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Ugly Americans documents the "Wild East" of the mid-1990s, where young, brilliant, and hypercompetitive traders became "hedge fund cowboys," manipulating loopholes in an outdated and inefficient Asian financial system to rake in millions. Using a concept called arbitrage, they made their fortunes mainly on minute shifts in stocks being sold on the Nikkei, the Japanese stock market, collapsing banks and nearly bankrupting the Japanese economy in the process. Other schemes were also concocted, most of which were technically legal, though certainly unethical. This true story revolves around "John Malcolm," who, in exchange for anonymity, agreed to give Ben Mezrich all the access and information he needed to write this book. As a recent Princeton graduate in the mid-1990s, Malcolm accepted an undefined job offer from an American expatriate in Japan to work in the investments field. Though he had no prior experience, he facilitated 25 million dollars worth of trades on his first day on the job, and it just got more exciting from there. He soon joined a small group of expatriates, all in their twenties and mostly Ivy League graduates, who lived like rock stars, thriving on the stress and excitement of their jobs to create their own steroid versions of the American Dream half a world away. Mezrich tells this riveting story well, incorporating elements of the culture into his narrative, including the infamous and pervasive Japanese "Water Trade," or sex business, romantic intrigue, and even run-ins with the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia. Though there is little real analysis of their financial dealings and how they ultimately changed the rules of finance in Asia, this entertaining page turner does offer a glimpse into a world little explored in print until now. --Shawn Carkonen
Book Description
Ben Mezrich, author of the
New York Times bestseller Bringing Down the House, returns with an astonishing story of Ivy League hedge-fund cowboys, high stakes, and the Asian underworld.
John Malcolm was the ultimate gunslinger in the Wild East, prepared to take on any level of risk in making mind-boggling sums of money. He and his friends were hedge-fund cowboys, living life on the adrenaline-, sex-, and drugs-fueled edge—kids running billion-dollar portfolios, trading information in the back rooms of high-class brothels and at VIP tables in nightclubs across the Far East.
Malcolm and his Ivy League-schooled twenty-something colleagues, with their warped sense of morality, created their own economic theory that would culminate in a single deal the likes of which had never been seen before—or since.
Ugly Americans is a story of extremes, charged with wealth, nerve, excess, and glamour. A real-life mixture of
Liar's Poker and
Wall Street, brimming with intense action, romance, underground sex, vivid locales, and exotic characters, Ugly Americans is the untold true story that rocked the financial community.
Customer Reviews:
Worth the time.......2007-10-20
Get's a little lost at times but a very fast read. Would make an interesting movie.
Great book.......2007-10-19
Another of Ben Mezrich's books which does not evolve around card-counting. It has a similar structure to his other books, which I find very interesting - a story which would take place somewhere in the past is followed up by an interview today. Very high-paced read when you can't wait to find out what happens next. Also gives a very vivid insight into Japanese business ethics and way of life. I have enjoyed every page of it.
An Exciting Read and Look into the Asian "Wall St".......2007-09-12
For those who enjoyed the movie "Boiler Room," this book is a must-read. Mezrich tells the tale of wannabe big-time US investors who use the opening of the Japanese stock market to weasel in and stretch the law and their own morality to make deals and steals. It's an honest, gritty portrayal of the Asian nightlife and the ex-pat's who work hard by day and play hard after the bell signals close. You don't need to be a swing-trader to enjoy it; this is a great book for those who either want to learn about big stock trading or just read an adventure about a ex-football player who got roped into a shady, billion-dollar enterprise.
The characters are as real as they can get on paper. The protagonist is trying to make the one big score and get out and the antagonists are just reprehensible enough to remind you of business folks you know in your life. Add in Yakuza (Japanese Mafia), black market plotlines, and the urban backdrops of Osaka and Tokyo and you have a real grabber. It was tough to put this one down and the ending does not dissappoint.
Not even that interesting.......2007-07-31
I really enjoyed the author's other two works, which I read quite quickly. Whether they were totally factual or not was immaterial...they were fun and interesting reads. This book disappoints. I didn't find the story interesting or fast moving. The "danger" element seemed forced, almost as if it was added in to "spice things up".
