Asking Questions: The Definitive Guide to Questionnaire Design -- For Market Research, Political Polls, and Social and Health Questionnaires

Book Description

Since it was first published more than twenty-five years ago, Asking Questions has become a classic guide for designing questionnaires?the most widely used method for collecting information about peoples attitudes and behavior. An essential tool for market researchers advertisers, pollsters, and social scientists, this thoroughly updated and definitive work combines time-proven techniques with the most current research, findings, and methods. The book presents a cognitive approach to questionnaire design and includes timely information on the Internet and electronic resources. Comprehensive and concise, Asking Questions can be used to design questionnaires for any subject area, whether administered by telephone, online, mail, in groups, or face-to-face. The book describes the design process from start to finish and is filled with illustrative examples from actual surveys.

Customer Reviews:

Great perspective on questionnaire fundamentals.......2006-11-15

This edition offers insight about the building blocks of questionnaire development, and more importantly, getting to the right answers. A good focus on the fundamentals and a valuable resource.

The definitive questionnaire design book.......2006-08-16

This book is a tremendous resource for any social science research methodology course. It should be used as a stand-alone text for a questionnaire design course or as core reading material for a general research methodology class (undergraduate or graduate). As a social scientist, I have used it to successfully create web-based questionnaires that have received great response rates, which I believe are a direct result of the depth and breadth of the knowledge conveyed in the book. In addition, the text itself is easy to understand, interesting, and intellectually stimulating (qualities that are lacking in many other questionnaire design books).

Dry and Outdated.......2006-03-02

I found this book to be a bit dry and behind the times, especially in terms of using the Web for surveys. There's also not much about polling. Unfortunately, that was my main reason for buying it. It is one of the few books out there about surveys and polls and there is some helpful information, but I will have to look elsewhere for my needs.

The Influentials: One American in Ten Tells the Other Nine How to Vote, Where to Eat, and What to Buy

Average customer rating:

Not Recommended
Insightful core theme- Doesn't need a full book though
Good title, but the actual book part just muddles things
The Influentials
There *is* good information in here

The Influentials: One American in Ten Tells the Other Nine How to Vote, Where to Eat, and What to Buy
Jon Berry , and Ed Keller
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Consumer Behavior | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Leadership | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0743227298
Release Date: 2003-01-07

Book Description

One American in ten tells the other nine how to vote, where to eat, and what to buy. They are

The Influentials

Who are they? The most influential Americans -- the ones who tell their neighbors what to buy, which politicians to support, and where to vacation -- are not necessarily the people you'd expect. They're not America's most affluent 10 percent or best-educated 10 percent. They're not the "early adopters," always the first to try everything from Franco-Polynesian fusion cooking to digital cameras. They are, however, the 10 percent of Americans most engaged in their local communities...and they wield a huge amount of influence within those communities. They're the campaigners for open-space initiatives. They're church vestrymen and friends of the local public library. They're the Influentials...and whether or not they are familiar to you, they're very well known to the researchers at RoperASW. For decades, these researchers have been on a quest for marketing's holy grail: that elusive but supremely powerful channel known as word of mouth. What they've learned is that even more important than the "word" -- what is said -- is the "mouth" -- who says it. They've identified, studied, and analyzed influence in America since the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey (now Exxon) hired Elmo Roper himself to develop a model for identifying opinion leaders, and in The Influentials, they are finally ready to share their results. A few samples:

• Influentials have been the "early majority" -- leading indicators of what Americans will be buying -- for more than five decades, from choosing energy-efficient cars in the 1970s to owning computers in the 1980s to adopting 401(k)s and IRAs in the 1990s to using the Internet and cell phones today.
• Influentials have led the way in social development as well, from the revival of self-reliance (in managing their own health care, investments, and consumption) to mass skepticism about the marketing claims of everything from breakfast food to politicians.

Although America's Influentials have always been powerful, they've never been more important than now. Today, a fragmented market has made it possible for Influentials to opt out of mass-message advertising, which means that a different route must be taken to capture their hearts and minds. The Influentials is a map for that route, a map that explains who these people are, how they exercise influence, and how they can be targeted. The Influentials features a series of rules and guidelines for marketing to Influentials; case studies of products that have prospered because of Influential marketing (and products that have failed because they lacked it); a history of the phenomenon...and why Influentials are more influential today than ever; and profiles of twelve real-life Influentials.

