Foreign-market Books

EAT SMART IN BRAZIL

Reviewed by Sharon Hudgins, author of The Other Side of Russia: A Slice of Life in Siberia and the Russian Far East

Reading "Eat Smart in Brazil" made my mouth water! I'm a big fan of the "Eat Smart" travel guides for food lovers--and I'm always delighted when another book in this series is published. This second edition of Joan Peterson's "Eat Smart in Brazil" certainly lives up to the series' theme, promising to tell you "How to Decipher the Menu, Know the Market Foods, & Embark on a Tasting Adventure." And what an adventure this is! After an explanation of the historical, geographical, and ethnic influences on Brazilian foods and a description of five different regional cuisines within that huge country, the author then satisfies your desire to eat by providing nearly two dozen recipes for Brazilian dishes from appetizers to breads to desserts.

You'll also want to carry this book with you on your next trip to Brazil, because it contains a comprehensive glossary of food terms and cooking techniques in Portuguese (the language of Brazil), translated into English, as well as an extensive Menu Guide for translating terms that you'll find on menus and cafe chalkboards throughout Brazil. One of my favorite features of the Menu Guide is the author's marginal comments on many of the dishes listed: National Favorite, Regional Classic, Spectacular, Interesting, A Feast, Not to Be Missed, Excellent, Try Them All. Just reading these menu terms makes you want to book the next flight to Rio de Janeiro! Highly recommended!

I'd like to see more of this kind of book. Written by experts in a readable style, "Eat Smart in Brazil" provides a succinct but informative overview of the country's culinary culture. It includes historical, ethnic and regional overviews, recipes, shopping tips (both for local markets and for when back home), a culinary phrase guide, and two Portuguese-to-English glossaries - one to help when ordering in restaurants and the other to clarify definitions of food names and cooking terminology. The Eat Smart series is published independently, under the Ginkgo Press imprint. Joan and David Peterson are literally eating their way around the world with Ginkgo. Besides Brazil, they've covered Turkey, Indonesia, Mexico, Poland, Morocco, and India. Next up, Peru. Unlike the run-of-the-mill globetrotting guidebook writer, this couple knows its stuff - which, of course, would be food. (Bill Hinchberger is the editor of the BrazilMax website.)

Brazil IS NOT made of Indian, Portuguese and African people descent. Brazil was colonized by Portuguese, African, French, Italian, German, and Duth people. Other people that were very expressive in Brazilian history were Chinese, Jewish, Arabic, Spanish..I'm sorry if I'm leaving some nations out of this equation (Brazilian people are a union of many people and cultures!!), but I've never read something SO absurd as this review.
Thanks

From the authors of Eat Smart in Mexico, comes this new title, an easy-to-use menu guide for travelers to Brazil. It contains useful phrases in Portuguese when ordering and a collection of recipes for chefs who want to cook Brazilian fare at home.

Just got back from the trip of a lifetime to Brazil. We visited our former exchange student and his family. We used this book to find out what we were eating (wonderful food!) at every resturant. Even though we were with native Brazilians who spoke English, they often did not know the English words for food.
We used it in Campinas, Paraty, Rio, and Santa Rita (MG). Near the end of our trip we went through the book and marked which foods were our favorites. I recommend this book to anyone taking their first trip to Brazil

the book was very informative on general information about the tastes and variety of food in mexico. i will carry the book to mexico the next time that i go.

In spite of our having traveled in Mexico many years, and having prepared its cuisine at home as well, we find much to learn from this book. And the authors strike us as folks we would like to meet, and even travel with. Carla and Herb Felsted, co-editors, Mexican Meanderings, A Newsletter of Explorations in an Enchanted Land

Besides containing a brief culinary history of ancient and contemporary Mexico, this very intelligent guide has two sections that are of incredible use to the traveller. "Menu guide" is an encyclopedic translation of hundreds of dishes one will encounter in the menus of Mexican cuisine annotated with phrases such as Regional Classic, National Favorite, etc. "Food and Flavors guide" goes from A la Albanil to Zempasuchil. Take this book with you and you will never be lost in the marketplace or restaurant.

Ron Cooper, President, Del Maguey, Ltd. Co., maker of Single Village Mezcal.