If you're looking for a fast reading "true" story of big money makers, try Mezrich's other books. Avoid this one, whether you're a Mezrich fan or not.
Much ado about not so much.......2007-07-21
This book had a very similar tone to the "Breaking Vegas" book, which is not unexpected given that the books were written by the same author-- however, too much stylistic overlap is still too much.
On the good side:
1. The writing was fast, light, and easy to follow. Not needing of too much concentration, and something that can be picked right up and settled into.
2. There was some explanation about the concept of arbitrage.
3. There was interesting insight into the sex-for-sale culture of Japan. This alone could have spun off and made a whole new book.
On the bad side:
1. The explanation of the nuts and bolts of trading was too thin. It might have only taken one extra chapter to give us the details that many of us who bought the book were looking for.
2. I wonder how much the author *really* knew, given that he used the word "farang" to describe foreigners-- even though that word is 100% Thai. Was he throwing in technical terms to make it *look* like he had done his homework? And if he made that mistake, how many others did he make that we might not have recognized?
3. It might also have been interesting to get a better idea of just how much the Japanese government and Yakuza were in bed together. Is this really the case? Or is this poetic license? There were more than a few topics in this book that just weren't covered as much as a reader might have liked-- though I can appreciate that this is done for the sake of brevity. (An extra bit here and an extra bit there, and the next thing you know you have a book that is as overwrought with detail and most of what Ayn Rand has written.)
Customer Reviews:
Excellent service.......2007-10-15
Quick response to my order, shipped promptly, plus a "signed" copy as a bonus. Great job!
Amazon fixed the problem!.......2007-06-08
I ordered a dozen copies of this book for my boss and somewhere in shipping the box was cut open - I only received 10 of the 12 copies. I called Amazon and immediately they sent me the 10 missing books -great customer service and my boss was pleased with me! Thanks
It's a Must Have!!.......2007-01-29
Being raised in a family of cowboys, I was surprized when one of the grandsons asked his wife to get him this for X-mas. He had looked at a copy briefly at a customers home and had been facinated. Needless to say he got the book and after Christmas dinner all the men in the family were passing it around. I too have read it now and I must say it is a must have. The entire family has enjoyed it.
Highly recommended.......2007-01-10
This book was a recommendation by our corporate CEO, so I bought it for my husband who is a cowboy. It was a great purchase and stays out where we can read it regularly. Even my kids enjoyed it.
Mythic photography and wisdom!.......2006-06-04
I have always been a sucker for a man wearing a cowboy hat, and you combine that with the cowboy code and you have a winner. This book is a great mix of beautiful western photography and cowboy morals. Having been around a lot of cowboys in real life they don't have the market cornered on ethics, but we would all be better people if we tried to live by the mythic code of the west. I also have to recommend the Modern Day western "Across the High Lonesome" --think "Lonesome Dove" only with mules!
Book Description
Europeans and many American pundits believe that while the U.S. economy may create more growth, Europeans have it better when it come to job security and other factors. Olaf Gersemann, a German reporter who came to America, found the reality quite different. He checked facts and found the market freedoms in America create a more flexible, adaptable and prosperous system then the declining welfare states of old Europe.
Customer Reviews:
Good information.......2007-05-27
Most literature showing the greatness of capitalism through statistics is horribly biased, but this book keeps the bias to a moderate level. This means you get a wealth of statistical information that is not overly influenced by ideology, which is a rare find.
A Well-Made Case.......2007-05-01
Like the previous reviewer, I think Olaf Gersemann offers a balanced and well-documented case that France, Germany, and Italy would benefit from some American-style economic liberalization. Advancing an argument with logic and solid empirical evidence is not the same thing as writing propaganda.
Gersemann goes out of his way to point to that it is "foolish" to believe that post-war European economic models are "generally, under all imaginable circumstances, inferior to other economic models." He draws attention to the number of Americans without health insurance, the sorry state of many of our public schools, the alarmingly high rate of poverty among American unwed mothers and their children, and the "ridiculously high" compensation of many corporate managers. This book is not a one-sided apologia.