Both an intellectual adventure and a hands-on marketing manual, The Influentials is an extraordinary gold mine of information and analysis that no business can afford to ignore.

Download Description

"One American in ten tells the other nine how to vote, where to eat, and what to buy. They are The Influentials Who are they? The most influential Americans -- the ones who tell their neighbors what to buy, which politicians to support, and where to vacation -- are not necessarily the people you'd expect. They're not America's most affluent 10 percent or best-educated 10 percent. They're not the ""early adopters,"" always the first to try everything from Franco-Polynesian fusion cooking to digital cameras. They are, however, the 10 percent of Americans most engaged in their local communities...and they wield a huge amount of influence within those communities. They're the campaigners for open-space initiatives. They're church vestrymen and friends of the local public library. They're the Influentials...and whether or not they are familiar to you, they're very well known to the researchers at RoperASW. For decades, these researchers have been on a quest for marketing's holy grail: that elusive but supremely powerful channel known as word of mouth. What they've learned is that even more important than the ""word"" -- what is said -- is the ""mouth"" -- who says it. They've identified, studied, and analyzed influence in America since the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey (now Exxon) hired Elmo Roper himself to develop a model for identifying opinion leaders, and in The Influentials, they are finally ready to share their results.

Customer Reviews:

Not Recommended.......2007-01-28

If you can read the title, there's not much of a point in reading the rest of the book...except maybe for one section describing how to identify "the influentials". Still, I don't recommend buying it.

Insightful core theme- Doesn't need a full book though.......2005-05-19

Interesting book. Basic premise is that the folks that spread the word about mass market products are not movie stars or early adopters, but folks who are socially and politically active in their communities. Think den mothers, PTA members, folks in the Lions Club, the local city council etc. The notion connects to the concepts outlined in "Tipping Point" about Connectors, Mavens and Salespeople, although the framing is different and in this case Influentials appear to be part Connector, part Maven and part Salespeople.

In any case, it's a valuable insight which is probably relevant across cultures and countries. You don't need to read the whole book but it's worth reading a few chapters.

Good title, but the actual book part just muddles things.......2004-11-18

The Influetials is either just a big statistical blob or I missed something. Keller et al start out by describing the influential as someone who other people in the community kind of look toward. They are very socially connected and respected. There is no doubt in my mind that the proposition that one in ten people has a huge influence on how the other nine think, however instead of exploring the social patterns Keller et al try to define that person whom they call an "Influential" They begin by saying in the first chapter that statistics can't pinpoint an influential and then spend most of the book tossing statistics on influentials at the reader - lots of tables that don't tell me anything.

One thing that I found interesting were the case studies scattered through the book. Basically these were mini-biographies of influentials slanted more towards what they were up to at the moment. Even these weren't all that helpful.

I recommend skipping The Influentials. The title is really good but the book doesn't focus or do much to back it up. Actually things just get muddled. The Tipping Point by Malcome Gladwell has a good bit of discussion about who influences opinions and how. Check that out instead.

The Influentials.......2004-03-31

The Roper organization has long been known for the quality and reliability of its data. Now it has given us a remarkable distillation of information in order to show how a select group of people carry more weight in the decision-making processes of the rest of us.

In "The Influentials: One American in Ten Tells the Other Nine How to Vote, Where to Eat and What to Buy," Jon Berry and Ed Keller of Roper ASW tell us how certain people stay ahead of the curve and, essentially, create and maintain that most precious of marketing commodities: "word of mouth."

Of course, the real trick is discover how channels of influence weave their way through the popular culture and subtly induce us to buy. The "Influentials" among us have mastered this because, according to Berry and Keller, they are more likely to accept new ideas, to ask questions, and to listen carefully. With its fact-based approach, "The Influentials" brings us into the lives of people whose habits, desires and innate characteristics enable them to create the "buzz" that will lead to product success.

The book is extremely well documented, with lots of charts and graphs that go back through 30 years or Roper research. As a marketing professional, I was impressed with their arguments and their proven methods. Great book. I say, go for it !.