Anyone sensible enough to buy a copy before taking off for Mexico will be able to eat really well and even more importantly, to understand what they are eating.-Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz, Author of "The Complete Book of Mexican Cooking"

While most Mexico guides devote a section to eating, authors Joan and David Peterson see food as an integral part of the journey, the very basis of travel, and their new guide "Eat Smart in Mexico" (1998, Ginkgo Press, $12.95) reflects that sensibility. One of a series that includes Brazil, Indonesia and Turkey, Eat Smart gives a historical survey of Mexican cuisine followed by an overview of each Mexican region, describing its most representative foods, from the North to the Yucatán. We learn, for example, that Michoacan residents eat churipo, a stew made with potatoes and corn and flavored with the sour cactus fruit xoconostle.

A recipe section presents essentials like birria, mole poblano and chiles rellenos, as well as more exotic offerings like cheese-stuffed squash blossoms and mezcal sea bass with black bean sauce. The recipes have been provided by a number of restaurant owners, cookbook authors and culinary experts.

The most useful section of Eat Smart is its extensive glossary, which is broken down into a menu guide and an ingredients guide. The definitions, written with the gusto of those who are passionate about what they eat, should help readers decipher menus just about anywhere in Mexico. It includes obscure items like codillo enchilmole-pig's knuckles in a black spice paste made of burned chiles, roasted onion and garlic, and juice from the bitter Seville orange, and ayocotes en coloradito-large broad beans in a rich, red, complex sauce of ancho and guajillo chiles, spices, nuts, seeds, raisins and chocolate. Browsing this glossary is certain to whet your appetite to seek out these dishes in the places where they're prepared. -Daniel C. Schecter, Business Mexico

This book, like other books in the Eat Smart series, guides the reader/traveler through the food history, best dishes, and regional favorites of the country. I loved having this while in Morocco, because I had a good idea what to order wherever I went. The book also gives you the phrases you need to both read the menu and order. It's simply an invaluable guide for those who consider food a major part of the adventure of travel.

Joan Peterson, the culinary mistress of the EAT SMART series, returns to feed our continuing love affair with foreign foods and flavors in her latest book, Eat Smart in Morocco. As much a travel guide as it is a cookbook, Peterson shares her knowledge of the history and cultural significance of native dishes as well as the traditions and secrets of Moroccan cooks. Her culinary tribute to the land and its people should be part of an official welcome packet given to every foreign visitor when they first step on Moroccan soil. As she writes, "What better way to know a culture than through its cuisine." Particularly helpful to travelers are her bilingual menu, and food and flavor guides. Whether you're a novice or experienced traveler, Eat Smart in Morocco is the perfect reference for a memorable culinary journey. --Kimberly Ouhirra, President, Exotica Oils, Inc.

I've been a fan of Joan Peterson's "Eat Smart" series ever since I discovered "Eat Smart in Turkey" and "Eat Smart in Brazil" in the 1990s. Now Ms. Peterson has come out with a new guide to the foods and foodways of Morocco, a country whose history is reflected in its richly varied cuisine influenced by nomadic Berbers, Arab conquerors, Sephardic Jewish settlers, and French colonialists. As the author states in the Preface, "What better way to get to know a culture than through its cuisine?"

This highly informative book provides an overview of Morocco's history, an in-depth look at the country's national and regional foods, and a selection of Moroccan recipes from appetizers to desserts, with color photographs of many of the dishes. But "Eat Smart in Morocco" is much more than an introduction to the culinary cultures of this fascinating country. It's also a practical guidebook that you'll want to take along on your next trip to Morocco.

One chapter gives helpful phrases (with their pronunciation) for use in restaurants and food markets. An extensive Menu Guide lists menu items alphabetically, with a description of each dish, followed by a Foods & Flavors Guide with a comprehensive list (and explanation) of Moroccan ingredients, spices, kitchen utensils, and cooking terminology. An extensive bibliography and very good index round out this book.

"Eat Smart in Morocco" is an indispensable companion for the intelligent traveler who is interested in that country's foods-and for anyone who wants to know what, and how, to eat in a Moroccan restaurant. Don't go to Morocco without it! Highly recommended. ----- Sharon Hudgins, author of "The Other Side of Russia: A Slice of Life in Siberia and the Russian Far East"

"Eat Smart in Morocco" uses significant historical facts to trace the rich culinary treasures of Morocco and its land. Readers can become more familiar with the culture and civilization through this guidebook and delight themselves with recipes from various contributors. The guidebook confirms that we can touch the heart of another culture through the flavors of its food and experience a gastronomic journey.
----Rafih Bengelloun, chef/owner of the Imperial Fez restaurant in Atlanta

This book is one of a type I was not familiar with: books for travelers who are also "foodies", that is, people for whom trying the local food is one of their main pleasures while traveling.