But it does, as advertised, manage to dispel many myths about American capitalism and the supposedly kinder, more agreeable European version.
As have a number of others before him, Gersemann reveals the hollowness of the claim that the purchasing power of working-class people in the U.S. has been stagnant since the early 1970s. And he does this using household income numbers as his primary statistical evidence, even though he could have shown even more improvement (as he briefly points out) if he had used the *per capita* money income of the average household. (Household income has been depressed because there are now fewer people per house, which is a sign both of more widespread home ownership, and thus more wealth, as well as a sign of higher rates of illegitimacy.) If further adjustments are made to control for immigrants--whose pre-immigration incomes do not, obviously, show up in U.S. statistics--it becomes even more evident that the American economy is much more successful at improving the of lot native-born workers in the bottom quintile than one would gather from watching ABC News or reading *The New York Times*. That our economy also improves the lives of immigrants, and in the process makes the gains of the native-born less statistically obvious, is cause for congratulations, not criticism. The improvement in the lives of particular individuals is what matters, not the fate of a particular quintile, the composition of which is ever-changing.
Gersemann also rebuts much of the nonsense reported about the percentage of Americans who are "trapped" in poverty and about low unemployment merely being the result of mind-numbing service jobs that don't pay a living wage. He demonstrates that those on the left who praise the security offered by the European system too often fail to note that security comes at the price of dynamism, which comes at the price of opportunity, especially for those on the bottom.
Unfortunately, the same neighborhoods in France that suffer most from this lack of opportunity, and from debilitating unemployment, voted overwhelmingly for the Socialist candidate (Ms. Royal) in last week's elections, even though it is not she but the much hated Mr. Sarkozy who stands at least some chance of offering them economic opportunities infinitely more lucrative than burning cars. And of course it was the French left that took to the streets when the government attempted to enact modest reforms to make the labor market more flexible. Marching for "social justice" and against "American conditions" also meant marching for the continued joblessness of North African immigrants. But what of it? It's all too easy to ignore arguments like Gersemann's, congratulate oneself on being morally superior to capitalists, and then take a nice long vacation.
Both Europeans and Americans would benefit from reading this book. It's not a groundbreaking work of research, and in fact most of the information Gersemann presents can be gleaned from the financial press. But the book doesn't pretend to be groundbreaking. What makes it a success is that it so clearly and dispassionately debunks many of the most frequently repeated falsehoods about the American and European economies.
Challenge - not propaganda........2007-04-20
It is surprising that "Cowboy Capitalism", recommended by two nobel laureates (the late Friedman and Buchanan), would be accused of propaganda by a critical voice (Newton Ooi, below) who first proceeded to point out that all the facts it presents are true. "Cowboy Capitlism" has an agenda, of course - an agenda to show through the raw numbers that European (or NYTimes readers') perceptions of the two economic systems of central Europe and the US are skewed... that there is more to the differences and the benefits/detriments that each system offers, than is popularily acknowledged. Fear and suspicions (and lack of knowledge) are the cause of this - rather than facts. This book pokes fun at the former by trying to reveal the latter.
In doing so, CC is actually rather fair. It does not pretend that the European economic system is per se inferior to the US System. In fact, there were times in which it was rather superior. (Times of great economic stability had Germany, for example, grow its economy at a pace well above that of the US. Or healthcare - where Europe admittedly piggy-bag rides on US consumers' expenses, but which Gersemann has no probolem stating is a matter of preference, not "better" or "worse".)
Anyway... to look at the criticism listed below:
Home Ownership: The argument that because of higher population density, home ownership would *naturally* be less ("less land to build on") is completely ludicrous. What would follow that argument would be mass-homelessness, not low ownership rates. People in Europe still live in places... the question is: why don't they own? Apartments count, too, you know! (Density contributes to homes being more affordable - which is one of the reasons. Red tape making ownership more difficult is another. Rent-protection is yet another. (And when looking at entire countries, the numbers *are* meaningful. The author did not compare only New York to rural Europe.)