There *is* good information in here.......2004-02-11

There really is good information in this book. And some of the findings are certainly useful for understanding this important segment of the population.

However, the book reads like a 300+ page market research report. You are bombarded with statistic after statistic embedded in what seems to be every other sentence.

Book Description

Americans have come to tolerate, embrace and even champion many things that would have horrified their parents' generation—from easy divorce and unrestricted abortion-on-demand to extreme body piercing and teaching homosexuality to grade-schoolers. Does that mean today's Americans are inherently more morally confused and depraved than previous generations? Of course not, says veteran journalist David Kupelian. But they have fallen victim to some of the most stunningly brilliant and compelling marketing campaigns in modern history.
The Marketing of Evil reveals how much of what Americans once almost universally abhorred has been packaged, perfumed, gift-wrapped and sold to them as though it had great value. Highly skilled marketers, playing on our deeply felt national values of fairness, generosity and tolerance, have persuaded us to embrace as enlightened and noble that which all previous generations since America's founding regarded as grossly self-destructive—in a word, evil.
In this groundbreaking and meticulously researched book, Kupelian peels back the veil of marketing-induced deception to reveal exactly when, where, how, and especially why Americans bought into the lies that now threaten the future of the country.
For example, few of us realize that the widely revered father of the "sexual revolution" has been irrefutably exposed as a full-fledged sexual psychopath who encouraged pedophilia. Or that giant corporations voraciously competing for America's $150 billion teen market routinely infiltrate young people's social groups to find out how better to lead children into ever more debauched forms of "authentic self-expression."
Likewise, most of us mistakenly believe the "abortion rights" and "gay rights" movements were spontaneous, grassroots uprisings of neglected or persecuted minorities wanting to breathe free. Few people realize America was actually "sold" on abortion thanks to an audacious public relations campaign that relied on fantastic lies and fabrications. Or that the "gay rights" movement—which transformed America's former view of homosexuals as self-destructive human beings into their current status as victims and cultural heroes—faithfully followed an in-depth, phased plan laid out by professional Harvard-trained marketers.
No quarter is given in this riveting, insightful exploration of how lies, both subtle and outrageous, are packaged as truth. From the federal government to the public school system to the news media to the hidden creators of "youth culture," nothing is exempt from the thousand-watt spotlight of Kupelian's journalistic inquiry.
In the end, The Marketing of Evil is an up-close, modern-day look at what is traditionally known as "tempation"—the art and science of making evil look good.

Customer Reviews:

Certainly Eve didn't see that rotten worm!.......2007-10-19

This is the written form of the phrase, "calling the spade a spade". From one of the direct sources of supreme wisdom that makes up the World Net Daily news site (Joseph Farah is another dear, reliable partner in crime), "The Marketing of Evil" slices the mass-produced, glowing apple in two pieces, revealing the ugliness within: a swollen, slimy, rotten worm and, some would say, "Not just any old worm." This critter is none other than the prince of lies himself, as if it couldn't have been anybody else. Boy, did he have our number. Should we perhaps give him credit, a good grade? He fooled a lot of people with that fantastic web he'd spun, as it appeared glitteringly to the admiration of millions of people. He even managed to deceive the ones who claim that they are steadfastly opposed to his oozing around their schools, their homes, and especially their churches. Talk about power. Thankfully for us all, David Kupelain has this beast in his crosshairs, blasts it with deadly rounds of divine ammo, and now delivers us the rotting carcass, exclaiming in the background of our awe, "He was thumbing his nose at you the whole time. Don't tell me you didn't see him."

The Left's central religious tenets are not immune to his gun: sexual promiscuity, multiculturalism, moral relativism, abortion on demand (their holiest sacrament), the "living Constitution" (whatever we want according to our current feelings; so much for our Founding Fathers' ideals) locking children in dungeons (I mean, public education), and initiating the decline of Judeo-Christian values and His Holiness' place in the world. The gods are exposed, the men behind the fraying curtain revealed. But we cannot blame the Left completely while walking away from the right-wing champions untarnished. Like the wonder-struck observer of Satan's mingled appearance, the American Right cannot call a spade a spade, thus giving We the People the burden of launching our attack unilaterally. One glance at the slate of Republican Party presidential contenders reveals the glossy-eyed indifference quite clearly (except, and God bless him, Congressman Ron Paul). Take up your arms, soldiers.