This book will let foodies explore Morocco's rich and unique cuisine in thier homes before leaving via descriptions of both the food and its context, and it even provides recipes to try first. Once in Morocco, there is a directory of regional cuisine, and a menu guide with transliterated Arabic names of dishes to help in ordering. I find Moroccan food some of the world's best and most varied, and this book makes it accessible to everyone.

I've traveled and worked in Morocco off and on for the last 35 years, and can attest that the recipes and descriptions are well-researched and accurate. Readers should enjoy this book, as a travel guide or as a 'virtual' trip to Morocco.

Les trois premiers livres de la serie m'ont epate mais celui-ci "WOW". L'histoire est tellement pleine de rebondissements imprevus et quelle fin, c'est tout un revirement!

Reading this book wasn't just fun, but it really helped me in my French. I learned more in reading it than I have in all of my classes combined. There are some little changes in it, but that is because of the language difference and my over-reading the English version led me to know its wording too well. Still, that only made it more fun. I'd recommend this to any French student.

I never really liked to read. It was just too boring. Reading all those pages that had no effect on me. Then I heard about Harry Potter. Everyone really liked it. I wanted to see what the big deal was. I read the first book. I thought to myself how imaginative it was. The creatures, the characters, and the plot. They were all like a puzzle fit perfectly together. It made my mind run wild. I had to read the second book. I went through that like a person going after 1 billion dollars. It was so amazing. The third book was next. That was better than the first and second books. Finally the forth. Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. That was the best of all. My favorite character is Ron. He reminds me of me. All except the looks. I look a lot better than him. This book is filled with creativity, mystery, fantasy, and love. All in one. Thats why I got hooked on all these things.

Then, Harry and the Weasley's go to the train station. Then they say goodbye to everyonne and get on the bus. They meet their new teacher and their best (not) friend, Malfred. Their is a special game instead of quidditch this year and only people over 18 years of age can enter to win. Three schools are coming to play but only 3 people, one from each school, can play. Harry plays. But he's not 18 so a lot of people get mad. I won't tell you what else happens, so get the book and read it!

I gave this a 5 'cause this is a grat book and it lets out your imagination!

I have to admit that I enjoyed book four less than the other three--when I read it in English. For some reason the story seemed fragmentary, overly complex, and poorly focused. I felt the movie brought a greater sense of direction and theme to the story. After having read the book again in French, however, I'm inclined to feel I misjudged it. I suppose, having to focus my own attention more closely to read the material in a foreign language, I saw the mental lines along which the story was constructed more clearly. The author is truely brilliant.

As before, this book in French, too, is a wonderful way to learn the language. Book four is definitely more complex in vocabularly and gramatical structure than the earlier books, just as it is in English, but also as in English, it coaxes the reader along, encouraging him or her to stretch a little bit to understand that word or that sentence, to be just a bit more patient and put it all together. Reading Harry in French gave me once again that same sense of joy I had when learning to read in the first place.

I bought the French translation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for my son who began his first year of French this year in Middle School. It has been great fun and encouragement for him. His teacher found it fun as well, reading short excerpts from it to the French class. Everyone loves Harry!

This is a handy, travel sized guide to eating in Peru that greatly enhanced our trip to Peru. There are two excellent glossaries, one for menus with the names of foods in Spanish and in English, and the second listing a number of markets. There are recipes for some typical dishes from different regions in Peru. I especially liked the history of dishes.

Our tour arranged for Sunday dinner at the home of a penal judge and an office manager; the family prepared the meal using many foods grown on their their own farm, and the judge and his law student son ate with us. The menu included guinea pig fried in deep fat served with large kernel white corn on the cob and sweet potato. The second course was braised beef served with carrots, cucumbers, green beans and tomatoes. Dessert was strawberry gelatin. Except for the guinea pig, the meal sounds quite American, but this book added interesting information which helped us understand the seasonings and enjoy the meal more fully.

My son and I are greatly addicted to street food, and the book was helpful on street dining as well. The steamed white corn at the railroad station on the way to Machu Picchu was superb; roasted beef heart at a greasy spoon in Miraflores was excellent; and we were delighted to learn more about the fusion of Chinese and Peruvian foods at the many chifa restaurants.

There are a couple of useful websites that make this book even more useful. The publisher, Gingko Press, maintains a website with news about the authors and other books in the Series. ginkgopress The site announced recently that this book received the 2006 Gourmand Award for Best in the World Award for a culinary travel guidebook. There is also the helpful perufood.blogspot devoted to the foods of Peru; Joan Peterson contributes suggestions on how to find ingredients, and suggests alternatives for those that aren't available in the US.

