Book Reviews

A collection of 36 posts

Book Reviews

Readings and other Conversations

Over the last month in Shenzhen not only have I been blessed to have a very cooperative and generous host company allow me to observe their daily work, but I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to interview another 15-20 individuals, foreign and Chinese, about their own personal experiences with

Book Reviews

Books to read if you’re coming to China

I apologize for not posting for a while. I was completing a year-long goal of losing 50lbs and running a triathlon, the Laguna Phuket Triathlon, this last week. I have never been so proud of 618th place in my life!I've also been incredible busy--I'

Book Reviews

Three Book Recommendations.

First, I have completely loved reading Yasheng Huang's “Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics.” This is easily the best book that I have ever read on the development (or regression?) of capitalism in China. Just wonderful in it’s explanations of detailed economic events in the context of the very

Book Reviews

Poorly Made in China, Paul Midler—BOOK REVIEW

Like a couple other of my favorite books on China, River Town and Mr. China specifically, I’m admitting to you now that the reason that I like this book so much is that this is my life in print. This is what I’ve done for the past 7

Book Reviews

Managing the Dragon, by Jack Perkowski BOOK REVIEW

This is a great story book with a moral at the end, to boot! Managing the Dragon is a this-is-how-I-did-it style book with little hidden lessons found in hundreds of small tales and personal experiences. It's a timely read and a useful tool

Book Reviews

Business Leadership in China—Frank T. Gallo—BOOK REVIEW

I would recommend Frank Gallo’s book, Business Leadership in China, to any new-to China manger working for an MNC—that’s who it’s written for and that’s who will probably get the most out of it.I liked the fact that there were a lot of

Book Reviews

The Chinese, by Jasper Becker--BOOK REVIEW

This is a fantastic book. Honestly, I only have two minor issues with Jasper’s Becker’s book, The Chinese. First, it’s ten years old and I really want an update. If you think that ten years couldn’t be nearly long enough to date a book on populations

Book Reviews

The China Price, by Alexandra Harney--BOOK REVIEW

This is a great book!In The China Price Alexandra Harney has documented all of the stories and rumors that you’ve ever hear about manufacturing in China and delivered them in a captivating and easy to digest format. But its not just the details that are fascinating—the human

Book Reviews

Outliers, The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell—BOOK REVIEW

Outliers, is the latest thought provoking book from Malcolm Gladwell. I don’t typically review books that I read that are not specifically about business in Asia here. And this book has, as it’s thesis, nothing to do with China. But there are a couple of really impressive ideas

Book Reviews

Jeremy Haft’s: All the Tea in China—BOOK REVIEW

All the Tea in China is a 21st century version of Mr. China—and in a handy “how to” format to boot! Jeremy Haft has taken all his lumps and learning in China and distilled them down to a 200 page "how-to" on getting started in China.

Book Reviews

Will Hutton’s: The Writing on the Wall: China and the West in the 21st Century—BOOK REVIEW

This book, The Writing On the Wall, by Will Hutton, is just great. It’s only flaw is that it’s at least 100 pages too long—and there is a specific 100 pages that could be cut out with nothing lost.Chapters 1-8 are as good as any

Book Reviews

The Coming China Wars: where they will be fought and how they can be won—BOOK REVIEW

Before you read this, I’m warning you, I hated this book. I’ve rewritten this 4 or 5 times trying to make it “nice.” You’ve been warned. (MONDAY 15/09/08 MORNING UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM)I’ve been accused of bashing China on this blog. I don&

Book Reviews

Elite China: Luxury Consumer Behavior in China—BOOK REVIEW.

Pierre Xiao Lu’s look into the luxury market in China is probably the best book on the topic you can buy.But even if you are not trying to break into the Chinese luxury market there is great value in this book—as a tool for understanding urban culture,

Book Reviews

The China Fantasy—BOOK REVIEW

If you’re not ready to face the reality of China’s future and your involvement in that future, don’t read this book. If you’re comfortable with the idea that China is not “changing” in all the ways that the western democracies would like it too, don’t

Book Reviews

Book Review-What Does China Think, by Mark Leonard

I have to say the introduction of this book scared me. Mr. Leonard prefaces his writing by admitting that he knew so little about China that he hoped a trip or two could help him “learn the basics” and then allow him to go home. But maybe the lack of

Book Reviews

Getting Rich and Banking on "Randomness"

I find it more than a bit ironic that in this post earthquake age of the "new," "open," "mature" and very 21st century Chinese government there is absolute domestic silence here on anything historical (e.g. 19 years ago today).But who am I

Book Reviews

Inside Chinese Business--BOOK REVIEW

Every now and again the real truth comes out. Once when I was in grad school (at the now infamous NIU) writing my thesis on Thai/Chinese Corporate Culture (Professional Networks and Relationship in a Bangkok Law Firm; Southeast Asian Cultural Anthropology) my thesis advisor broke her academic façade and

Book Reviews

China Shakes the World, The Rise of a Hungry Nation; James Kynge. —BOOK REVIEW

When I read a book I look for three things, entertainment value, new information and applicability to my current situation (whatever that may be).I first read China Shakes the World maybe 6 months ago, and honestly, I left it on the plane when I was done—it was very

Book Reviews

REVIEW—The Great Wall—China against the world 1000BC-2000AD.

Once in a while a book that is originally about one topic illuminates greatly another. One book (that I can't blog about in China but contained a number of internal government documents about the happenings in a large square in Beijing in the late 80's) was

Book Reviews

China: Fragile Superpower—Book Review

This is one of my new favorite books on China.Fantastic insight from someone who has been here for more than 30 years, Susan Shirk knows not only about China’s history and current political and economic situation but she knows the leaders, personally. Her insights into their fears, their

Book Reviews

The New Chinese Empire and what it means for The United States—Book Review.

Other than the title, which I think is misleading, I really like this book. Ross Terrill has been a “friend of China” for 40 years and his experience shows in this in depth narration of Chinese history and it’ modern implications. He tells a story of continuing Chinese empires in

Book Reviews

Made in China—Book Review

Like most other authors in the past 5 years, Donald N. Sull is pretty high on China and its coming ascendancy to world super-power status. Sull’s Made in China details many of the same company profiles (Lenovo, Sina, Haier, Wahaha, Galanz) that others use to talk about the

Book Reviews

China Inc.--Book Review

The last two years of unfettered growth and hundreds of other books on the same subject seem to have supported Ted Fishman’s early optimism that this is indeed the Chinese Century.China Inc., one of the first in the China-will-soon-dominate-the-world genre, has all the

Book Reviews

Mr. China—Book Review

MAY 19th 2009 UPDATE--Jack Perkowski's book, Managing the Dragon is reviewed here. The stories in Mr. China were collected while Tim worked for Jack. These books tell many of the same stories from two different perspectives.------------------------------No one single person should be allowed to have this much

Book Reviews

Will the Boat Sink the Water--Book Review

With all the daily optimism about China and the China market, it’s necessary to regularly and consciously take a step back and look at China from a different perspective. “Will the Boat Sink the Water,” is just that perspective.If you’re reading this blog, you’ve got a