This book is an insider's look into the big billboards of confusion popping up around this (no longer) great nation. After you read it, the confusion will be no more. You'll see right through that mass of marketing to hear the blood-curdling screams. The sound isn't at all pleasant. We were hoodwinked into thinking the noise was like the singing of the birds. In reality, it's like listening to Britney Spears.

A Good Idea for a Book, But This Isn't It.......2007-10-19

While a scholarly examination of the problems associated with modern American materialism and mass-marketing would be a terrific book, this one is merely a lengthy and extremely shrill rant about everything which the American Right (particularly the Religious Right) find objectionable in society.

Read the list of blurbs...who's endorsing this book. Malkin? Wildmon? Limbaugh? Names like that tell you everything you need to know, and why you should look elsewhere if it's a serious discussion you want.

A truly despicable book.

Worldview Wakup Call.......2007-09-28

As a Christian going through "The Truth Project", which is a study in developing a Christian worldview, this book is very relevant to my study. We have been sold a bill of goods by the world, and this book is very powerful in helping to identify these lies.

If you want to gain a better understanding of these destructive worldviews that lead to moral and spiritual decay, you need to add this book to your reading list.

Eye-Opening Must-Read.......2007-09-13

Regardless of your politics or religious beliefs this book is a must-read. Even if you disagree with the author, it provides insights into the conservative point-of-view, which is something valuable for everyone.

Kupelian surveys the scourges of our culture and explores their roots. I am well educated and informed on many issues. I tend to dig deeper than the average media consumer. I was brought up in a liberal Christian home and I seek information from the left, the right and everywhere in between. Then I form my own opinion. I must say I learned a lot from his book. It is an eye-opener.

As a father, I connected with his exploration of youth culture exploitation. As a husband, his writing on divorce resonated. Having once been a fetus myself, I'm pro-life, yet his expose of the pro-abortion left was stunning. As one who cherishes our constitution, his probing chapter on the subject was informative. As a professional marketer, I found his entire premise, of The (media) Matrix, sobering.

Of course one can debate various finer points Kupelian makes. That is one of the book's best aspects. It is thought-provoking. Read it, think about it, and debate it. I'm convinced you will be affected.

The truth the media won't tell me.......2007-08-06

When our only viewpoint of society comes from a media that has its own agenda, we are carried along on that agenda. It's time we knew the TRUTH behind the myths of modern times such as gay "rights." Is the phrase, "separation of church and state" even in the Constitution? What really goes on in our schools? Do the majority of Americans really approve abortion on demand? Why would there be a "plan" to destroy marriage? Why are people so easily duped? David Kupelian tells us the truth behind the myths, and I urge anyone who really wants to know "the rest of the story" to read this book.

The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy: An Economist Examines the Markets, Power, and Politics of World Trade

Average customer rating:

Great Read
Good, but light-weighted
Can you understand global economics?
Doesn't take sides; just informs.
Good, casual read offering good perspective

The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy: An Economist Examines the Markets, Power, and Politics of World Trade
Pietra Rivoli
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Exports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Globalization | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0471648493

Book Description

The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy takes the reader on a fascinating, around-the-world journey to reveal the economic and political lessons from the life story of a simple t-shirt. Over five years, business professor Pietra Rivoli traveled from a Texas cotton field to a Chinese factory to a used clothing market in Africa, to investigate compelling questions about the politics, economics, ethics, and history of modern business and globalization. Using the story of the t-shirt to illustrate the major issues of the globalization debate, this uniquely entertaining business book offers a surprising, enlightening, and balanced look at one of the major topics of our time.

Prize or Award

Business Book of the Year 2005, Finalist
AAP Awards for Excellence in Professional and Scholarly Publishing, 2006

Customer Reviews:

Great Read.......2007-09-24

The book is a good read, since I am taking my international trade class, this is actually one of the require reading. If someone who is very liberal, or cuddle to grave type of mentality, this book does not offer the cuddly senstivitive that the faint hearted people are looking for. But it is quite realistic. If you can look pass the sweatshops and all, this is a good read.