As a portable guide book on the foods of Peru, this one can't be beat. But,if you are really serious about Peruvian food, consider obtaining the beautiful and encyclopedic The Art of Peruvian Cuisine by Tony Custer. The Reviews on Amazon and elsewhere (including my own) are glowing.

Robert C. Ross 2008

People who love combining great food and travel make pilgrimages to Italy's Po Valley, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Hanoi, Singapore, France's Lyon, San Francisco, Charleston, New Orleans and other shrines to fine cooking.

Add Peru to the list.

If you aren't aware that Peru has its very own fusion cuisine -- very approximately like that of New Orleans with a blend of Indian, Spanish and African styles -- plus contributions by Chinese and Japanese settlers, Eat Smart in Peru will open your eyes to yet another fine gourmet destination.

Authors Joan Peterson and Brook Soltvedt are way ahead of the curve in discovering Peruvian cuisine. I was only aware of Peruvian chicken, based on a carryout in my neighborhood that serves this dish, cooked on a rotating spit over charcoal, with a rosemary-based spice shoved under the chicken skin, and a fine salsa verde on the side. Peterson and Soltvedt found a vast variety of other dishes, including curries, desserts and appetizers. A section on recipes includes Aji de Gallina, a chicken stew that I plan to try.

In addition to the recipes, Eat Smart in Peru contains a history of the development of Peru's cuisine, a regional specialties chapter, a glossary of ingredients and menu guide.

Finally, Eat Smart in Peru tells you how to shop in a Peruvian market and how to locate rare ingredients stateside. It's an easy read, with nice illustrations and a logical organization.

By the way, the author has done other "Eat Smart" guides to Brazil, Mexico, India, Turkey, Poland and other destinations.

"...picarones, a doughnut-like snack or dessert made from a yeasty pumpkin dough. The rings of dough are formed by hand, deep-fried and served with raw-sugar syrup flavored with orange, aniseed, cinnamon and cloves." ~ pg. 14

The Eat Smart guides are an exploration of cuisine itself and are interesting even if you never reach the desired destination. You can order ingredients online for the recipes featured. There are pictures of delicious cultural favorites, food markets and unique ingredients. Some of the main sections include:

Early History through Pre-Inca Civilizations
The Regions of Peru
Tastes of Peru
Shopping in Peru's Food Markets
Resources
Helpful Phrases
Menu Guide
Food and Flavors Guide
Restaurants

Joan Peterson and Brook Soltvedt also show how various cultures influenced Peru's culinary world and the first part of this book contains a lot of culinary history that may appeal to food writers. Maps and pictures of the food make it easier to understand the cultural significance of food choices.

"Rare is the Peruvian dish that does not include chile pepper. Each river valley oasis along the western slopes of the Andes has a microclimate that produces unique varieties of chile peppers, which are, in turn, completely different from the peppers native to the jungle." ~ pg. 19

Recipes for Rice Pudding look familiar and if you can find gooseberries, you can make the gooseberry marmalade to serve with quinoa crepes.

Other highlights include a section on helpful phrases you can use in restaurants. List of foods like "nuez moscada" have translations, nutmeg. If you order a tortilla, you will get an omelet.

Eat Smart in Peru will appeal to anyone who is curious about new culinary discoveries and wants to either travel to Peru or incorporate new recipes into their cooking repertoire.

~The Rebecca Review

Eat Smart in Peru by Joan Peterson and Brook Soltvedt, Illustrated by Susan Chwae is a travel guide for food lovers which guides the traveler in Peru through the market and the menu in order to have a savory tasting adventure. The unique concept of this book is one of many in the EAT SMART series. The guides include a history of the culture and development of its unique cuisine. There are many recipes sprinkled through the book to try before making your trip to Peru or to enjoy as a special memory after returning. Especially useful is the chapters about shopping in the market with the needed languages phrases.And every traveler to Peru needs this book even if it is just for the restaurant guide which lists the dishes and food items in alphabetical order with descriptions of what it is, with national and regional Peruvian favorites indicated. With this guide you will no longer be ordering mystery foods when you dine. The book is unique and really well organized. Be sure to pack it for your trip!