Education: I'm European, so I don't want to argue the point that by going to high school I am automatically smarter than a US college graduate... even though I had to learn that knowing where Malaysa and Phoenix are (I've 'always' known), somehow don't give me the edge on the job-market that I thought it would. :-( There are Americans who audaciously compete with me, despite flagrant lack of geographical knowledge... And win out! Perhaps other factors matter, too? Drats.
Unemployment rates are not measured by whether one "has to work" or not. Unemployment rates are measured by how many people *want* to work and can't. A busy little Hausfrau who takes care of the kids and whose husband makes enough to support the entire family doesn't show up in the unemployment numbers, because she probably doesn't run out and declare herself unemployed. So the higher numbers of unemployment of women in Europe reflect women who "have to work" -- but won't find a job. And that's the real problem... whether one likes the social ramnification and the dissolution of the family nucleus or not.
Computer use, Internet access et al. in Germany is well behind that of the US. Especially among the crowd that didn't grow up with them.
Computers, even made from recycled materials or made with the use of recycled parts (I've done that, years ago, but I wonder how common that still is) would still show up as a computer sold... They don't sit around trash-heaps and maker their own computers out of trash, after all.
The last point - oil-war-obesety-pharma-industry - is a little too dense fore me to get into. I am baffled.
Cowboy Capitalism does not pretend not to take sides. But it wants to show that it takes the side of greater economic freedom, because there are benefits to more people to be had - at the price of less security for others. (That's obviously a gross oversimplification... but aims in the right direction, I should believe.) The way this book does it is humorous (in a dry way) and merciless... but not with blindfolds or immune to "inconvenient" facts. This is a must-read for when your European friends come over to visit and try to tell you why everything is so much better in the old part of the world. (30% youth unemployment in France, a terribly efficient but very rigid economy, are just one of many points to consider...)
P.S. The Thinktank CATO is a libertarian institution, not a conservative one. The two overlap on many issues, but are not the same. (Legalization of drugs, Gay marriage et al. are points libertarians support; conservatives by-and-large don't.)
Lying with numbers........2007-03-04
The title of this book, Cowboy Capitalism, is a term many Europeans use to describe the American business climate. More precisely, the American style of economics involves a lot of uncertainty and risk, with high chances of success (Microsoft and Google) and failure (Enron and GM) and the ensuing results of low job security, high income fluctuations, and high rates of bankruptcies for businesses and individuals. This book argues that this has produced an overall better standard of living in the US than in the countries of Germany, France and Italy. This book is published by the Cato Institute, a conservative US organization that lobbies for deregulation of public enterprises, free market reforms and low taxes. The book argues its points by presenting a lot of statistical data comparing the employment rates, home ownership rates, educational levels, disposable income levels, and other macro and micro economic indicators of the US, France, Italy and Germany. I do not doubt the validity of the numbers presented, but they only show part of the story. Lets go over them one by one.
First, this book gives numbers showing that home ownership is higher in the US than in France, Italy and Germany. This is absolutely true. The author attributes this difference to the fact that since America is more free-market, incomes are generally higher in America, and hence more people can afford to own homes. The author totally misses the affect of population density. The population density of the three European countries listed are substantially higher than in the US, meaning there is less land per person. This means there is less land to build homes on, so of course fewer people can own homes. If one looks back over the past 30 years; the primary engine for economic growth in the US is new home construction. Besides, the use of home ownership as a measure of prosperity is totally bogus. New Yorkers have lower home ownership rates than residents of most southern cities, yet New Yorkers in general are wealthier than people living in the deep South.
Second, the book states that a higher percentage of people in America go to college than in France, Germany and Italy. Again, absolutely true. What the author misses is the amount of knowledge learned K-12. Specifically, many European high school graduates are better educated than many American college graduates. For instance, just about every European has taken a year of calculus before leaving high school. There are many American college graduates who have never taken a semester of calculus! If you don't believe me, ask yourself why College Algebra classes are so common on college campuses. Here is another example. After I received my bachelor's degree, I backpacked through Europe and stayed at youth hostels. Every local I met knew where Malaysia (my birth country) and Phoenix, Arizona (my hometown) was on the globe. Coming back home, most of my American friends could not locate the places I visited such as Berlin, Rome, London, Munich, etc... Another example, every French, German and Italian I met in Europe could speak English to some degree. How many native-born Americans can speak a second language? Getting an education is about acquiring a bank of knowledge and set of skills. I dare say most citizens of Italy, France and Germany acquire more knowledge and skills K-12 than most native-born Americans acquire K-college. Given this statement, the higher rates of college participation in the US do not amount to much.
