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Teonanacatl: Hallucinogenic mushrooms of North America : extracts from the Second International Conference on Hallucinogenic Mushrooms, held October 27-30, ... (Psycho-mycological studies ; no. 2)
Manufacturer: Madrona Publishers
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ASIN: 0914842293 |
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Teonanacatl: Hallucinogenic mushrooms of North America : extracts from the Second International Conference on Hallucinogenic Mushrooms, held October 27-30, ... (Psycho-mycological studies ; no. 2)
Manufacturer: Madrona Publishers
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ASIN: 0914842323 |
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National Geographic Traveler: Spain (National Geographic Traveler)
Fiona Dunlop
Manufacturer: National Geographic
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National Geographic Traveler: Portugal (National Geographic Traveler)
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The National Geographic Traveler: France
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National Geographic Traveler: Barcelona, 2d Ed. (National Geographic Traveler)
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National Geographic Traveler: Barcelona (National Geographic Traveler)
ASIN: 0792238842
Release Date: 2005-06-01 |
Customer Reviews:
Smart.......2006-05-10
This guide is beautiful and very thorough, including information on even small towns and good subway maps for Barcelona and Madrid. It is also thorough in noting all the attractions each place has to offer, providing historical information as well as contact information, subway stop, operation hours, and free days! Most museums in Spain are closed at least one day a week, and we used this everywhere we went. It discusses major museums, churches, and mosques and points out important artists, carvings, or architechtural peculiarities in each. Another great feature is suggested walking routes in interesting neighborhoods in major cities - Spain has plenty of small streets, and we would've definitely missed some amazing places if not for this guide.
This isn't going to give you a lot of hotels or restaurants, but it does a sufficient job in translating and explaining some peculiar foods and merchandise.
Average customer rating:
- Great resource for the traveler to this great city
- In depth
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National Geographic Traveler: Barcelona (National Geographic Traveler)
National Geographic Society , and
Damien Simonis
Manufacturer: National Geographic
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National Geographic Traveler: Paris (National Geographic Traveler)
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National Geographic Traveler: Spain (National Geographic Traveler)
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The National Geographic Traveler: France
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National Geographic Traveler: Florence and Tuscany (National Geographic Traveler)
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The National Geographic Traveler: Great Britain
ASIN: 0792279026
Release Date: 2002-05-01 |
Book Description
National Geographic brings 114 years of incomparable travel expertise to today's sophisticated globe-trotters. Each practical and portable National Geographic Traveler features:
- Detailed background and site descriptions plus fascinating vignettes on history, culture, and contemporary life
- Mapped walking and driving tours
- A complete directory of visitor information, including notable hotels, restaurants, entertainment, and shopping
- Foldout end flaps, printed with maps and quick reference information that serve as handy bookmarks
- Top-rated travel writers who bring sophisticated, authoritative guidance and a strong, individual voice to each book
- Superior photography and artwork
Customer Reviews:
Great resource for the traveler to this great city.......2004-10-05
The National Geographic Traveler: Barcelona is an excellent resource and is so readable that a traveler to Barcelona should consider reading it prior to travel as well as taking it for a guide. The book is a little heavy to carry around in your hands but fits nicely into a backpack. The book is full of colorful photographs and drawing and is extremely user friendly when trying to find your way around Barcelona. The book contains area maps where you can orient yourself to particular neighborhoods and the sites. Also suggested walking tours are included with well detailed maps. There are also larger excursion maps should the traveler wish to leave the city for such wonderful sites as Montserrat with it's cliff hidden Monastery and mountain hiking trails.
There is a brief history of Barcelona and Catalunya. I suggest reading it so that you understand why the high school Spanish you learned is not quite appropriate here in Barcelona, an area that considers itself culturally and linguistically separate from the rest of Spain. There is a tension between Madrid and Bracelona and understanding the history helps the traveler enjoy and appreciate Barcelona even more.