Good, but light-weighted.......2007-09-11

The book is an advocate of free market and a defender of the globalization. Basically the author portraits non-market forces to be bad (examples: artificial constraint on the labor worker's mobility, international trading protection, and restriction of new technology applications). She also proposes that free trade is good (example: used apparels in Africa). It is an interesting angle with which to examine the globalization phenomena. By recognizing that there are non-market forces at play, one should, or so the author seems to suggest, attribute negative effects (such as sweatshops) to these forces and work on eradicating such forces. The ideal situation would be, as author implies, an absolutely free market operating in bringing everyone maximum benefit.
While there may be novelty in this theme, I do not feel that it merits all the details and tidbits as presented in the book. In fact, I find this book more like a research log than a final product. The stories and observations are definitely interesting and well-written. However it is not always clear where they lead to and what conclusion they are designed to support. I think the book can be reduced to 1/3 of its volume and still be able to make the same points.
On the other hand, many conclusions are not well supported. For example, about trade restrictions, the author argues that US quota systems impact how capital and labor flows in the world, and shape the economy of other countries. While it is obvious that all US trading partners would behave under the influence of US trading policies, more quantitative evidences are required to ascertain the extend of such influence. Such details are lacking in the book. As another example, the book stated that China lost more textile jobs than the US. Therefore, the US jobs are not going to China, but are just disappearing due to technology advances. Such claim is not well-supported, either. These two forces (technological advances and job relocations) can both contribute to the job loss. Their relative importance in the US cannot be indicated by how much textile jobs are lost in China. (In addition, the book does not point out that most Chinese factories operate at a lower technological level than their US competitors. Therefore, the job loss rate due to technological advance is not the same in US and China.)
On a more grand scale, the book fails to address the following issue, which is very relevant to the topics at hand. Globalization in essence is a process of integrating many previously local markets into a unified global market. Previously, each market has different states of balance and is supported by different Government infrastructure. After integration, capital, labor and product flow to maximize profit for the capitalists. Such flow disrupts all local balances before a global balance is reached. For example, the labor cost in the US today is reasonably high because most people have the choice of working as blue collar or white collar workers. Some people are willing to work for lower wage to avoid the extra training and investment required for white collar jobs. However the difference in wages cannot be too large. In China, on the other hand, the pool of unskilled labor is huge and opportunity of getting trained and advancing into white collar jobs is very limited. Therefore, the unskilled labor cost is very low in China. Moreover, the tradition and culture in China allows for lower safety standards and environmental standards as imposed by the Government. Now the current state of balance in the US is the result of adjustments over generations and is relatively optimal. In a global market, however, the US cannot keep its balance until the whole world reaches the same balance. In the long run, such re-balancing is not a big problem and is even desirable. However, in the short run, it brings shock to the US markets, and such shock is unevenly bore by the arguably most vulnerable population: the workers. To me, this is a very important issue in globalization. Economically, globalization is win-win and everyone eventually will benefit. Humanitarianly, however, there are people who suffer in the process and it is the duty of the society to help them and (God forbid) protect them.
Overall, I'd say that this is a very interesting and thought provoking book. I enjoyed reading it at my leisure. However, I don't consider it to be of the caliber of an Economics textbook.

Can you understand global economics?.......2007-07-05

It's all about the money, someone said. This wonderful book starts with the growing of cotton subsidized by the US government, the spinning and weaving in China, the T-shirt making in Bangla Desh or wherever, its wear in the United States, and its ultimnate fate as second-hand clothing in West Africa, the only free market found by the author.
A simple and elegant account of interconnected global economics, of who gets value, who adds value, and who gets the money. Fun to read.

Doesn't take sides; just informs........2007-05-14

An intelligent, fair minded, well-researched, and very interesting book. I was assigned to read it for a class, so I had to force myself to open it, but once I did, I had a hard time putting it down. The book is not only informative, it also reads like a good story. The author is an economics professor whose writing style is friendly and accessible. Rather than being yet another abstract book about the global economy, it's about how everyday people function in, and are affected by, the global economy. The book doesn't take sides, it just informs the reader about something that affects us all.