(Planeta Journal) - This latest title in the Eat Smart series helps travelers decipher menus and shop in the lively markets of Peru. There are so many options for visitors throughout the country, this book is the definitive guidebook for enjoying Peruvian cuisine. Includes tips on shopping in markets, a menu guide, helpful phrases and a list of helpful resources.

Dr DeRosa's book was entertaining, easy to read and packed with anecdotes and information. As an investment pro, his book gave me a greater insight into the often arcane political manipulations that eventually sow the seeds for economic instability. He pulls no punches when he states that central banks and governments themselves set themselves up to be the eventual "victims" of their own bad policies and instead of doing something different, they blame the speculator.
I like his information "boxes" that help the reader with the technical details of the book. Although I have long been a fan of single currency idea's, DeRosa's book has given me reason to pause. Well referenced and well researched.
The reviews by Dr Hanke and Dr Friedman can't hurt either.

This work is illuminating and speaks to issues beyond the world of finance, like politics and ideaology. DeRosa lays out clear and consice arguments in defense of free floating exchange rates and against fixed exchange-rate regimes.

The author debunks the propaganda supporting fixed exchange-rate regimes with insightful analyses based on the facts of the various currency crises that occured during the 1990s. Particularly interesting is the fact that leaders around the world are either ignorant of or chose to ignore the last ten (let alone the last 100) years worth of economic history and persist in attempting to control and plan economies. This book should be required reading not only for finance professionals and central bankers, but anyone interested in how the decisions of people in appointed positions (like the head of a central bank or finance ministry)have far-reaching and often dire consequences.

"In Defense of Free Capital Markets is an impressive survey and analysis of the crises of the 1990s. Mr. DeRosa makes a strong case that official intervention has made matters worse, not better, and that in such instances it is far better to leave it to the invisible hand of the market than to the clumsy, visible hand of regulators."

--Milton Friedman Senior Research Fellow, Hoover Institution Nobel Economics Prize, 1976

Professor DeRosa offers up a generous helping of reality in evaluating the currency crises of the past dozen or so years. From the first world foibles of the Bank of Japan to the third world of currency pegs, the currency calamities of the late twentieth century are thoughtfully presented in a lean read.

While perhaps giving short shrift to the political constraints facing policy makers in times of crisis, Mr. DeRosa nevertheless does well describing the environments and pre-conditions which ultimately fostered our most recent international financial catastrophes.

In this, the age of fiat money, unsustainable currency policies are easy prey for the worlds biggest market. Anyone interested in a brief but informative history of recent currency debacles will truly enjoy this book.

Yale University adjunct professor David F. DeRosa argues that markets are smarter than government ministries. Therefore, he contends, economic development should be left to the free market, since tighter regulations will only distort development. His detailed analysis of economic conditions focuses on factors leading to several crises, including the decline of the Mexican and Japanese economies in the 1990s and the Southeast Asian collapse of 1997. The subject is complicated and interesting, and the writing is often technical and sometimes complex. We at getAbstract call this book to the attention of scholars, executives and managers who have a serious interest in fiscal policy. And we do mean serious.

Un método muy práctico sin maestro, si eres una persona dedicada y le dedicas 1 hora diaria, en menos de dos meses, ya hablarás y inglés y lo comprenderás.! Te lo recomiendo...

Si tienes este libro en tus manos y la voluntad y el interès suficiente de aprender inglès...LO LOGRAS EN MUY POCO TIEMPO .

IGUAL DE EFICIENTE QUE SUS OTROS TEXTOS DE INGLÉS...
Este me pareció excelente y mejoró lo que aprendí con otros dos libros de ella.

and the book is one of the best tools I have seen to learn English without a teacher.
When you finish studying it, you will speak, write correctly, speak and understand !

It's worth the effort!

GANO UN BUEN BILLETE COMO GUÍA DE TURISTAS!

This is one awesome book of mysterious letters, Jonothan missing, Mandie and Celia kiddnapped by the strange woman from the ship, and finding themselves lost in Paris!! Not to make Elizabeth "lizziesc" look bad or anything, but my favorite books are when she is in Europe. Another must-read.

Mandie is off on another adventure with her grandmother, her friend,and her new friend Johnathan. This book is is very good

Mandie is in France with her Grandmother, her friend Celia, and her Grandmother's friend Senator Morton.
Accompanying them is Jonathan Guyer, a stowaway they found on the ship in the previous book. Since his father can't get him then, they agree to take him to his aunt and uncle's house in Paris.
But when they arrive, they can't locate his relatives. Then Jonathan is kidnapped, and Mandie and Celia chase the carriage until it stops at a large, forbidding castle. Do Mandie and Celia have the nerve to go in and rescue him? Find out!

