Selected as a Financial Times Best Book of 2013 In Strategy: A History, Sir Lawrence Freedman, one of the worlds leading authorities on war and international politics, captures the vast history of strategic thinking, in a consistently engaging and insightful account of how strategy came to pervade every aspect of our lives. The range of Freedmans narrative is extraordinary, moving from the surprisingly advanced strategy practiced in primate groups, to the opposing strategies of Achilles and Odysseus in The Iliad, the strategic advice of Sun Tzu and Machiavelli, the great military innovations of Baron Henri de Jomini and Carl von Clausewitz, the grounding of revolutionary strategy in class struggles by Marx, the insights into corporate strategy found in Peter Drucker and Alfred Sloan, and the contributions of the leading social scientists working on strategy today.

The core issue at the heart of strategy, the author notes, is whether it is possible to manipulate and shape our environment rather than simply become the victim of forces beyond ones control. Time and again, Freedman demonstrates that the inherent unpredictability of this environment-subject to chance events, the efforts of opponents, the missteps of friends-provides strategy with its challenge and its drama. Armies or corporations or nations rarely move from one predictable state of affairs to another, but instead feel their way through a series of states, each one not quite what was anticipated, requiring a reappraisal of the original strategy, including its ultimate objective. Thus the picture of strategy that emerges in this book is one that is fluid and flexible, governed by the starting point, not the end point. A brilliant overview of the most prominent strategic theories in history, from Davids use of deception against Goliath, to the modern use of game theory in economics, this masterful volume sums up a lifetime of reflection on strategy.

This comprehensive overview of the modern Chinese economy by a noted expert on China’s economic development offers a quality and breadth of coverage not found in any other English-language text. In The Chinese Economy, Barry Naughton provides both an engaging, broadly focused introduction to China’s economy since 1949 and original insights based on his own extensive research. The book will be an essential resource for students, teachers, scholars, business people, and policymakers. It is suitable for classroom use for undergraduate or graduate courses.After presenting background material on the pre-1949 economy and the industrialization, reform, and market transition that have taken place since, the book examines different aspects of the modern Chinese economy. It analyzes patterns of growth and development, including population growth and the one-child family policy; the rural economy, including agriculture and rural industrialization; industrial and technological development in urban areas; international trade and foreign investment; macroeconomic trends and cycles and the financial system; and the largely unaddressed problems of environmental quality and the sustainability of growth.The text is notable also for placing China’s economy in interesting comparative contexts, discussing it in relation to other transitional or developing economies and to such advanced industrial countries as the United States and Japan. It provides both a broad historical and macro perspective as well as a focused examination of the actual workings of China’s complex and dynamic economic development. Interest in the Chinese economy will only grow as China becomes an increasingly important player on the world’s stage. This book will be the standard reference for understanding and teaching about the next economic superpower.

ISBN: 0-7195-5758-5

In 1793 the Chinese Emperor rebuffed the first formal British mission to attempt to open China to foreign trade. However, British merchants persisted, and the first treaty ports were opened in 1843. This is the story of treaty port life in China, detailing the lives of merchants and missionaries. One of the first treaty ports was Shanghai, soon a byword for luxury and squalor. Later small enclaves were opened along the Yangtze, cities like Chongqing, and sub-tropical towns like Beihai. Despite typhoons, disease, banditry and riots, merchants and missionary families in the treaty ports enjoyed steeplechases on „China ponies“ and shooting parties on Shanghai’s mudflats; Chinese cooks learnt to make Christmas pudding and Chinese tailors copied Paris fashions. Many visitors were drawn to the treaty ports, including Noel Coward and Wallis Simpson, Arthur Ransome and W.H. Auden, Peter Fleming and Robert Fortune. Some stayed on, among them Harold Acton, Osbert Sitwell and Robert Byron, who made temporary home amongst Peking’s diplomats. Others sought in the treaty ports a refuge from bankruptcy, persecution or imprisonment. In 1943 the treaty ports were returned to China and most of their inhabitants were interned by the Japanese. yet the record of their residence remains in Shanghai’s solid office buildings, in Tianjin’s mock Tudor facades, and in the Edwardian villas of Beidahei and Xiamen. Through the reminiscences of the last inhabitants of the treaty ports, some of whom are still alive, this book recalls a foreign life lived in a foreign land.

