Book Description
The Indian princes of the British Raj lived lives of unparalleled opulence and luxury. Made for Maharajas returns readers to that resplendent era, presenting a selection of one-of-a-kind objects crafted to order by the outstanding European luxury goods manufacturers, fashion houses, and decorators of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Here are the custom-designed cars, jewelry, and extraordinary objéts d'art commissioned by maharajas, nawabs, nizams, and sultans from Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron, Harry Winston, and others, accompanied by anecdotes that illuminate this sumptuous way of life. Many of the illustrations in this book have never been previously reproduced outside of India, making this not only the first volume of its kind, but a remarkable keepsake that may never be duplicated in our lifetime.
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating.......2007-10-10
This book is fascinating. It is a very complete study of the influence of europen culture, art and crafts on the Maharajas of India, encompassing all forms of consumer goods... cars, jewels, trains, etc, etc. All these works of art are the result of intense cultural and economic exchange between both worlds and the book emphasizes this very well. A scholarly publication well served by wonderful photographs.
"Made For Maharajas" is especially recommended for academic library collections.......2006-12-09
Dr. Amin Jaffer is a curator in the Asian Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London where he specializes in Indian art and culture during the era of European influence during the British Raj period (1857-1947). With "Made For Maharajas: A Design Diary Of Princely India", Dr. Amin has compiled with narrative commentary an impressive historical overview of art and luxury goods in all manner of media and associated with the aristocracy of the maharajas during these centuries. Superbly illustrated with 290 images (150 of which are in full color), the representative and custom-made artifacts range from private airplanes and luxury cars, to chandeliers, gold dinnerware, couture fashions, fine leather goods, houses, furniture, jewelry, and more. Dr. Amin drew upon the archives of firms that included Louis Vuitton, Boucheron, Chaumet, Cartier, and Hermies, he had access to palace and private collections, and employing his own extensive expertise, has written a text that is as entertaining as it is informative in revealing the extraordinarily varied works commissioned by princes whose personal wealth was exceeded only by their eccentricities. As an impeccable work of scholarship in a coffee-table art book format, "Made For Maharajas" is especially recommended for academic library collections and would make a superb choice as a community library Memorial Fund acquisition.
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China as a World Factory (Routledge Studies in the Growth Economies of Asia)
Kevin Zhang
Manufacturer: Routledge
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Book Description
Few countries have integrated into the world economy as fast or as dramatically as China has since 1978. The worlds most populous country is emerging as a world workshop and export machine: a visit to a department store in any country will unearth a plethora of goods manufactured in the Peoples Republic. China is now the worlds fourth largest exporting nation. In this important book, Kevin Zhang brings together an international team of contributors to analyze this development process. Taking a thematic approach, the book covers:
* manufacturing exports and the world workshop
* foreign capital and chinas industrial development
* challenges from the WTO and openness.
This topical analysis will be an excellent resource for postgraduate students and researchers in the fields of Asian and Chinese studies, export studies, and economics.
Amazon.com
In this memoir, the man most responsible for Singapore's astonishing transformation from colonial backwater to economic powerhouse describes how he did it over the last four decades. It's a dramatic story, and Lee Kuan Yew has much to brag about. To take a single example: Singapore had a per-capita GDP of just $400 when he became prime minister in 1959. When he left office in 1990, it was $12,200 and rising. (At the time of this book's writing, it was $22,000.) Much of this was accomplished through a unique mix of economic freedom and social control. Lee encouraged entrepreneurship, but also cracked down on liberties that most people in the West take for granted--chewing gum, for instance. It's banned in Singapore because of "the problems caused by spent chewing gum inserted into keyholes and mailboxes and on elevator buttons." If American politicians were to propose such a thing, they'd undoubtedly be run out of office. Lee, however, defends this and similar moves, such as strong antismoking laws and antispitting campaigns: "We would have been a grosser, ruder, cruder society had we not made these efforts to persuade people to change their ways.... It has made Singapore a more pleasant place to live in. If this is a 'nanny state,' I am proud to have fostered one."
