies shared in this book that are written by CEOs and other top-level executives from some of the most well reputed multinational companies (MNCs) active in China. The level of honestly about their personal China experiences expressed by these top executives is truly astounding and not to be found in any other book I have read about China, while the lessons learned can also be applied immediately by any Western business person operating in the Middle Kingdom, whether they are a novice or old China hand. I am eager to read the more recently written Operation China: From Strategy to Execution by top China executives from consulting competitor McKinsey. However, I would be extremely surprised if the information gleaned from within could match the wisdom shared by Stuttard in The New Silk Road.

Some readers will already be familiar with Tim Clissold's cautionary tale, "Mr. China," about the difficulty of doing business in China. But, "The New Silk Road," offers a very different perspective and different kind of cautionary tale about the "early" days of doing business in China in the mid-to-late Nineties.
Whereas Fishman focuses on his more "entrepreneurial" efforts to revamp factories and set up new industries in the Chinese countryside, Stuttard, as a consultant for PriceWaterhouse, offers a more "professional" perspective. Thus, each chapter is much less autobiographical than Clissold's book, being organized around individual case studies, focusing on the major companies (AIG, Unilever, Bayer, etc.) trying to create a foothold in a hot economy.
Stuttard's overriding theme and question is: Why do senior managers with 20 years of success in the States fail so badly in China?
The answers range from lack of support at the head office, political barriers, confusion about the nature of legal contracts in China, to overblown expectations on the part of the Type A manager.
For a complete perspective on doing business in China, I believe that "The New Silk Road" should be read in tandem with "Mr. China."
With this book, Stuttard has done hopeful managers in China an incredible service.

Almost everyone who knows little about China is enthralled by the opportunity to sell products to all those people who live there. Those with a little more knowledge also get excited about having products made for export from Mainland China. Those with still more knowledge look forward to outsourcing services to China. Beyond that, some speculate that Mandarin Chinese will even become the dominant language of the Internet, and see amazing opportunities to buuild new economy businesses from a Chinese base.

But those speculations all beg the question: What should your company be doing today?

The New Silk Road is the first book I have read that reflects the views of my friends who have 20 plus years of experience doing business there. As such, it counters much of the overoptimism that makes American companies too anxious to expand there, and leads to mistakes that hurt short and long term results.

Any company that is considering its first stake in China, or re-evaluating the stakes it has today, should be sure that those involved read this book.

The key lessons are that company goals must be more carefully considered, partners chosen more thoughtfully, expectations of near-term profits lowered, a focus shifted to developing Chinese management and workers, and a longer-term perspective taken on developing and maintaining relationships. Perhaps the most fundamental point of the book is that things are very uncertain in China. With lots of effort you can reduce the uncertainty, but it will still be higher than in almost any other country. So there will be a premium placed on making decisions that will be good ones regardless of what happens in the Chinese business environment.

When you do your homework, you will find that China has more competition than almost any other country and lots of excess capacity. A small percentage of the people can afford to buy what you want to sell. Regulation and bureaucracy will keep you out of the best markets for what you want to do. The rules will change tomorrow. Everything will take a long time. Political tensions among your home nation and China will be used against you in business. Sounds challenging, doesn't it?

While China is underdeveloped economically and in entrepreneurial and business skills, the people are well educated and know a lot of things you do not. For one thing, they know the many different markets in China and how to do business there. They have local connections that you need. They also have skills in negotiation and strategy that you may not have. So seek out how to make the best of both worlds, rather than just plan to do business like you do in your home country. In fact, your product will probably have to be customized for the Chinese market.

Mr. Stuttard does an excellent job in his essay, "Reflections on China at the End of the Second Millennium," of summarizing the lessons from the case histories. Be sure to reread this essay after you finish the book. It will help put the case histories in perspective for you.

He has done well in choosing a variety of case histories, that reflect varying levels of success. The book is especially lucky to have the perspectives of comapnies with a great deal of Chinese experience like American International Group, John Swire, United Technologies, and Shell. In each case, either the company's CEO or the operating head in China is the person interviewed.

The people who run the business in China for you will be very vulnerable. When unpredictable shifts cause results to fall, their heads will be on the chopping block in some companies. That's not a good idea, because the set-backs will often not be due to any fault of their own.

You will also get helpful hints on the best ways to recruit talent, conduct training, and integrate expatriates.