I enjoyed this book very much, the part about Uncle Ned. If you notice, Uncle Ned is in every book, and Snowball is in every picture, except 'Mandie and the Forbidden Attic.'
Sorry, but the books about Mandie going to Europe are all slow going. They're all interesting, but slow going. I was the teeniest bit bored with them.
But they're still good books, and I recommend them to anyone.

This book is so great because I just love Mandie and I have every Mandie book. My reccomedation is: Read it!

This is a Great Mandie Book. She has just arrived in Europe with Celia and Jonathan, the stowaway. There is a mysterious telegram waiting for Mandie at the hotel. This leads to another mystery, and three mysterious french speaking girls. The strange lady from the ship appears again. Mandie and Celia get lost in Paris, with nothing to lead the way back to the hotel but the Eifle tower. Then someone unexpected shows up... This is a very good Mandie Book which you must read. But be sure to read the books in order to understand them most.

In 1951,Senator Joseph R. McCarthy made a lengthy speech(constantly interrupted)in the Senate,highly critical of the military and diplomatic career of General George C. Marshall(and other "public servants")during the Roosevelt and Truman administrations.The reaction from many quarters to this speech was one of indignant outrage.
In questioning the wisdom-indeed the very loyalty to the US-of Marshall,revered and sanctified as the "Organizer of victory" during World War 2,even Senator McCarthy's allies(such as Republican party chief Robert Taft),felt Joe may have gone too far.
To this day,it is McCarthy's "attack" on Marshall-Army chief,roving diplomat for Truman,Secretary of State and Defence Secretary-which is pointed to as being the "red-hunting" Senator's greatest political crime.This book,published in 1951,is basically a condensed version of McCarthy's speech,with some additional material.
Whether McCarthy was wholly responsible for writing the speech/book-or if,as some believe,it is largely the work of one of his more academic assistants,such as J.B. Matthews,is debatable.
Be that as it may,whoever has(like me)been informed by our "media" for decades that McCarthy's public attack on Marshall was a prime example of Joe's unholy wickedness,may have to revise their opinion after reading this book.The case made against Marshall,his proteges and advisors,is carefully argued,well supported by evidence-and devastating!Drawing on published memoirs by the politicians,military figures and such who were involved in the momentous events in which Marshall played a leading part,one is staggered by the scope of the indictment against him,and sobered by the thought of the other horrors which would have occured if Marshall(and others discussed here)had managed to get their way all the time(instead of just a lot of the time!).
Here we see Marshall's murky role in the Japan/Pearl harbour debacle,his monomania about opening a "Second front"-at a time when neither the US or the Britain could have mounted an assault on Nazi held Western Europe without colossal casualties and inevitable failure,solely to take the pressure off Stalin's forces in Russia(Stalin having been until very recently Hitler's ally and fellow plunderer of Europe);his sabotaging of the efforts of Churchill and others who were trying to prevent Russia occupying swathes of eastern europe and taking Berlin;his moves to see that Russia was brought into the war in the east(a strengthening of Stalin's hand quite unnecessary to the Allied war on Japan);his insistence on there being a land invasion of Japan(then defeated militarily,without supplies-as its Navy had gone-and suing for peace with the Allies)which would have seen massive needless loss of life among Allied servicemen;his role in ensuring Stalin got the territory he craved during behind the scenes manoevering at the big conferences like Tehran and Yalta;his willingness to forward the cause of Mao and his communist rebels at the expense of the Nationalist regime which led to decades of the Chairman's gory incompetent rule over China(turning it into an impoverished charnel house).
Anyone reading the indictment here will probably begin to wonder how on earth Marshall gained such a reputation as a sagacious guardian of the US and the free world's interests,and why he was thought of so highly by clever political operators like FDR,Truman and Eisenhower.Is this the story of a naive serial blunderer,whose errors were somehow turned into epics of reasoned statesmanship by a fawning gullible left/liberal media and political establishment-or were all these activities(which promoted the aims and ends of Stalin)coldly calculated and deliberate.We have the evidence from the previously secret US and Soviet intelligence archives that the infiltration into the power structure of the US by Soviet agents and fellow travelling allies was on a quite breathtaking scale in the 30's and 40's.Much more still remains locked in the archives of the Soviet intelligence services.There is uncontrovertable evidence that many of those previously declared by the "liberal consensus" to have been innocent victims of unscrupulous political witch hunters like McCarthy and the Un-American Activities Committee-from Alger Hiss and Harry Dexter White to the Rosenbergs-were in fact guilty as charged all along.Joe McCarthy came close to calling Marshall a traitor.Dwight Eisenhower,who coasted to prominence on Marshall's coat-tails,never forgave McCarthy for attacking his old mentor-it was one of the reasons why,as President,Ike finally joined the pack who were out to get the Junior Senator from Wisconsin,and helped destroy him politically during the 1954 Army Hearings and their aftermath.
Reading this book will help any impartial reader decide who was right about George Catlett Marshall.