Lee also describes one of his most controversial proposals: tax breaks and schooling incentives to encourage educated men and women to marry each other and have children. "Our best women were not reproducing themselves because men who were their educational equals did not want to marry them.... This lopsided marriage and procreation pattern could not be allowed to remain unmentioned and unchecked," writes Lee. Most of the book, however, is a chronicle of how Lee helped create so much material prosperity. Anticommunism is a strong theme throughout, and Lee comments broadly on international politics. He is cautiously friendly toward the United States, chastising it for a "dogmatic and evangelical" foreign policy that scolds other countries for human-rights violations, except when they interfere with American interests, "as in the oil-rich Arabian peninsula." Even so, he writes, "the United States is still the most benign of all the great powers.... [and] all noncommunist countries in East Asia prefer America to be the dominant weight in the power balance of the region." From Third World to First is not the most gripping book imaginable, but it is a vital document about a fascinating place in a time of profound transition. --John J. Miller
Book Description
Few gave tiny Singapore much chance of survival when it was granted independence in 1965. How is it, then, that today the former British colonial trading post is a thriving Asian metropolis with not only the world's number one airline, best airport, and busiest port of trade, but also the world's fourth–highest per capita real income?
The story of that transformation is told here by Singapore's charismatic, controversial founding father, Lee Kuan Yew. Rising from a legacy of divisive colonialism, the devastation of the Second World War, and general poverty and disorder following the withdrawal of foreign forces, Singapore now is hailed as a city of the future. This miraculous history is dramatically recounted by the man who not only lived through it all but who fearlessly forged ahead and brought about most of these changes.
Delving deep into his own meticulous notes, as well as previously unpublished government papers and official records, Lee details the extraordinary efforts it took for an island city–state in Southeast Asia to survive at that time.
Lee explains how he and his cabinet colleagues finished off the communist threat to the fledgling state's security and began the arduous process of nation building: forging basic infrastructural roads through a land that still consisted primarily of swamps, creating an army from a hitherto racially and ideologically divided population, stamping out the last vestiges of colonial–era corruption, providing mass public housing, and establishing a national airline and airport.
In this illuminating account, Lee writes frankly about his trenchant approach to political opponents and his often unorthodox views on human rights, democracy, and inherited intelligence, aiming always "to be correct, not politically correct." Nothing in Singapore escaped his watchful eye: whether choosing shrubs for the greening of the country, restoring the romance of the historic Raffles Hotel, or openly, unabashedly persuading young men to marry women as well educated as themselves. Today's safe, tidy Singapore bears Lee's unmistakable stamp, for which he is unapologetic: "If this is a nanny state, I am proud to have fostered one."
Though Lee's domestic canvas in Singapore was small, his vigor and talent assured him a larger place in world affairs. With inimitable style, he brings history to life with cogent analyses of some of the greatest strategic issues of recent times and reveals how, over the years, he navigated the shifting tides of relations among America, China, and Taiwan, acting as confidant, sounding board, and messenger for them. He also includes candid, sometimes acerbic pen portraits of his political peers, including the indomitable Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, the poetry–spouting Jiang Zemin, and ideologues George Bush and Deng Xiaoping.
Lee also lifts the veil on his family life and writes tenderly of his wife and stalwart partner, Kwa Geok Choo, and of their pride in their three children –– particularly the eldest son, Hsien Loong, who is now Singapore's deputy prime minister.
For more than three decades, Lee Kuan Yew has been praised and vilified in equal measure, and he has established himself as a force impossible to ignore in Asian and international politics. From Third World to First offers readers a compelling glimpse into this visionary's heart, soul, and mind.
Customer Reviews:
Great account of Singapore's development.......2007-08-23
This book is a detailed account of Singapore's history beginning from its independence and its development to a first world country under Lee Kuan Yew's leadership, and the second part is Lee's diplomatic relationships with different nations and his dealings and views on their leaders.
It is a very entertaining and insightful read, Lee goes deep into details in problems looming over Singapore in its infancy and in developing the nation to feed its population. How he tried to persuade the British to maintain its military base there to protect Singapore from its two dangerous neighbours and communism from China and in within, and when failed how he placed utmost importance in building a working army to defend itself.
Lee realizes the importance of a clean and competent government, whereby he believes a good paycheck would help curb corruption and an anti-corruption agency with a high degree of power was formed to further prevent it. He was able to gather a group of honest and able people to form an efficient government, which was vital in building any nation.
He created a safe and secure environment through the rule of law and honest public administration to attract foreign direct investment to build up factories in Singapore, this was essentially the main driver behind Singapore's phenomenal growth. Through this he created thousands of jobs and gave the Singaporeans adequate livings.
He knows the importance of human resources given that's the only resource Singapore has, he stresses on education and the English language to effectively connect Singapore to the world. He had to close down the Chinese-speaking Nanyang University because most graduates had a hard time finding job.
He also gave explanations on some of his rather controversial actions in suing newspapers and political opponents, which seem reasonable.