Third, the book states that employment rates are higher in the US than in France, Germany and Italy; especially among women. This is true. What the author does not mention is that many Americans, especially women, work because they have to. Specifically, a larger percentage of American adults are single or divorced than in Europe. And the percentage of single American women raising children is higher than in Europe. Growing up in America, half my friends had working mothers. The most common reasons why was that either their fathers walked out on them, or their parents were divorced. So of course their mothers had to work; they could not rely on the fathers to bring home the bacon. This brings up another unspoken truth. A divorced couple requires twice as many places to live as a married couple; i.e. two houses versus one house. This means that two divorced parents will have to spend more money than two married parents. The more money that is spent means the faster the economy moves, so of course the US economy will grow faster than the European economy.
Fourth, the author states that the use of high-tech products in France, Italy and Germany is lower than in America. He argues this point by stating that the number of units of high-tech items sold in the US is higher per capita than in the 3 European countries, and that these industries employ more people in the US than in the 3 European countries. True again. Again the author leaves out many qualifying factors. For example, Germany has strict recycling and reuse laws for computers. Specifically, when a German throws away her old computer, it does not end up in a landfill occupying space and leaking various chemicals into the environment. Instead, it is taken apart piece by piece. Those parts that can be re-used, like the fans, housing and cables, are packaged with new computers, while those that cannot are recycled. In this way, less is wasted. A side effect is that since more stuff gets reused, there is less need to produce, hence a smaller industry geared around the production of computers in Germany. Does that mean Germans are less computer literate than Americans? I doubt it. I do not remember seeing in this book a chart comparing computer literacy in Germany versus the US.
Fifth, this book compares the state of the pharmaceutical industry in the US versus his three target European countries. The book shows that this industry is more profitable, generates more new drugs, employs more people, and pays better in the US than in Europe. This is all true. But what the author forgets is that demand for pharmaceutical drugs is less in Europe than in the US. As any person who has lived in both Europe and America can tell you, Americans are more obese and out of shape than Europeans. Higher obesity rates leads to higher rates of cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and a whole host of other chronic diseases. This in turn leads to a higher demand for pharmaceutical drugs to treat them, which in turn leads to a bigger and more profitable pharmaceutical industry in the US than in Europe. Why are Americans more obese than in Europe? That leads to my last point, so keep reading.
Last, this book totally misses a point that is very telling in comparing the economies of the US, Germany, France and Italy, and that is energy consumption. Per person, Americans consume more BTUs of energy from fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal than Europeans. Energy is the blood of economic growth. Since the end of WWII, America has pursued a policy of acquiring and using fossil fuels in increasing amounts with time. On the other hand, Europe has pursued a dual policy of reduced energy use and increased energy independence. The former includes cities built to encourage walking and biking, and high taxes on fossil fuels such as car gasoline. The latter includes nuclear reactors in France, and a high reliance on solar and wind power in Germany. These policies are primarily due to WWII. First, the effects of the war left these countries in no shape to pursue aggressive foreign policies of defending oil wells. Second, many Europeans are aware that the causes of WWII included competition for fossil fuels. On the other hand, America was not devastated by WWII, but strengthened. Hence, America's economic growth has mirrored a growth in its fossil fuel industries. Is this a good thing? Once you consider global warming, pollution, destruction of land due to mineral extraction, and other factors, I think the grade goes to Europe for being more energy efficient; even if it means a slower economy and lower employment rates. As a side effect, Europeans drive less than Americans, but walk and bike more, and hence are generally healthier.
In conclusion, the facts stated by this book are all true, but the conclusions they point to are not. Many of the points must be placed in context with other qualifying factors. Overall, this is an OK book that must be read for what it is, propaganda, and not an economic treatise or case study.