The parks located on Montjuic, overlooking the city, can be accessed by bus or climbed for those in good shape. Nestled in the park is the wonderful Miro Museum, comprehensive and interesting. The useum is primarily devoted to the vast works of Joan Miro but other artists are displayed, especially if the work is compared to Miro's styles.
Parc Guell, designed by Gaudi, in all it's colorful whimsical fantasy is captured. The amazing mosaic tile work on benches, bridges, columns, buildings throughout the park make it very visually stunning and unique. Don't miss Gaudi's Casa Batllo, the most odd house imaginable. The roof tiles are like fish scales, the balconies are shark jaws, the wall are covered with coral and starfish patterns. It is if a giant fish had been turned into a multistory home. You have to walk across the street to appreciate the structure. The giant structure, La Pedrera is at least 8 times larger than Casa Batllo and evokes caves and moon landscapes. There is no way to describe La Sagrada Familia by Gaudi. It seems like a Disney world structure gone amok. The Gothic architectural details burst into fruit and vegetable clusters, with cold gray limestone contrasting against loud bright pastels.
The city life of La Rambla, the main artery of Barcelona, is a site of constant entertainment. From early morning to late at night the streets are active. The residents of Barcelona eat dinner so late that even at midnight the side-walk cafes are full of merriment. Trees line the street so you will protected from sun-burn as you stroll up and down this main street of the city.
The Gothic Neigborhood, the oldest part of the city, is well described with a detailed map. In this neighborhood is the ancient Cathedral with its wonderful lush interior tropical garden. Stop and rest in the garden which is like a miniture Brazilian forrest, misty, cool, and dense with color.This courtyard is very different from the nearby wide, dry, hot Placa Reial with it's Gaudi designed lampposts. Within the Gothic neighborhood is a suggested walk that is highly recommended since it takes the walker to numerous Roman artifacts and structures on which Bracelona was constructed. Next to the Gothic area is La Ribera, a wonderful area, full of ancient buildings and shops,as well as the Museu Picasso, containing a fantastic collection of Picasso's work. Nearby is the Parc de la Ciutadella, a wonderful place to stroll and relax before visiting the Museum in the grounds of the park to see the city's collection of art from a range of eras and styles. North of the Gothic area is Passeig de Gracia, a more business like atmosphere similar to Paris. Here is located the Antoni Tapies foundation with a collection of Tapies' work as well as a small temporary exhibition of contemporary artists.
A visit to the church of Santa Maria del Mar reveals the beauty of a Gothic austere brickwork church that impresses with the power of the brick and stone alone. Within the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya,located high above the city, an amazing collection of early Christian images can be found. The flat Byzantine style is powerful and entertaining.
There are great seafood restaurants on the waterfront as well as nightclubs and strip joints with male and female strippers working the bars in an area called the Rambla de Mar and the Maremagnum. From the waterfront you can climb a tower and get into the cable car, Teleferic Aeri, and cross the entire city and end up in the high parks above the city. Near the waterfront is Port Vell with its gigantic iron column topped by Christopher Columbus looking toward the West.
The book ends with suggested excursions, the primary one of which is a short train ride North of the city to Montserrat. Here you must go by cable car to reach the little mountain town of Montserrat. Within the church is the mysterious Black Virgin. Also available are wonderful hiking trails in the mountain overlooking the vast plane toward Barcelona and the Mediterranean Sea. The guide book is highly recommended for its great suggestions on walks, maps, sites and background information.
In depth.......2004-07-24
Great photos and drawings. The biggest differences between this and the Eyewitness Guide: 100 pages longer on the same material. This Nat'l Geo guide gives much more information on the individual sights, for example 6 pages on the Gothic cathedral, 2 full page photos, one almost full page drawing of the cathedral plan, 3 pages of smaller photos and text telling not only of its history, but giving a laid out tour through the cathedral. The book also includes individual walks through parts of the city (eg: Roman Barcelona Walk), It has the best information on festivals, bullfighting, and does the best job of describing the Catalonian sights outside Barcelona. Instead having maps at the back, the maps are included as the various sections of the city are described. The only real fault is their decision to list hours closed instead of hours open for sights ("closed 1 to 4"; does that mean it is open at 3 in the morning?).