Overall, he has done a remarkable job in creating an honest and efficient government, a sound legal system with the rule of law, excellent infrastructure and he was able to provide jobs and a good living to his people. All these are the factors to Singapore's miraculous transformation. And on top of that, he retired from his prime ministerial post and passed on the baton, albeit still holding a senior minister post.
All in all, Lee has done a spectacular job in transforming Singapore to the only other first world country in Asia aside from Japan, heads off to him.
most impressive character.......2007-05-14
great book. lee is the most impressive character i've ever read in history book.
A Taiwanese Perspective.......2007-04-08
I loved this book. Lee is insightful and a great writer.
His chapter on Taiwan, however, was mad hypocrisy. He critices Taiwan for "pulling away" by teaching in schools primarily the history/geography of the island instead of China, as before. Funny this is coming from a guy known for getting rid of all Chinese-language universities in Singapore. He spoke about ensuring he brought Malays along in his trip to China, and conducting meetings in English, to ensure China recognizes Singapore's unique identity.
Also funny was Lee KY's attributing Lee Teng-hui's provocative behavior to Lee TH's Japanophilia and being "powered" by the spirit of the Bushido warrior." Yet throughout the book Lee KY talks about how British he is, e.g., his habit of drinking tea in the morning! Furthermore, he spoke of the great sentiments associated with attaining British knighthood, which according to him, was the greatest honor he had ever received. I couldn't help laugh when reading the British knight accuse the Bushido warrior of Japanophilia, when he himself is brimming with Anglophilia.
Illuminating what can be achieved by a superior intellect coupled with honesty........2006-09-26
I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Lee Kuan Yew. Besides being a genious at governing the man is a gifted writer. The book is full of information for those, like me, that were curious about how this gentleman, along with his associates, pulled out the feat of transforming an underdeveloped society into a model society. He, almost singlehandedly, achieved what other countries and societies with far more resources only dream of. Pick this book if you wish to learn and, at the same time, be entertained.
Excellent insight!.......2006-06-12
Gives Excellent insight to see how singapore found it's own way in this competitive world.
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Chinese Export Art at Historic Deerfield
Amanda E. Lange
Manufacturer: Historic Deerfield Inc
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ASIN: 0966676947 |
Book Description
This book explores the decorative arts and the nature of commerce between the West and China. It also features 114 object entries in the categ- ories of graphic arts, silks, metalwares, novelties, and porcelains.
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Japanese Export Lacquer
Oliver Impey ,
Christiaan J. A. Jörg , and
Cynthia Viallé
Manufacturer: Hotei Publishing
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ASIN: 907482272X |
Average customer rating:
- Resonates Well With My Own Exerience in Asia
- It's not Asia bashing, its great storytelling!
- Interesting and informative
- Tough appraisal of 'Asian miracle'
- A Dangerous Book For Unsuspecting Minds
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Asian Eclipse: Exposing the Dark Side of Business in Asia, Revised Edition
Michael Backman
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The Asian Insider: Unconventional Wisdom for Asian Business
ASIN: 0471479128 |
Amazon.com
"Asia can be a crazy place" and conducting business in this region often means "grappling with cronies, corruption and conglomerates" according to author Michael Backman. In his book Asian Eclipse, he takes us over the proverbial Chinese wall to reveal the bribery and corruption rife in the Eastern corporate world.
Delving into what constitutes "Asianness," he exposes a highly complex corporate landscape--one where Confucian thinking pervades all aspects of business culture; bankruptcy is considered an affront to one's ancestors; the media are threatened with closure for reporting on "sensitive" issues; patriarchal management and nepotism are the norm, often ending in costly family disputes; and auditing and corporate governance are new concepts! With a thorough analysis of the different Asian markets, he lays bare the structurally inherent flaws that led to widespread economic crises from 1997 to 1998. In his view, "the real Asian 'miracle' is that the economic collapse didn't happen earlier".
Packed with detail, this book should be the bible for anyone considering doing business in Asia, but is also accessible to the lay reader. The chapters end with excellent case-studies that provide rare and fascinating insights into some of the more shady corporate practices in the region, including President Soeharto's ventures, and also the contributors to Clinton's 1996 campaign funds. Backman recounts many incidents from firsthand experience, reflecting the wealth of knowledge he has accumulated from his extensive time in Asia. --Neelam Dongha
Book Description
"Backman really understands why business evolved the way it did in Asia."--Economist
"Backman's brisk analysis . . . should be required reading. The real strength of Asian Eclipse is its accessibility to nonspecialists through its startling insights into the business interests, machinations, and relationships."--Independent (London)
"The research and reporting is impressive and up-to-date . . . it's a pleasure to read, rich in anecdotes and never boring or academic."--Far Eastern Economic Review
Named one of the finest general nonfiction books of 1999 by the Economist, Asian Eclipse was the first book to comprehensively assess the corporate and business practices in Asia. This revised and updated edition features a new chapter on the Internet and e-commerce in Asia and updates on current markets and events.