After you have finished reading and enjoying this valuable book, I suggest that also consider where else the lessons of this book apply. I suspect that your success in many other parts of the world would be enhanced if you employed these lessons there, as well. Also, how else can you overcome communications stalls among your various operations and with your various stakeholders?

Focus on what needs to be done now to develop your short and long term potential!

China has made such enormous strides towards liberalising its economy over the past decade that it is now the world's second largest recipient of foreign investment after the United States. Yet, in some very important ways, Chinese customs, practices, and values remain alien to Western business thinking and practice as they ever were. As many a hapless expatriate manager has discovered to their cost, gaining a foothold in the vast Chinese market can be an uphill battle on a slippery slope of tradition, conflicting objectives, bureaucratic wrangling, ever-shifting laws and regulations, and regional differences. Despite this, as the stories chronicled in this insider's guide to doing business in China demonstrate, it is a battle that can be and is being won.

The New Silk Road is based on extensive interviews conducted by the author with business leaders who have many years of experience with the country. It features a series of lively narratives in which these experts share their insights into and observations of all the important aspects of doing business in China. These are important lessons they've learned about everything from making sense of, and marketing to, the patchwork of striking different regions that make up China, to building trust and negotiating with the Chinese.

This long-awaited insider's view of doing business in China informs you of the pitfalls and tells you what you need to know to succeed in the twenty-first century's great new business frontier.

John B. Stuttard is a Senior Partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers. From 1994 to 1999, he was Chairman and CEO of PricewaterhouseCoopers China, operating in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Dalian. In his 32-year career with PricewaterhouseCoopers, he has also worked with the UK Government's Cabinet Office think tank advising on privatisation, and for services to Finnish industry was made a Knight First Class of the Order of the Lion of Finland.

See also my review of: CHINA'S FUTURES Scenarios for the World's Fasting Growing Economy, Ecology, and Society James Ogilvy & Peter Schwartz with Joe Flower Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2000 ISBN 0-7879-5200-1

This short book consists of the reflections of John B. Stuttard, former Chairman and CEO of PricewaterhouseCoopers China (1994-1999), and summaries of his interviews with 11 top executives working in Western companies in China. Each interview runs 8-10 pages and includes a short bio of the exec along with a quick snapshot of the company's current Sino-standing. The first chapter is Stuttard's and is a fine read that perfectly sets the context and perspective of the 21st century business environment in the country destined to one day overtake America as the world's single largest consumer economy.

Everyone featured in the book, including the author, is an "Old China Hand". Several of the companies are legacy firms, those with pre-WWII and pre-Mao histories who returned after the country turned face forward once again. Others are case study JV's with relatively short, 10-20 year pasts. Each chapter is compelling.

There is some flag waving for the Chinese. These are people who have listened to countless stories at countless banquets about the Chinese fear of chaos and the cultural scar tissue of 150 years (roughly 1790-1940) of shameless behavior by colonial minded Westerners in China. These stories are, after all, Inculcation 101 for any Westerner attempting even superficial commerce or business in the Middle Kingdom. Let's not forget the Chinese did a pretty good job of creating 25+ years of chaos themselves during the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution. The Japanese were several degrees beyond shameless during World War II. These events are much fresher in the Chinese consciousness than King George III, yet he and Emperor Qianlong still seem to dominate every conversation that explains and/or justifies Chinese desire to top down control all macro and micro aspects of their economy, firms and even routine business transactions.

Still, there is sage wisdom on every page. The book is best when the execs tell what they did in China to be successful. Some of the common themes are the need for good local managers and training programs, a corporate culture of equality with your Chinese partners regardless of equity division, the success of long term strategies versus short term. The deliberate love each exec feels for what they are doing and, in some ways, for China, is clear. The awesome change taking place in this country is also reflected in these interviews. A difference in attitude and tone can be seen between execs in consumer product industries versus sensitive and still restricted ones like oil.

Very little happens fast in China, except the neckbreaking pace at which Western funds are being spent to form infrastructure and modern physical assets. These are the people who have footed a noteworthy part of the bill. They have alot of value to say and this is a rare peak at thinking at their rung of the international corporate business ladder.

Laurel Delaney's book, "Start and Run a Profitable Exporting Business" is a one-stop reference for anyone wanting to start an export business, anyone who deals with exporters on a regular basis, and those who just want to improve their understanding of this "new" arena called the global marketplace.