A real nice book, definitely keep in your hotel room in BCN, and maybe take on the street with you, at 270 pages a wee bit bulky, but dimensions same as Eyewitness and not that heavy.
Average customer rating:
- Better than other guidebooks
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National Geographic Traveler: Barcelona, 2d Ed. (National Geographic Traveler)
Damien Simonis
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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National Geographic Traveler: Madrid (National Geographic Traveler)
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National Geographic Traveler: Spain (National Geographic Traveler)
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National Geographic Traveler: Florence & Tuscany, 2d Ed. (National Geographic Traveler)
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National Geographic Traveler: Italy (National Geographic Traveler)
ASIN: 0792253655
Release Date: 2006-03-21 |
Customer Reviews:
Better than other guidebooks.......2007-07-05
The National Geographic guidebooks for Madrid and Barcelona are better than other guidebooks. They are more fun to read before the trip because they give more in-depth information. They also provide walking tour directions and maps of interesting areas; for example, a walking tour of ancient Roman ruins in Barcelona.
Average customer rating:
- Better than other guidebooks
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National Geographic Traveler: Madrid (National Geographic Traveler)
Annie Bennett
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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National Geographic Traveler: Barcelona, 2d Ed. (National Geographic Traveler)
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National Geographic Traveler: Florence & Tuscany, 2d Ed. (National Geographic Traveler)
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National Geographic Traveler: Greece, 2d Ed. (National Geographic Traveler)
ASIN: 0792253728
Release Date: 2006-05-16 |
Customer Reviews:
Better than other guidebooks.......2007-07-05
The National Geographic guidebooks for Madrid and Barcelona are better than other guidebooks. They are more fun to read before the trip because they give more in-depth information. Also they give you directions and maps for walking tours of interesting areas.
Average customer rating:
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National Geographic Traveler: Portugal (National Geographic Traveler)
Fiona Dunlop
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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National Geographic Traveler: Spain (National Geographic Traveler)
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National Geographic Traveler: Barcelona, 2d Ed. (National Geographic Traveler)
ASIN: 0792241991
Release Date: 2005-11-08 |
Book Description
Portugal is a captivating, sun-drenched land of diversity packed into an area smaller than the state of Indiana. National Geographic Traveler Portugal opens with a detailed introduction to the country's history, food, land, and culture. From the hidden alleys and grand palaces of Lisbon, Portugal's elegant capital city, to the beautiful gardens of the remote Madeira islands off the Atlantic coast, readers will discover each of the country's seven regions. Special detailed sidebars discuss such diverse topics as Portugal's famous wines and the sultry and soulful music known as Fado.
Several detailed sections filled with practical travel information include extensive lists of handpicked hotels and restaurants and insider tips on the best tours. With meticulous maps and lavish photography, the National Geographic Traveler guides ensure exciting and memorable trips.
Average customer rating:
- An ideal planning guide and trip reference
|
The Spain (National Geographic Traveler)
Fiona Dunlop
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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National Geographic Traveler: Paris (National Geographic Traveler)
ASIN: 0792279220 |
Book Description
The National Geographic Traveler
Spain
- In-depth site descriptions and background information
- Insightful features on history, culture, and contemporary life
- More than 300 vivid color photographs
- 33 detailed, full-color maps
- Mapped walking and driving tours
- Specially commissioned artwork and floor plans
- Clear, easy-to-use design
- Complete visitor information plus hotels, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment
Customer Reviews:
An ideal planning guide and trip reference.......2001-10-15
In The National Geographic Traveler: Spain, travel writer Fiona Dunlop provides precisely the kind of in-depth site descriptions and background information that visitors to Spain need to plan and execute their business trips or vacation excursions. Here offered is a wealth of insightful features on the history, culture and contemporary life of Spain, enhanced with more than 300 color photographs, 33 detailed and full-color maps; mapped walking and driving tours; as well as specially commissioned artwork and floor plans. Here also is the most complete and up-to-date visitor information about hotels, restaurants, shopping, and entertainments. The clear, easy-to-use design makes The National Geographic Traveler: Spain an ideal planning guide and trip reference. If you are planning a personal or professional trip to Spain, begin with reading through Fiona Dunlop's The National Geographic Traveler: Spain!