Michael Backman (Australia) is a leading researcher specializing in Asian corporate practice and a regular contributor to numerous leading newspapers and magazines.
Customer Reviews:
Resonates Well With My Own Exerience in Asia.......2003-10-04
Unlike most readers of this text, I am very familiar with nearly all of the information presented here, as many of these stories have occurred in the same time frame as my professional and personal experience living and working in the Pacific Rim. As such, the content of this book is not new to me, or for that matter, anyone in Asian business circles, as all of the stories have appeared in one or more of the regional newspapers at some point in time. However, in the author's defense, those observing the region from the outside would have to read well over 100 sources, many of them in foreign languages, on a daily basis to get the information that is presented in this juicy, scandalous book.
Asian Eclipse presents the reader case after case detailing the more objectionable aspects of business in Asia. After reading many of the cases (presented by chapters devoted to each country in the Asian region), it becomes extremely difficult to distinguish any real differences, and I personally could not say if the individuals in question were Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Indonesian- the behavior in the end was virtually the same. Only the company name and the locality where the less-than-above-board behavior took place differed.
The book actually pays for itself in the first three chapters, for here is where the reader will learn the commonalities across the region. It is also the place in the book where Backman chooses to delineate, albeit very briefly, the underlying reasons for the under-handed and unsavory business practices that unfortunately typify, but as we are increasingly seeing with the spectacular financial skullduggery of US and European corporations, are not wholly limited to the Asian corporate landscape.
The author tells the would-be investor in Asia what it means to be a stakeholder in publicly listed and privately held companies in the region. Backman deftly delineates all of the obstacles one will face when doing business or directing investments toward Asia. Should you decide to invest in Asia be forewarned: Comprehensive due dilligence is paramount. Too many Western businesspeople who venture unaware into the region have found themselves holding the bag for the embarrassing things their so-called Asian partners have done before, during and after the partnership.
One very important point from the book is this: In Asia, those who enforce the rules are also the same people who make the rules...and break them with impunity (Modern Feudalism writ large). Thus, any attempt to enforce the laws written on the legal books protecting minority corporate stakeholders (and foreigners are definitely relegated to minority positions) or to uphold terms and conditions as stated in written contracts, would only result in one and only one outcome- nothing. In other words, any rights and protections that you take for granted in the Western hemisphere simply do not exist in Asia.
In sum, the book serves as a stern warning about commonplace business practices in Asia. It also serves as a good bit of contemporary regional financial history. Finally, I do not believe that any of the players learned the appropriate lessons from the various Financial Meltdowns, large and small and/or country-specific or regional. As is often the unfortunate case, the movers and shakers in this region of the world learned all the wrong lessons. Rather than opening up, reforming, and tackling their problems in a sincere and concerted fashion, they have chosen to insulate themselves, beseech their governments to bail them out, and spend precious time and resources shifting the blame- almost always to foreigners.
It's not Asia bashing, its great storytelling!.......2001-08-30
Backman's Asian Eclipse is the kind of expose that newspaper editors in Asia can only dream about. Not only does it provide a framework for understanding Asian business culture, it reveals in excruciating detail of the shenanigans in Corporate Asia?s largest boardrooms.
As the latest attempt to offer reasons for the Asian Crisis of 1997, it goes further than most treatments by delving into the institutional, political and social causes that underlie the culture of corruption, cronyism and managerial incompetence in Asia's former 'tiger' economies. The surfeit of detail is also the book's greatest weakness as it sometimes reads like a genealogy. However, this weakness it is trivial compared to the rich descriptions of the family-based power structures that govern much of East Asia.
The central thesis of Backman's book is that poorly paid civil servants, opaque bureaucracies, antiquated government systems and a compromised media act to subvert capital markets so they act like free ATM machines to feed the empire building lusts of Asian conglomerates at the expense of minority shareholders, and local tax payers. To back up this claim, the author offers a grand tour of the history and development of business culture in Asia. In the process, he also reveals the complicity of the multinationals and their mad race toward the lowest ethical standards to buy the cooperation of local politicians, thus feeding the nascent culture of corruption.