Delaney has done an admirable job of covering all the bases, providing the exhaustive research that often halts budding global entrepreneurs from going beyond the "idea" phase. She tells it like it is, seemingly anticipating every question and concern. Reading this book is like having a consultant whispering in your ear at every step throughout the entrepreneurial journey.

Delaney also helps the reader navigate the complex cultural differences that an exporting business confronts. All in all, this book encourages everyone interested in succeeding in the global environment to take a chance, dig in, and move ahead.

Like a Baedecker's guide, Delaney's work maps the journey to a profitable exporting business with directness, completeness and with a sincere affection for the subject.

An organized presentation that encourages everyone to set their goals, do research, and keep trying until you reach your goal. Plenty of examples and real life anecdotes.

I work for the Kentucky World Trade Center, and I had the opportunity to read Laurel J. Delaney's, "Start and Run a Profitable Exporting Business." I think Delaney's book is an easy and quick read that directs and leads new comers to the world of business. The book is meant for readers who have no knowledge of the business world, and the export markets. The author guides the reader step by step from building a strong foundation to executing the business plans while learning and developing cross cultural business awareness. After reading this book, most readers will have quite an understanding of what export business is all about.

The book consists of eight parts that discuss different things like globalization, setting up the business, the money needed, developing sales and distribution, cross-cultural learning, etc. I liked the way Delaney shares some of her experiences she had with starting her own business. It makes it more believable and comprehensible.

The first few chapters walk the reader through the necessary steps that need to be taken in order to start a business. The first part of the book deals with the corporate, legal and financial issues, how much money is needed to start a business, finding a product and choosing a manufacturer.

Parts two and three deal with market research and developing sales and distribution. Both these sections contain detailed information on trade shows, World Trade Center, and cross-border contacts. Transport options, pricing the product, export license requirements, and after sales service is covered in parts four and five. The last two sections of the book inform the reader about cross cultural learning, international business travel tips, cross border alliances and big emerging markets. Japan is discussed thoroughly in the last chapter as well as, the top ten emerging global business markets of the 21st century.

Something very useful, which I particularly admired, was the list of global resource centers for starting a contact list and the guidance on how to use the World Wide Web for market research. Delaney has provided the reader with various useful web sites at the back of the book, which allow the business to expand worldwide.

My firm provides help for companies interested in entering and/or expanding international trade, and this background allows me to state that Ms. Delaney's book offers clear guidance for companies interested in global business, with illustrative examples from her own career. She takes the reader from "Why should I export" to cross-border alliances in one of the most "readable" books on this topic.

In addition to excellent coverage of key topics such as translation, pricing, shipping and methods of trade finance, she also devotes a chapter on how to best use the Internet as both a research tool and as a method of promotion for your product. Also of note are the samples of a number of critical documents relating to exporting (packing list, standby letter of credit, etc.).

The insights she offers are applicable to entering any new market, and are also valuable for firms and individuals to assess how ready they are to take that big step. In fact, I have been using some of her advice and annecdotes in the newsletter we send out to our own readers.

Wow! This is a beginner's guide -- with an expert's range and scope. Intensively detailed and complete, this lively volume maps out just about everything you would want to know about international marketing. When you finish, you'll have seen what a lot of work you have ahead of you, but you'll feel like it's within your reach, step by step.

My favorite chapters were the ones focusing on preparing your product for export and on marketing a service business in another country. They really made me aware of all the details you've got to think through if you want to succeed overseas, and also of how exciting it can be -- you've really got to put yourself in the place of your customers and see through their eyes, and consider their customs, practices, and product-service needs. For me, that's the most fascinating thing about international business -- the chance to make contact with different cultures, broaden your horizons, and become a real world citizen. Also, read the special section on Japan -- makes you feel like you're there looking over Japanese shoppers' shoulders at the mall!

The chapter on after-sales service is fun, too. It talks about "shock marketing" -- the art of seizing the opportunity to pull a standout customer service coup and really put yourself ahead of the pack. Makes pitching your product and servicing your accounts sound like an adventure!

This is overall a practical, enthusiastic, and inspiring book -- you'll come away from it feeling revved up for action as if you've just walked out of a Tom Peters seminar. It's also smack up to date with chapters on the Emerging Markets and Internet commerce. If you want to poise yourself to enter the global marketplace of the 21st century, reading this book is a great place to start!

I return to Nigel Slater's cookbook, Appetite over and over again. He give's us great recipes, and then teaches us how to vary the recipes - an invaluable skill in the world of cooking and eating! Bravo Nigel.