Don't Cut the Pie, Bake Another One.......2007-02-15
This book explains that the European model of allocation assumes that the economy is static and employment can increase only by sharing existing jobs with regulation of hours and guaranteed employment. The US model is dynamic and companies that don't perform are replaced through the process of creative destruction by companies that do. Excess resources get reallocated to new enterprises to the benefit of everyone.
Book Description
Few industrial enterprises left a more enduring imprint on the American West than Miller & Lux, a vast meatpacking conglomerate started by two San Francisco butchers in 1858. Industrial Cowboys examines how Henry Miller and Charles Lux, two German immigrants, consolidated the West's most extensive land and water rights, swayed legislatures and courts, monopolized western beef markets, and imposed their corporate will on California's natural environment. Told with clarity and originality, this story uses one fascinating case study to illuminate the industrial development and environmental transformation of the American West during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
The process by which two neighborhood butchers turned themselves into landed industrialists depended to an extraordinary degree on the acquisition, manipulation, and exploitation of natural resources. David Igler examines the broader impact that industrialism--as exemplified by Miller & Lux--had on landscapes and waterscapes, and on human as well as plant and animal life in the West. He also provides a rich discussion of the social relations engineered by Miller & Lux, from the dispossession of Californio rancheros to the ethnic segmentation of the firm's massive labor force. The book also covers such topics as land acquisition and reclamation, water politics, San Francisco's unique business environment, and the city's relation to its surrounding hinterlands. Above all, Igler highlights essential issues that resonate for us today: who holds the right and who has the power to engineer the landscape for market production?
Customer Reviews:
A path breaking work.......2007-06-08
This is a fine book that provides important new insights not only into the history of big cattle ranching in California, but also into our broader understanding of the settlement of the American West and the meaning of American industrialization. Igler's concept of the "industrial cowboy" who works, in essence, in a factory without walls in which the landscape of nature itself becomes part of the technological system should force all American historians to rethink their understanding of what constitutes an industrialization. Likewise, Igler's work adds to the growing body of evidence that one of the best ways of defining and thinking about the American West is a place where a relatively pristine environment interesected with an advanced industrial society.
Book Description
A great deal of reactionary political fire in the Mountain West has been aimed at environmental protection measures that are perceived to have destroyed or diminished the livelihoods of long-time residents. Conventional wisdom sees the economic woes afflicting the region-declining pay, growing inequality, persistent poverty-as a direct result of increasingly strict environmental regulations that have crippled natural resource industries such as mining and logging.
In Post-Cowboy Economics, economists Thomas Michael Power and Richard Barrett provide a new interpretation of the economy of the Mountain West. Based on evidence from a wide variety of sources, including data on individual employment and income histories of more than 300,000 residents, they clearly demonstrate that the region's economic misfortunes are not the result of changes in regional industrial structure but rather are local manifestations of pervasive national and international trends. The authors:
- discuss and critique entrenched conventional wisdom and its policy implications
- present an empirical analysis of changes in the region
- offer a new interpretation of events affecting the regional economy
- set forth public policies that will work to protect and enhance the economic well-being of its residents and communities
The authors' analysis and interpretation make a compelling case that despite incomes that are low compared to the rest of the country, the region is not suffering from general impoverishment, and that environmental protection, rather than threatening economic well-being, enhances welfare and protects the very source of the economic vitality that the Mountain West enjoys. Throughout, they argue that fearful, crisis driven environmental and economic development policies are unnecessary and inappropriate, and often counterproductive.
Post-Cowboy Economics is an important work for professionals and scholars involved with environmental policy, economic development, and resource management, as well as anyone interested in the future of the American West.
Customer Reviews:
Mountain West Myth Busting.......2003-12-01
The authors take a sharp needle to the over-inflated myth that the resource extraction industries (e.g., timber, mining, ranching) are the only ticket out of a downward trend in hourly pay in the region. Post-Cowboy Economics does the hard, analytical work that is required to get to the real root cause of why wages are generally lower in the Mountain West. To make its point, the authors focus on labor and demographic data over the years from 1978 to 1998.
What you learn from their research:
1. The contracting resource extraction industries in the Mountain West appear to have been driven by a pervasive national pattern in which jobs shifted from good production to services.