Backman is not as sanguine about the 'Asian Way', as many writers on the region seemed to be. He traces the origins of Asian business culture to the Confucian system of responsibilities and obligations between superior and subordinate. In this system, he argues, are clearly established lines of authority and responsibility that engender trust. In an economic context where contract law is undeveloped and institutions are unstable, a reliance on Confucian ethics provided the only reliable form of governance. What this system cannot do, having been created in an era of village feudalism and not global business, is to set out a similar code of rights and responsibilities between insiders (the family) and outsiders (non-family stakeholders). Outsiders are treated with suspicion, deception, and guile. Extreme forms of opportunism, driven by Sun Tzu's Art of War tactics, are routinely encountered by minority shareholders, foreign business partners, taxpayers and other 'outsider' stakeholders. The Art of War is a treatise designed to win wars with mortal enemies and thus emphasizes the use of deception, subterfuge, and unscrupulous tactics. Little wonder that foreigners find doing in business in Asia such a legal and ethical minefield.
Thus, the Asian crisis of 1997 was not the result of a series of random events but the logical outcome of a corrupted system with minority shareholders, foreign companies, bank depositors, and taxpayers as its unwitting victims. The main players in this game are corrupt government officials at the highest levels, high-ranking military officers, and the Overseas Chinese families who provide the business networks through which expropriated public funds are sterilized.
While readers of the book should critically consider the author's conspiracy theory of the activities of the Overseas Chinese, there is no question that it offers some of the best treatments of business in Asia and of the 1997 crisis than any book that has been written on the topic. In addition to the fact that it is easy to read and highly entertaining, it's carefully researched and well-documented treatment allows the reader to go beyond the standard stereotypes of Asian business heretofore promulgated by a business press enamoured with the illusory growth of the 1980s. In short, the reader should conclude, as I did, that the Crash of 1997 was self-inflicted, and not the work of currency speculators, neo-colonialists, or the 'evil' IMF!
The book concludes with a startling analysis. Contrary to the more optimistic, the author depressingly suggests that countries have not learnt from the lessons of the Crash of 1997. He cites the continuing inability of the Indonesian government to enforce laws designed to hold businesses accountable for their problems, the continuing delay in enforcing bankruptcy laws in Thailand, the Renong (business arm of the ruling political party) bailout in Malaysia, and the pulling back from serious corporate reform by South Korea's chaebols, as evidence that the region is poised to repeat the same errors in the future by rebuilding 'along the same fault lines' (page 379).
While he doesn't suggest that foreign investors disengage from the region, he does offer some suggestions to reduce the inherent risks. Investors should pay attention to building relationships before engaging in business negotiations. Part of relationship building should be devoted to knowing one's local partner as transparency and disclosure are unfamiliar concepts to many Asian businesses. Investors should regularly conduct due diligence and independent audit exercises to verify partner claims. That cronyism costs more in the long term than it yields in the short term, as demonstrated in Indonesia, strongly suggests that foreign investors stay away from all temptations to play the political connection angle. Finally they should be wary of approaching local banks for financing since these banks may often be affiliated with local competitors.
Interesting and informative.......2001-03-27
Backman clearly has extensive knowledge of the complex Asian business structures that encompass families, holding companies, cross holdings and often governments. Furthermore, he presents his detailed knowledge in an readable format that is relatively easy to follow. He gives excellent insight into the workings of Asian businesses, their unwillingness to disclose information and the dangers associated with hidden transactions, creative accounting and inefficient (family) management. The research Backman has gathered in this book is priceless and thorough.
Though I would never claim to be an expert on Asia myself, having lived more than 10 years in the region, I found that I was often grinning to myself in agreement with Backman's observations. Backman further managed to fill in many blanks I have in my Asian business knowledge, having grown up to realise only the social aspects of the various cultures here.
This book is an excellent read and a good reference guide for non-Asians doing business in Asia. I also suspect it's useful for Asians doing business outside their own countries, since often these sort of cross-border, cross-cultural relationships can be tricky in the region.
Tough appraisal of 'Asian miracle'.......2000-06-15
This is a solid book and an entertaining read. The author is not particularly profound in his analysis, but at least he is not just another neo-liberal ideologue. He understands that business is embedded in wider society, and that this fact fundamentally influences the business culture. I especially liked the portraits of major players, and the other telling details. Overall, not really deep, but an interesting coverage of Asia's economic woes.