Nigel Slater is a real cook. His books are a joy to read. He makes you want to jump-up and cook. He inspires.. A no-frills cook. Comfort food is OK. His traditional recipes are soothing, pleasing, comforting. - Food Porn!

This is an inspiring read. Slater writes about real food the way real people like to eat. His recipes are practical and unfussy. They are irreverent and certainly do not submit to any soul and appetite destroying preoccupation with ersatz low-taste,low-fat food. Worth reading for the description of how to roast a chicken that is almost poetic

`Nigel Slater's Real Food' and `Real Cooking' by Nigel Slater (name above the title, of course) are two great expositions on the real joy of cooking. Slater characterizes his point of view in the motto to `Real Cooking' as `There is too much talk of cooking being an art or a science - we are only making ourselves something to eat.' With this sentiment, Slater dismisses the Shirley Corriher / Alton Brown `kitchen science' camp on the one hand and the Keller / Boulud / Girardet `haute cuisine' camp on the other. In some ways, this also dismisses the high-end culinary magazine crowd as you may find in `Bon Appetit', `Gourmet', and `Martha Stewart Living'. While this seems to dismiss a goodly portion of the modern culinary establishment, it really does not. Slater is certainly in the same camp as his nibs, Jamie Oliver, his good friend, Nigella Lawson, and Oliver's mentors, Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers of London's River Café. In fact, if I did not know that Oliver was primarily influenced by Gray, Rogers, and Gennaro Contaldo, I would have guessed that Oliver was a Slater disciple from the word `GO'. I am happy to say that there are plenty of important cookbook writers in the United States who can easily be considered to be in Slater's camp. Leading the list is probably Jacques Pepin, especially with his various quick cooking books such as his latest `Fast Food My Way'. I do not wish, however, to give the impression that Slater is all about fast cooking. He is certainly about simple cooking in the same sense that Richard Olney describes in `Simple French Food', but he is a whole lot more about being in love with the sensual qualities of food and how well those qualities of various foods mix together in the most effective way.

What is certainly true is that both Slater and Oliver represent the kind of cooking I enjoyed on my two trips to England, primarily the kind of cooking I saw at some of the better pubs in Hampshire and in London suburbs.

Both of these books are primarily about recipes and the salient qualities of particular classes of food. For a study of Slater's `philosophy' of cooking in depth, see his recent book `Appetite'. These two books are even organized in very similar ways, in that each chapter presents a particular raw material or class of raw material. The more traditionally organized `Real Cooking' has chapters on:

Fish & Shellfish
Chicken & Other Birds
Pork, Bacon, and Sausages
Lamb and other Meats
Pasta, Beans, Rice & Grains
Vegetables
Cheese, Snacks & Puddings

The later book, `Real Food', which is also the tie-in book for a Television Series (not seen in the US, to my knowledge) is more to the point, with chapters entitled:

Potatoes
Chicken
Sausages
Garlic
Bread
Cheese
Ice-cream
Chocolate

The chapter on bread is a good indication of Slater's point of view, in that he gives us nothing on baking bread, but just about everything you may want (this side of Nancy Silverton's sandwich book) to know about making some really interesting and unusual sandwiches. Similarly, the sausage book says nothing about how to make sausages, only how to make the very best use of them.

True to his word in his `motto' quoted above, you will find not one word about the relative fat content of milk and cream, the emulsifying power of an egg, or calibrating the temperature of your oven. On the other hand, you will find much about, for example, the relative tastes of pork, beef, and lamb fat and the virtues of free range raised poultry. Here is one strong point of contact between the articulate and reflective Slater and the ebullient and emotional Oliver (or our own Emeril Lagasse, if you wish). Both will rhapsodize at length over the qualities of a nice thick layer of fat on a chop from an artisinally raised hog.

For those of you who do not like `chatty' cookbooks, both of these books may be preferable to the very discursive `Appetite', although both of these books do have their share of culinary poetry before the recipe details. Neither book is as extreme as `Appetite' in the direction of teaching us to cook without a book. You can easily pick out a recipe from these books and make them without a lot of background reading or culinary skill. But never confuse `simple' with `easy' or `fast'. While Slater may do the Rachel Ray gig in other books, these books have their share of slow marinades and braises. They also have their share of whisking, filtering, and thickening techniques.