2. The decline in average pay was due to downward pressure on pay in almost all industries (i.e., the loss of "good" paying jobs).
3. The declines in pay during the 1980's were largely due to back-to-back national recessions. Although national in extent, the recessions hit the Mountain West hard.
4. During the 80's and 90's technological advances and globalization of the American economy emerged as forces that caused the demand for labor to move from workers with little education and few skills toward workers with greater education and skills. These forces were felt the most in rural communities.
The most interesting revelation for me came about when the authors compared wages to the population of the community. The data clearly shows the largest cities provide the best wages, and as you go down in population, the wages follow. This means that in comparing average pay in the Mountain West and the rest of the country, its important to consider where people live and work. Residents who live in the Mountain West typically live in smaller communities than other Americans. And this accounts for the gap in pay.
The authors devote some time on how to form public policy in light of this post-cowboy economy. And thankfully its not one that looks backward to the good old days of job creation based on resource exploitation.
Book Description
Forge positive, productive East/West business relationships by understanding how the other side thinks.
Focusing on who the Chinese and Americans are, and why they behave in certain ways, this pragmatic yet sensitive approach to building East/West business relationships urges readers to seek understanding ahead of quick answers.
Bicultural businessman Charles Lee outlines the traditional, social, political, and economic factors affecting Chinese and American business environments, deconstructing the myths of the ""cowboy"" and the ""dragon.""
Customer Reviews:
Packed With Knowledge!.......2004-06-03
Explaining China is a favorite avocation of many Chinese in the West. They usually state that Chinese and Western values are opposed, and that Chinese values are not only different but superior. This fairly typical book can be straightforward and informative, particularly when the author discusses the decision-making process in China and warns that `yes' and `no' probably don't mean what the average, unsubtle American understands them to mean. But stay skeptical of the author's generalizations about Chinese (Dragon) and Western (Cowboy) motivations. He stresses the supposed "collective" disposition of Chinese, but anyone with China experience will wonder just how "collective" the Chinese really are. In an often-used saying, the Chinese compare themselves to grains of sand - to emphasize their difficulty in getting together and cooperating. Sometimes the book describes fact, and sometimes fantasy that Chinese wish were fact. It can be as useful to know a people's fantasies as it is to know their facts so, properly read, we find this book to be a useful addition to the bibliography on doing business in China. (There are, by the way, some annoying proofreading errors, most egregiously the erroneous pinyin spelling of the Chinese word for face.)
Insightful comparison of cultures, great business advice.......2003-12-11
Dr. Lee offers thought provoking insights and recommendations on doing business in Asia, based upon years of personal experience. Interesting contrasts of Asian and Western cultures help to explain the different approaches to business. His advice on the important subjects of negotiation and conflict resolution provide valuable guidance on how to avoid common misunderstandings and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. This book is great for those interested in doing business in China and is recommended reading by the nation's top business school.
A must read for anyone interested in doing business in China.......2003-05-06
Dr. Lee covers a lot of subject matter in Cowboys and Dragrons. This is not a travel or "how to" book. This is a hands on reference piece that aims at breaking down cultural myths between the U.S. and China that have historically promulgated misunderstanding between the two countries. Dr. Lee emphasizes the necessity of having a historical and cultural understanding of the United States and China before entering into or embarking on business dealings between the two countries. He poses philisophical questions to the reader in order to uncover fundamental truths about human relationships. Furthermore, he provides practical advice on how to make a U.S./China business deal work to the benefit of BOTH sides.
If you ever wondered why Chinese bow and avoid direct eye contact versus the American norm of firm handshakes and looking someone squarely in the eye or how to better understand the nuances of business language among both cultures, this book will explain it all.
Cowboys and Dragons will surely become a must read among business school students, entrepreneurs, executives, and individuals that plan or or are currently doing business in China. Keep this book handy.