A Dangerous Book For Unsuspecting Minds.......2000-03-18
There is no doubt that this book was very well researched. The stories are very detailed and cover the most important companies in the Asian region. However, precisely because it was well researched, it is a dangerous book for unsuspecting minds.
The author may have stayed in Asia for a long time. He may also have written articles and books about the region. But like most western authors, he had falsely believe that such qualifications make him an expert on Asia. He clearly misunderstood Asia on many counts.
For example, he mentions that the Confucius believes in ancestor worship. That is incorrect. In the Analects, it was recorded that Confucius when asked about the afterlife would rather his disciples concentrate on matter of the living. He did not comment on anything related to ancestor worshipping at all.
It would have been inconsequential for the author to have such beliefs and the book would still have been great if the author had stuck to reporting the events surrounding Asian companies. However, he chose to inject his flawed beliefs into the book by explaining in flawed reasoning why the failures of Asian companies occurred.
Unsuspecting readers or readers who do not understand Asians well thus tend to fall for his flawed logic as factual events lends credence to his reasonings. The author should have stuck to being a journalist and not venture into being a socialogist.
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Asian large business and the economic collapse of Asian countries in 1997-1998. It is a comprehensive book on the subject. However, when the author starts telling you why certain things happen or how asians think, skip those parts. Specifically, skip chapter 1 and the last chapter.
Book Description
This text provides an accurate, balanced and readable history of Korea from 1909 to the present day. Key features of the book include:
*Comprehensive coverage of Korean History
*Analysis of important contemporary developments
*A comparative focus on both North and South Korea
*Korea is examined within a regional context
*A chronology and suggestions for further reading
This book is an invaluable one-volume resource for all students of modern Korean history.
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International Production Networks in Asia: Rivalry or Riches (Routledge Advances in Asia-Pacific Business, Volume 11)
Michael Borrus
Manufacturer: Routledge
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ASIN: 0415221706 |
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The economic crisis of 1997 called East Asia's economic miracle into question and generated widespread criticism of the regions developmental models. However, the crisis did little to alter the growing economic integration of the region which is being forged through American, Japanese and Chinese firms who have created cross-border production networks - led by multinational corporations which span the entire value-chain in a number of industries. This book addresses the changing nature of high-tech industries in Asia, particularly in the electronics sector, where these networks are increasingly designed to foster and to exploit the regions highly heterogenous technology, skills and know-how.
Book Description
Throughout East Asia, the growth process and its sources are changing in a number of important respects, especially for middle- and high-income economies. Growth is increasingly coming from the strength of innovative activities in these economies rather than from factor accumulation as in the past. Such innovative activities—especially in producer services and the creative industries—are concentrated in high-tech clusters in globally linked cities.
Drawing on a wide range of literature and on interviews with firms, this book explores these issues with a focus on six East Asian cities: Bangkok, Beijing, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo. It suggests how policies and institutions can induce and furnish an urban environment that supports innovative activities. A valuable resource for researchers, urban planners, urban geographers, and policy makers interested in East Asia, Post-Industrial East Asian Cities presents the latest findings on creative industries in East Asia and their effect on economic growth.
Customer Reviews:
be diverse and highly skilled.......2007-06-11
East Asia has developed tremendously in 50 years. Giving rise to the megacities considered here. Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul and Bangkok. The book considers these to be global cities. Deeply tied into the rest of the world via communications and transport networks. With international trade often having aided their rise.
But the real questions raised by the book concern the future of these Asian cities. How will their economies continue to grow? The word postindustrial is liberally tossed around. What it means here is that the mega-industrial projects that might have helped the cities get where they are today, are not necessarily the way to go forward. Instead, the cities should encourage innovation and the development of a highly educated workforce. Skills need to be upgraded, outside the manufacturing context. To this ends, major universities located in the cities can be a vital enabler. Some cities, like Shanghai, with 839 research institutes, and Beijing, with 267, are well positioned in this aspect.
Another theme is that the cities should be heterogenous. In how their populations are made up. A cultural and ethnic diversity could aid in a positive social dynamism.
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OECD Proceedings Regulatory Reform in the Global Economy: Asian and Latin American Perspectives (Oecd Proceedings)
Manufacturer: Org. for Economic Cooperation & Development
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Binding: Paperback
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As border barriers to international trade and investment continue to be reduced thanks to liberalisation efforts, "behind-the-border" barriers -- which are typically regulations aiming at achieving domestic objectives such as health, safety, environmen
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