Average customer rating:
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National Geographic Traveler España (National Geographic Traveler)
National Geographic Society
Manufacturer: National Geographic
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ASIN: 1426201567
Release Date: 2007-06-26 |
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National Geographic Traveler Madrid (National Geographic Traveler)
Annie Bennett
Manufacturer: National Geographic
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ASIN: 1426202539
Release Date: 2007-10-30 |
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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER: PORTUGAL.
Fiona. Dunlop
Manufacturer: National Geographic,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000NDQKJY |
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All about your name, Anne, Anna, Annie, Annette, Hannah, Anita, Nan
Tom Glazer
Manufacturer: DoubleDay
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: 0385042795 |
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All about your name, David (Davies, Dave, Davis, Davidson, Davy)
Tom Glazer
Manufacturer: DoubleDay
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ASIN: 0385063881 |
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All about your name, Elizabeth (Beth, Bette, Eliza, Betsy, Betty, Lizzie, Liz)
Tom Glazer
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ASIN: 0385064047 |
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All about your name, James, Jim, Jamie, Jimmy
Tom Glazer
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ASIN: 0385064497 |
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All about your name, John, Johnny, Jack, Jackie
Tom Glazer
Manufacturer: DoubleDay
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ASIN: 0385064284 |
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All about your name, Joseph, Joe, Joey, Jo-Jo
Tom Glazer
Manufacturer: DoubleDay
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ASIN: 0385065582 |
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All about your name, Katherine: Catherine, Cathy, Kate, Katie, Kathy
Tom Glazer
Manufacturer: DoubleDay
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ASIN: 0385065361 |
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All about your name, Mary (Maria, Molly, Marie, Miriam, Marion, Maureen)
Tom Glazer
Manufacturer: DoubleDay
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ASIN: 0385064063 |
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All about your name, Susan: Susie, Susanna, Suzanne, Sue
Tom Glazer
Manufacturer: DoubleDay
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ASIN: 0385066430 |
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All about your name, William (Will, Bill, Willie, Billy, Willy)
Tom Glazer
Manufacturer: DoubleDay
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ASIN: 0385064209 |
Average customer rating:
- Very good Read
- On the mark
- Demystifying Joe Studwell.
- Bull in a China shop
- China's roaring nineties - the best assessment in print
|
The China Dream: The Quest for the Last Great Untapped Market on Earth
Joe Studwell
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China
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ASIN: 0802139752 |
Book Description
In The China Dream, acclaimed business journalist Joe Studwell takes to task the predictions that China will become an economic juggernaut on the world stage in the twenty-first century -- and instead foresees an economic crisis. He argues that since the days of Marco Polo, Western nations have seen the vast population of the Middle Kingdom as a fantastic opportunity for expanding trade, investing time and resources again and again in the hope to develop it, only to see, century after century, its economy crash and their dreams turn to dust. Studwell traces the most recent developments in China from Deng Xiaoping's "liberalization" of its market in the 1980s through the opening of its economy to foreign investment in the 1990s. In his rigorous analysis of the Chinese economy, government, and culture, Studwell also shows the roadblocks to the continuation of the country's unprecedented expansion and why its economy will fail once more -- but this time, harder than ever before, and with potentially catastrophic results. Provocative, flawlessly researched, and endlessly engaging, The China Dream is a book that will have the business and political worlds talking about what's really going on in China -- and what we can do to prepare for the coming crisis. "The much-needed antidote to the delusions ... about the riches to be made from investing and selling in China. Brimming with ... statistics." -- The Washington Post " An entertaining, if cautionary, tale of Western business woes in China, stretching back seven hundred years." -- Peter Wonacott, The Wall Street Journal "[A] detailed account ... An excellent examination of the political and economic history of China, fascinating and mostly unknown to Westerners." -- Booklist (starred review)
Customer Reviews:
Very good Read.......2006-09-01
This book is a must for those traveling to China. Gives a detailed look at the history of the Chinese market. Is a great precursor to visiting ex-patriots
On the mark.......2005-11-19
As someone who has been in China for eight years I found Joe Studwell's book a breath of fresh air among the constant hype about this market. Some reviewers have challenged his account but I would strongly agree with his premise that while it is easy to be busy in China it is hard to make money. As Studwell points out, few foreign CEO's are able to pick up on this difference.