ISBN: 0821367498

China is now the world’s fourth largest economy and growing very fast. India’s economic salience is also on the rise. Together these two countries will profoundly influence the pace and nature of global economic change. Drawing upon the latest research, this volume analyzes the influences on the rapid future development of these two countries and examines how their growth is likely to impinge upon other countries. It considers international trade, industrialization, foreign investment and capital flows, and the implications of their broadening environmental footprints. It also discusses how the two countries have tackled poverty, inequality and governance issues and whether progress in these areas will be a key to rapid and stable growth.

ISBN: 0821367498

Using a two-armed approach of market analysis and budget planning, this guide to branding products in China explores the most effective and efficient ways to promote merchandise to Chinese consumers and build company recognition. Marketers and businesspeople are offered thorough explanations of what branding means in China—and how the country’s method of branding differs from other Asian countries—as well as current information about consumer buying behavior. Rate cards detailing the various media outlets aid media buyers and planners in proper budget allocation, while more than 3,000 entries detail indispensable contact information for the television and radio stations, newspapers, websites, and advertising and public relations agencies located in China’s most populated cities.

ISBN: 9810130066

Fun with Chinese Characters Volume 3 features another 140 characters which first appeared in the Straits Times Bilingual Page. They trace systematically the evolution of Chinese characters from pictographs and ideographs, introducing radical elements and compounds with the appreciative and discerning eye of a cartoonist.

ISBN: 9783540346142

China is the world’s largest power region, achieving economic growth rates that exceed those of most industrialized countries. In this book practitioners of international companies are offered valuable insights and lessons from established and successful managers, academics and consultants. The book is divided into three parts: „Opportunities and Challenges in China“, „Strategies for Market Entry and Business Success“ and „Practical Insights from China“. It covers a variety of topics such as business strategies, branding, pricing, market research, legal constraints and successful business relations.

ISBN: 0415384184

Guanxi, a system of Chinese business relationships, is often described, but is rarely fully understood. Though it seems intangible, there is no doubt that it has contributed significantly to the success of Chinese entrepreneurs and the places where they work. Translated loosely as ‚personal ties‘, this simple explanation belies a complex and nuanced system. Guanxi has often been criticised as nepotism – unfair, inefficient, even corrupt, and generally detrimental to business and economic growth! But if it is that bad, how does it survive? This insightful book unravels the origins of Guanxi and provides a much-needed explanation of the phenomena. It investigates: why it was initiated and developed; what function it serves; how it is maintained; and why it is such a dominant phenomenon in Chinese business life. Combining economics, law and culture, this clear and concise book looks to the future of guanxi based on its history.

ISBN: 0804815860

The Eight Immortals, the five elements, the dragon and the phoenix, yin and yang—representations of these important cultural symbols are pervasive in Chinese literature, art and architecture. Without an understanding of their significance, much Chinese history, folklore and culture can’t be fully appreciated. In this comprehensive handbook, C.A.S. Williams offers concise explanations—and over 400 illustrations—of these essential symbols and motifs. Arranged alphabetically for easy access, the book not only explains essential cultural symbols, accompanied by their Chinese characters, but also contains many articles on Chinese beliefs, customs, arts and crafts, food, agriculture, and medicine. This book has become a standard reference volume for students of China and Chinese culture.

For those who are visiting China, Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs is an indispensable guide to the Middle Kingdom’s artistic and architectural wonders. For the general reader, it is a valuable compendium of fascinating sinological lore.

New economies are developing in the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong – and Western technology, management expertise, and capital are helping to fuel them. But every gain is hard won and Western businesspeople who are successful need to know the ins and outs of Chinese bureaucracy, political systems, and the Chinese character. In this new edition of „Chinese Etiquette and Ethics in Business“, Boye Lafayette De Mente, who has lived and worked in the Far East for over thirty years, reveals the historic factors, collective traits, and individual qualities that determine how the Chinese do business today, and the direction their economies will take in the future. His‘ is an insider’s view, whether he is discussing the overhaul of laws controlling business development or the importance of good social relationships to successful business relationships. If you are a businessperson who’d like to do business with the Chinese successfully – „Chinese Etiquette and Ethics in Business“ should be at the top of your „must read“ list. „Boye De Mente is a life-long student and observer of Asia; an unchallenged authority on Asian etiquette and ethics in business. Few books are so well documented, with so many tips and things to know about today’s China. „Chinese Etiquette and Ethics in Business“ is must reading for anyone contemplating a business venture there.“ – Professor Andrew C. Chang, American Graduate School of International Management.