Senator Joseph McCarthy was a contemporary of General George Marshall (the WWII U.S. military officer who worked closely with President Roosevelt), both having lived through the events that are described in this book, so this is a fascinating, absorbing first-person account of that history and those times. Senator McCarthy certainly lives up to his "no holds barred" reputation for directness and controversy in this book. Highly recommended!

CHAPTERS:

Background Leading Up to the Marshall Speech

Marshall and the Second Front

The Struggle for Eastern Europe

The Yalta Sellout

Marshall and Stilwell

The Marshall Policy for China

The Marshall Mission

The Marshall Plan

The Marshall-Acheson Strategy for the Future

Appendix A: Source Material

Appendix B: Press Reaction to the Speech

This small tome, expanding upon his speech in the Senate, provides a wealth of documented information regarding General Marshall and the deleterious effects his mistaken eforts have wrought on the US and the enslaved citizens of China.

A modern history of this subject with all the released information from the Venona files and the Soviet Union folded in would only enhance McCarthy's prescience in writing this book.

This book does not charge Marshall with being a spy, nor a Soviet agent, nor a communist, nor a fellow traveler, but whatever leanings Marshall had and how he was influenced by the Communists and American Traitors that were in charge of formulating and influencing the US's foreign policies, especially in the far east, are strongly inferred in this book.

This is a well written, well argued, and well documented book, that almost turns into a page turner and a one night read.

In evaluating Senator McCarthy's book, I will compare the situation he analyzed with another more well-known situation.

From reading William Shirer's book "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" I became aware that Neville Chamberlain helped precipitate World War 2 when he went to Munich. There, he appeased Hitler by allowing him to take chunks of Czechoslovakia and incorporate them into Germany, without a fight. Czechoslovakia was not even invited to these "negotiations." The situation was hopeless for that country; although it was well-armed and could have fought back Germany, the citizens capitulated and within a few weeks the entire country became engulfed by Germany. But that is all that Chamberlain did to encourage Germany into invading Czechoslovakia. To think that Chamberlain was a Nazi or a Nazi sympathizer might be overreacting.

Now, imagine that prior to Chamberlain coming to Munich, Germany was already invading Czechoslovakia by force. Not only that, but the Czechoslovak forces were steadily beating back the German army from the Sudeten regions. Suppose now, at the urging of Hitler, Chamberlain was to demand that the Czechoslovak forces cease-fire before taking back their lost territory, in the interests of "peace." Suppose that while assuring the British people, who wanted arms to be brought to Czechoslovakia, the arms were mysteriously sabotaged while being transported to Czechoslovakia in the care of Chamberlain. Suppose further that Chamberlain demanded that Czechoslovakia "reform" their government and hold elections, and allow the Nazis to be elected into their government positions, in the interest of "democracy." And that if they refused to comply, Chamberlain was going to withdraw British troops from, and discontinue aid to Czechoslovakia. Suppose that the Czechoslovaks conceded and ceased-fire but still this was not good enough for Chamberlain, who before returning to Britain, withdrew aid and troops, and made the statement, "With a stroke of the pen, I now disarm 39 divisions of the Czechoslovak army." Would you think that Chamberlain was a Nazi, had he committed these actions? Even if the man was considered by most of your countrymen to be a "war hero?"

In the previous paragraph, replace "Chamberlain" with "George Marshall," "Hitler" with "Chou En-Lai," "Munich" with "Yenan," "Germany" with "Russia and Red China," "Nazi" with "Communist" "Czechoslovakia" with "Free China," "Sudeten" with "Manchuria" and "British" with "American," and you get the idea, of what happened to China prior to it's fall to the Communists shortly after world war 2. Now we are faced with another question.

If you are yet undecided as to the answer of that question, then I suggest you read McCarthy's book, which is actually a transcription of a speech he made in the Senate. In spite of the media reaction to McCarthy and his speech, in the speech, and hence this book, much evidence is provided, and conclusions presented in a calm, objective manner.