Some previous reviewers have claimed that Studwell has been proved wrong over the past two years since release of the book as the economy has continued to grow and one reviewer mentions GM as an example of how companies have exceeded their projected growth and revenue targets. Studwell's message was not an attack on the economy necessarily but an attack on the perception that there is easy money to be made in this boom. I would have to agree with his attack on those outside China, or with little knowledge of it, who fail to carry out basic due diligence.
Studwell's point is not based on confirming "the impending collapse of China" rather a recognition that despite the appearance of a first world economy this is still a developing market, with highly protectionist ideals, that requires business managers to apply realism and analysis to succeed. Don't leave your common sense and good business practice on the plane.
The move by Volkswagen in 2005 to cut back on investment and separate research showing that car production will be 5 times over capacity by 2015 seem to substantiate his message that yes there are winners but these are often short term!
Demystifying Joe Studwell........2004-12-11
Can it really only be two years since Mr. Studwell wrote this oft-quoted book? Only two years since he bravely confronted and slayed the "myth" of a profitable domestic Chinese market?
Two years ago, we were told about a "long period of slow growth and stagnation" for the domestic Chinese economy. This experienced China-hand, claiming 8 years of personal experience and a wealth of economic insight, assured us that there would only be a few isolated cases of economic success. He mocked GM for its economic investment, and lumped them into the group of so many other misguided CEOs that falsely believed the Chinese could afford to buy anything the West had to sell!
As a previous reviewer pointed out with great self-satisfaction... GM would have to wait until 2025 to meet their target of one million in annual sales! That prediction certainly seems comical when we realize that GM will reach 600k in annual sales this year: 2004. GM, with its over-optimistic and poorly planned investment in China, made an eye-popping profit of $875 million with its Chinese partners from China in the year 2003. That's actually *more* than what GM earned in North America ($811 million for Canada, Mexico, and the US combined). We can only hope Joe Studwell will be contributing a sequel shortly explaining the lack of a consumer market in North America, as well.
Ah, how things have changed. Mr. Studwell wrote for the Financial Times this month (December 2004), and while his melody remains the same, he has certainly changed keys. We're now told that, "while" the Chinese economy is "certainly doing well" (surprising understatement from a man that wasn't shy with rhetorical bombasity a few years ago)... it's not doing *that* well.
How so? Well, it seems, the Chinese domestic market will "only" be returning $8 billion in profits to foreign investors this year... a pathetic sum that's "only" comparable to the returns found in... South Korea and Taiwan? For a man that didn't think much of China's economic prospects 2 years ago, he sure has placed it in hallowed grounds this time around.
Two years ago, Mr. Studwell had a 50/50 shot of getting it right with this book. He found anecdotes and statistics supporting his conclusions at the time, but he conveniently ignored the comparable evidence that just as surely contradicted his point. In a world of conflicting facts when informed experts were unsure about China's future prospects, he decided to trumpet his own truth to the world.