The other side of the coin is that Slater's palate is extremely simple. Aside from his protein or starch of choice, few of his ingredients go far beyond the simple pantry of milk, cream, butter, basic cheeses, parsley, flour, lemon, lime, bacon, sage, thyme, bay, bread, olive oil, rice, stock, garlic, and mushrooms. Unlike Sir Jamie, Slater is about as down home English cooking as Paula Deen is about Savannah cooking.

The biggest difficulty an American is likely to have with Slater's recipes is that they are all make heavy use of metric units for weight and larger volumes in place of ounces, pounds, and cups. Even though I was a chemist thoroughly familiar with the metric system, I had to dig out a good conversion table to remind myself that a pound was about 450 grams. A lesser difficulty may be with Slater's names for common food varieties such as potatoes, although he almost always specifies `waxy' or `floury' potatoes rather than the English varietal name.

The other main difficulty with Slater's recipes is that they are all paradigms of high fat, high sodium, and high cholesterol preparations. They are definitely dishes to be eaten when the occasion calls for serious comfort food.

If you like Jamie Oliver or Nigella Lawson, you will really like Slater!

In Real Food, Nigel Slater manages to invoke the feeling and quality of comfort food but goes beyond that with some of the bold and certainly delicious flavours he encourages us to explore. Every recipe that we have tried out of this book has been a huge success. It's great to find a book where the recipes are simple without being boring. Don't comb through the book looking for the low-fat gems, instead enjoy these delicious recipes in moderation.

A very good read and one to have in an entrepreneur's library. As he's laid it out himself, which I read as 'Rules are for Obedience of Fools and Guidelines for Entreprenuers'. Also a good personal account of how Heinecke handled the Asian Currency Crisis of 1997/8 with his empire in Thailand.

yes, this book had changed my live, the way I think, live, act, etc. MUST HAVE AND MUST READ BOOK!! very good inspiration for everyone.

This is a fantastic book that is very easy and quick to read. I read it and now am buying copies for friends, children and about anyone else I think would benefit by understanding decision making rules that lead to success. It is one thing to be an "Entrepreneur" and quite another thing to be an Entrepreneur who makes good decisions that lead to business growth and profitability.

I wish I could find a source to buy this book in volume so I could get more copies at a lower cost.

Imagine the opportunity to sit down in your favorite readingchair, mine just happens to be my buckskin leather chair, next to awarm fire... on a cool Florida evening in February. Add a nice bottle of Australian Merlot, and read the most commonsensical, witty, and highly diverse real world business success stories you have ever read, in one night. Directly from the mouth of one of the world's most successful entrepreneurs, in one of the world's toughest markets. This book tells of experiences with success and failure in business and how to keep it all in perspective without being riddled with those $50 words.

Every competent entrepreneur knows full well that starting any new venture in your own backyard is extremely difficult and very risky. Imagine if you move to a new city to start the business or even a new state, can you imagine dealing with a foreign culture or a foreign country as an American? I would expect 9.999 of 10 would fail miserably in this situation. In this new millennium, Global Mega-Corporations with G-V's and Global Express' are still finding that doing American-style business in Asia is tantamount to climbing Everest, not to mention Thailand specifically. But one common theme prevails in Thai business, American business or business anywhere else in the world, it simply takes common sense and the logic of knowing when to check your ego at the door.

This is a must read for every college student that wants to "climb the corporate ladder" someday, all budding entrepreneurs in all industries, middle-level managers who truly want to move-up, and senior level executives who want to understand how to work efficiently with the "team-members" who work with you to "increase the wealth of the shareholder." It is truly a team effort in Global Business today.

Bill, thanks for an inspiring, educational, and motivational read. I look forward to filing your flight plans and breaking speed records on the way to Bangkok with your new..........

This has been one of the best books I have read in a while. Mr. Heinecke shows great insight into the methods of an entrepreneur. In addition, Mr. Heinecke's entrepreneurial endeavors have been centered in Thailand and Southeast Asia, giving the book great insight into Asian culture. After living in Thailand for 6 years as a child, it was very interesting to see the methods and organization of Mr. Heinecke's many business ventures I had grown accustomed to while in Thailand. Overall, and excellent book!

I think this is really the first book I've ever known that covers so many areas of business and provides such comprehensive information to business people. In many places the book is kind of a step-by-step guide to people doing business internationally, and beyond that, solutions for many issues are provided as well, which is amazing.

I found it great for having a checklist if you are experienced in international business and are refreshing yourself. For someone just starting it covers the areas you should be aware of and helps alert you to why things are different.