A special section at the end of the book documents media reaction to the speech. Much vitriol was flung at McCarthy by editors of various newspapers. Much of the commentary demonstrated a complete lack of understanding of what McCarthy said, or worse.

It is a great injustice that Marshall is still considered to be a "war hero," when it is quite apparent that he committed numerous "errors," even prior to his shenanigans in China. The systematic nature of his errors, always in favor of the reds, explains a great deal why China is still communist today, and unlike Japan, has a government which is hostile to the US and may become increasingly so in the next several years.

Much has been made of this. Sen. McCarthy had some things to say about the so-called good general. Eisenhower went ape, as they said then, and the establishment press pontificated---but these words, written by Forrest McDonald, are worth a view. Where was Marshall on Pearl Harbor day? Why did he consistently side with Mao? Read this for a decidely different view from the conventional one.

This is a great book for those doing business in China. Not only does this book cover social norms and behaviors, but gives background information on why these social norms exist. This leads to a broader understanding of the Chinese and makes for an interesting read.

Ted Plafker, author of Doing Business in China: How to Profit in the World's Fastest Growing Market, should know what he's talking about as he personally invested 18 years of his life living in Beijing as a business journalist for The Economist. And he does! Plafker's wonderful book is an excellent guidebook that is filled with insightful anecdotes and very useful summaries at the end of each chapter.

Three sections that readers will find especially helpful are: 1. Pinpointing the Top Emerging Markets; 2. Laws, Rules & Regulations; and, 3. Understanding Cultural Differences.

As a consultant on doing business in Asia, I stress the importance of understanding a country's law and culture before making investment decisions. The author rightfully cautions his readers that it is not especially profitable to label China as a communist country and proceed from there as the Chinese market economy is more socialist than it is communist. (On my visits to China, I `ve found it more capitalist than many Americans might imagine.)

He advises that for a company to thrive in China it must re-tool its product to fit the needs of the Chinese consumers. I have found this to be especially true for India also.

Ted was in Los Angeles in the Spring 2008 and I had the privilege of meeting him in person.

By Gunjan Bagla
Author of Doing Business in 21st Century India

An excellent resource for china. The author does not fabricate or exaggerate anything that he doesnt seem to know about the country and he applies written tetimony form people who have worked and lived there.

I am a business strategy consultant with a reasonable amount of China experience. I have to say that this book provides the best balance of concise presentation, expert insight, and enjoyable narrative of any China business book I've read.

Too many books on the subject of doing business in China are written by quasi-experts who comment on broad trends that are either obvious or false conventional wisdom. Mr. Plafker's book shows a level of China business acumen that can only be garnered from years of experience. The anecdotes are at once entertaining and insightful. I have successfully used a number of the stories when consulting for clients. I had a recent client engaged a one-man consultancy offering "expertise" in China market entry. The client was shocked when I was able to guess (based on Mr Plafker's anecdotes) that the expert had (1) boasted about the number of visits he had made to China and (2) gone on at length on the need to hand over business cards with two hands. The consultant turned out to have little true expertise, and I established my credibility.

This book is a must-read. For those that are new to business in China, it is a more nuanced and insightful primer than any other you will find. For old China hands, the book is a useful tool to help you synthesize the body wisdom that you have accumulated.

This is a must-read for any Western business people venturing into China.

As a Chinese living in US for 10 years, I am amazed by Ted's understanding and appreciation of some of the subtleties of the Chinese culture, e.g. reluctance to say no, huge concern for one's face or mianzi. His treatment of the expat life in China is objective and comprehensive. He also paints an excellent picture of what aspects of China are morphing to be more western-like. His opinions and advices are specific, and backed by facts and his 18-year first-hand experience on the ground. For the thorniest issue, corruption, Ted gave a sound advice of never getting your foot wet in it.

Ted's writing is easy to read. The summaries at the end of each chapter are very useful references.

One thing Ted did not give enough coverage, in my opinion, is the implication of the strong nationalism sentiment reinforced by the Chinese Community Party through the schooling system as well as the media. A lot of Chinese people view the Western powers as greedy and unfriendly because of the humiliation and exploitation suffered by the Chinese in late 1800's and early 1900's. That sentiment is at the root of a lot of the sensitivities.

Another thing I did not quite like is that the catchy subtitle is somewhat misleading. A more accurate subtitle would be "What you have to know before and during doing business in China". But that is a petty flaw in a no-nonsense book.