Well, he's been caught with his pants down: he was as wrong as you can possibly be.
Bull in a China shop.......2004-07-28
China, the fastest growing economy in recent years is in deep trouble according to this book. Starting with a historical perspective, the author goes on to explain that it has never been easy to make money in a market that otherwise appears so attractive due to its sheer size in terms of its population. Multinationals have made over optimistic estimates of the potential market size for various goods and services and sunk billions of dollars either in the hope of making a quick profit or with a view to stay invested before rivals can enter. In most cases, returns have proved elusive.
China is a land shrouded in mystery and secrecy but yet continues to entice entrepreneurs from around the globe. The mad rush to grab the proverbial pots of gold turns into a frenzy in the early 1990s. China becomes the main destination for the global leaders and captains of multinational companies. Having brought in their money, these investors soon find themselves trapped in a situation of no return. Those with deep pockets manage to survive while many others are not so fortunate. The asset inflation boom - stocks and real estate- also has its fair share of victims. Another area discussed in detail is the weakness of Chinese financial institutions and the proportion of non performing assets that account for nearly half of their lending particularly to state owned enterprises. While exports is a success story appreciated across the world, here again the author is quick to point out the low value addition and low share in global trade.
Page after page, the author misses no opportunity to criticise the Chinese bureaucracy, political system the authoritarian rule of the party depicting china as a land that is on the verge of a great economic meltdown where global corporations will have no escape route to retreat.
It is important to note that global companies have gone to do business in China and it is their love for money and not charity has been the motive. It is said that greed, optimism and herd mentality are the three drivers of capitalism . Need a better example ? Large multinationals, mostly from developed countries boast of employing the best talent from leading business schools who are experts in market research and financial accounting. When things go wrong, why blame it on China?. There is no evidence in the book that suggests that China has misused money from international institutions or indulged in unfair practices to swindle FDIs. Assuming that China overstated her domestic income and growth figures, the two main parameters that have attracted the foreign capital, it cannot be an excuse for not doing enough home work to verify these figures before investing huge amounts.
The book appears to be biased and incomplete in not giving due credit to the rapid progress and achievements of the world's most populous nation.
China's roaring nineties - the best assessment in print.......2003-10-31
Joe Studwell, a British freelance journalist who lived in and reported from China from 1991 until 1999, has written one of the best-informed insiders' books about the Chinese economy in the boom years of the 1990s that is on the market. The book is excellently researched, well documented (60 pages of notes accompany 300 pages of text) and profits from a wealth of experience gathered "on the ground."
The main thesis of the book is that many big Western companies substitute a blurry, optimistic picture of a vast potential market for a balanced view based on hard data. When it comes to China, wishful thinking replaces critical distance and realistic assessment.
One thing that "The China Dream" explains very clearly is the extent to which two economies in China exist parallel to each other. One is the old socialist economy that is protected from change and the market forces. The other is a vibrant, export -oriented economy of manufacturing plants that assemble goods under the management of mostly Taiwanese and Hong Kong companies. The latter is the poster child for China, but the former continues to gobble up the people's savings to churn out the products that the planners want to see. Stripped of the success story of the export-oriented manufacturing companies, China's economy looks like a disaster waiting to happen.
Studwell is not a China-basher. He admires the stamina and determination of the small entrepreneurs in China who manage to hold their ground against a rapacious bureaucracy, the lack of credit from state-owned banks and the dumping strategies of pampered state-owned enterprises.
Earlier reviewers have criticized "The China Dream" as biased and uninformed (no CEO interviews). Having worked in China for three years, my impression is that Joe Studwell has a very solid grasp of the economic and political realities in the People's Republic of China, and that there is no point in listening to the rosy projections of CEOs and foreign luminaries who were "toured about in government limousines and fed an endless diet of spurious statistics"(255).
In a nutshell: This book is absolutely recommended reading for anyone who wishes to work in China or just wants to know what to make of all the praise lavished on a socialist developing country.
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