Book Description
An inside look at a cable titan and his industry
John Malone, hailed as one of the great unsung heroes of our age by some and reviled by others as a ruthless robber baron, is revealed as a bit of both in Cable Cowboy. For more than twenty-five years, Malone has dominated the cable television industry, shaping the world of entertainment and communications, first with his cable company TCI and later with Liberty Media. Written with Malone's unprecedented cooperation, the engaging narrative brings this controversial capitalist and businessman to life. Cable Cowboy is at once a penetrating portrait of Malone's complex persona, and a captivating history of the cable TV industry. Told in a lively style with exclusive details, the book shows how an unassuming copper strand started as a backwoods antenna service and became the digital nervous system of the U.S., an evolution that gave U.S. consumers the fastest route to the Internet. Cable Cowboy reveals the forces that propelled this pioneer to such great heights, and captures the immovable conviction and quicksilver mind that have defined John Malone throughout his career.
Customer Reviews:
Cowboy Malone.......2007-09-17
I liked the way it was written. It gives you a broad idea of how the cable industry developed over the years. Goes in to details of specific deals that gives you a better feeling of how the industry dealt with growth, changes in technology, competition, content suppliers, etc.
An insider's view.......2005-08-02
A great inside look at one of the most powerful players in media. Cable Cowboy tells the great story of how Malone built his emprier and -- for better or worse -- how he used that power. A great read.
Slick; Totally One-Sided, No Real Analysis.......2005-06-24
What this book is really about is how during the last 1/4 of the 20th Century, our governments allowed a few rough and tough businessmen to carve out the new American technologies, with little or no regards to any public interest. First of all, the entire satelitte technology came out of Naval communications and had been paid for already by Federal taxpayers. Then the cable cowboys were able to string their lines along the regulated telephone lines and telephone poles, which had already been paid for also by everyone in their phone bills. There is nothing in the book about this reality, and only a little on what happened to those who tried to question these things and were slammed along the way. Yet, Mr. Malone seems to despise Al Gore and the Federal Government and wonders why anyone has the right to question his motives or actions.
Why is there no real competition? Even with satelitte tv, cable still represents at least 3 separage monopolies. Try to guess why the politicians gave away the monopolies and anyone who questioned this became the target of personal and viscous attacks, if not more. Where were the regulators? There is no other comparable monopoly in America, with the average citizen's 4th or 5th largest expenditure each month going to cable tv and/or cable hi-speed internet.
Who makes the decisions as to what channels are broadcast? Only in America would we turn over these kinds of decision to nameless businessmen, hiding behind huge corporations and limited partnerships. In my own community, on the "local government channel", the elected and appointed politicians from one political party appear almost daily. Those persons from the other major party do not appear at all. The perfect alliance: local government, a faceless corporation or limited partnership and monopoly rates.
This is the real scenario of a big part of cable tv and there is really nothing on the book on these kinds of things. One should read the Stephen Keating book, "Cutthroat: High Stakes and Killer Moves on the Electronic Frontier" to get better insight as to the reality of cable-tv development.
The Godfather.......2005-04-13
An engaging and accessible account of one of America's great business leaders and a complicated industry. Whether your interest is the cable industry, general business, leadership or free enterprise, this is the book for you!
Excellent read!.......2003-01-30
Fun, interesting, and insightful read. Provides clear explanation of the financial transactions utilized to help Malone build his cable empire.
Customer Reviews:
Florida Cow Hunter.......2007-03-16
I bought this for my husband and he loved it. He loves to relate to others some of Bone's antics making for interesting and lively conversation.
last of the original cracker cowboys.......2007-01-04
Very informative. I've been researching the Florida Cattle History and found information to support my theroy. This is my second copy.
Average customer rating:
|
Cowboy Arithmetic: Cattle As an Investment
Harold L. Oppenheimer
Manufacturer: Vero Media Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Animal Husbandry
| Agricultural Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Agricultural
| Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Animal Production
| Animal Husbandry
| Agricultural Sciences
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0813423546 |
Customer Reviews:
Bloody .......2006-04-25
There is no greater karmic negativity than to build a fortune with
the blood of innocents.
The CBC interviewed the CDC on the incubation period of Mad Cow
(50 years). As millions more become vegetarian each year,
as the fight for precious land becomes more and more costly,
those who waste the land in raising animals for slaughter
will be legislated out of business.
Cattle dollars' poor prospects caused Warren Buffett to
end his investments.
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