Five (5) Star Rating . . . ISBN is 0-88415-753-9 . . . First Impressions:

As a quick reference guide, GLOBAL BUSINESS keeps its promise to "help every business professional understand how all these components fit together to create a truly global business."

Here's a well conceived and crafted collection of "lessons learned" by a savvy team of collaborators.

Among their "308 Tips" are timely tricks and traps to avoid when navigating the global business maze!

* Their profiles of effective international distributors and agents provide useful best practice benchmarks for setting realistic expectations. These tips were the highlights of three (3) sections on "Market Entry Strategies"

* Tip 288 focuses on the human factors blocking ongoing inter-cultural information exchanges. I was happy to find author Charles Handy's paradoxes cited in their coverage of managing "The Knowledge Explosion."

Handy's THE AGE OF PARADOX Synopsis: In an age of ... rapid change, one of the most brilliant and engaging thinkers of our day extends a guiding hand in the search for order . . . the author of THE AGE OF UNREASON proposes bold ideas for navigating through this brave new world . . . GLOBAL BUSINESS delivers a practical decision support framework to help its reader's rescue more order from the grasp of chaos!

* The book's back cover business management blurb on how to recognize scams and frauds also grabbed my attention! As a pioneer in Electronic Commerce information protection, I found their concise tips 109 and 110 with its "Red Flags" were right on target!

Five (5) Star Rating . . . ISBN is 0-88415-753-9 . . . First Impressions:

As a quick reference guide, GLOBAL BUSINESS keeps its promise to "help every business professional understand how all these components fit together to create a truly global business."

Here's a well conceived and crafted collection of "lessons learned" by a savvy team of collaborators.

Among their "308 Tips" are timely tricks and traps to avoid when navigating the global business maze!

* Their profiles of effective international distributors and agents provide useful best practice benchmarks for setting realistic expectations. These tips were the highlights of three (3) sections on "Market Entry Strategies"

* Tip 288 focuses on the human factors blocking ongoing inter-cultural information exchanges. I was happy to find author Charles Handy's paradoxes cited in their coverage of managing "The Knowledge Explosion."

Handy's THE AGE OF PARADOX Synopsis: In an age of ... rapid change, one of the most brilliant and engaging thinkers of our day extends a guiding hand in the search for order . . . the author of THE AGE OF UNREASON proposes bold ideas for navigating through this brave new world . . .

* GLOBAL BUSINESS delivers a practical decision support framework to help its reader's rescue more order from the grasp of chaos!

* The book's back cover business management blurb on how to recognize scams and frauds also grabbed my attention! As a pioneer in Electronic Commerce information protection, I found their concise tips 109 and 110 with its "Red Flags" were right on target!

This book should be on the desktop of anyone considering the expansion of his or her business into international markets. Global Business manages to combine practical tips with the wisdom of seasoned professionals who have an obvious sensitivity to the complexities of cross cultural business communication and development.

As a desktop reference, Global Business is well organized. The reader can quickly find a topic of interest through the table of contents or through the well-conceptualized index. Once the topic is located, the reader finds a detailed, checklist-style set of tips. If you want to know how to pack goods for export, go to page 86; how to establish pricing policies go to page 77; how to create a NAFTA product go to page 53. The reader is encouraged to access the book at any point based on his or her particular interest or need.

Global Business is more than a desktop reference, however. Taken as a whole, the book is a great overall introduction to understanding the problem of expanding a business into worldwide markets. Though practical in its organization and style, it is comprehensive in its content and is equally as useful for the practitioner and the student of international business.

Global markets now offer wonderful opportunities for small and mid-sized firms. Unfortunately, these firms do not always have the expertise and know how to accomplish the complicated task of expanding into these markets. Global Business is particularly well suited for individuals in these companies endeavoring to take their companies global.

Koslow and Scarlett have provided a most useful guide to the new millennium of global business.

John Vinton, Ph.D. College of Management Metropolitan State University Minneapolis, Minnesota August 15, 1999

There are now more than 1 million nonprofit organizations in the United States. The fundraising industry provides one in every ten jobs and is one of the
fastest-growing segments of the economy. In Successful Fundraising, nationally recognized expert Joan Flanagan gives readers the information they need to capture a
fair share of available fundraising dollars. Community volunteers and professional fundraisers alike will find helpful tips and advice on time-proven fundraising
techniques