Good, casual read offering good perspective.......2007-01-15

This book takes a pretty balanced approach to questions of globalization by tracing how a T-shirt is produced, from raw materials to the folded T-shirt in a department store, to the used T-shirts that are reprocessed or go to developing countries for a second life. Probably everyone can learn something from this book, and the narration is fairly engaging (it was good plane reading for me). The writer tries to keep the book agenda-free, putting forth both economists' and anti-globalizers' perspectives and describing how, to a certain degree, an effective global economy needs pushes from both camps.

Average customer rating:

excellent

Olympic Turnaround: How the Olympic Games Stepped Back from the Brink of Extinction to Become the World's Best Known Brand
Michael Payne
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Advertising | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Olympic Games | Miscellaneous | Sports | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0275990303

Book Description

Higher, faster, stronger... The Olympic motto conjures images of heroes whose achievements transcended their athletic prowess--Jesse Owens, Mark Spitz, Nadia Comanesci--but also of tragedy and disgrace--the Israeli hostages in Munich, the Salt Lake City bidding scandal, payola to influence scoring. By 1980, the modern Olympic movement was gasping for breath, bankrupt financially, politically, and culturally. But under the leadership of Juan Antonio Samaranch, and, subsequently, Jacques Rogge, the Olympics began a journey back from the brink. Michael Payne, who served as the International Olympic Committee's top marketer for over twenty years, offers unprecedented access to the people, the negotiations, and the machinations behind one of the most dramatic and colorful turnarounds in business or sports history. Through a multi-pronged strategy, the IOC managed to secure lucrative broadcasting commitments, entice well-heeled corporate sponsors, and parlay the symbolism of the Olympics into a brand for which cities around the world are willing to invest billions of dollars--with the potential for tremendous payoff. The 2008 Games in Beijing, for example, are expected to involve over 10,000 athletes from 200 countries, draw 20,000 media representatives, and generate over $4 billion in sponsorships and broadcasting rights. Packed with previously untold stories from the high-octane world where business, sports, politics, and media meet, Olympic Turnaround is a remarkable tale of organizational renewal and a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain of the world's most iconic brand.

Customer Reviews:

excellent.......2006-02-07

none of the books out there can show us what had happened inside of the olympics. it consists of many interesting stories that we haven't known yet.

after reading the book, i also realized how important the sports markeing is for companies to try to go to a next level..

Average customer rating:

Markets and Majorities
Steven M. Sheffrin
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Policy & Current Events | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Development & Growth | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

America's government intervenes in almost every aspect of its citizens' daily lives. From the air we breathe, to our health, wealth, and security, Americans wade through a vast political ocean. Unfortunately, we do so blindly; few Americans understand how or why our government regulates the market mechanisms that surround us. In Markets and Majorities, Steven Sheffrin addresses essential yet overlooked questions about political intervention in economic spheres. Why should we trust the government to clean our air? How do we know what to define as clean? What kind of health insurance business will the government run? What are the dangers of publicly financed doctors?

Sheffrin first explains traditional theories of market failure, used to justify intervention. He then combines the crucial question of political viability with the fascinating particulars of policy histories. Sheffrin applies such analysis to the areas of health care, social security, environmental policy, product liability, trade policy, and fiscal and budgetary policy. He argues that beneath each area lies a unique calculus of market failure and political pressures, and convincingly demonstrates that no single policy can be understood out of economic and political context. In short, the fact that markets may fail does not guarantee that politics will succeed. By examining both sides of each policy area, Sheffrin's careful review of our national policy-making reveals a minefield where, in many cases, politics cannot help but fail as badly as markets. However, he shows that all is not lost, citing, among other examples, political intervention in the medical industry as the only hope of stopping hospitals from competitive purchases of useless technology.

Markets and Majorities is must reading for anyone who has ever wondered why government just can't seem to get things done, as well as anyone who has asked why it should try in the first place.

Average customer rating:

revealing and decent

powerful development lessons

must read

China's Global Reach: Markets, Multinationals, and Globalization (Revised and Updated Edition)
George, Zhibin Gu
Manufacturer: Fultus Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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"China and the New World Order: How Entrepreneurship,Globalization, and Borderless Business Are Reshaping China and the World"

China Shakes the World: A Titan's Rise and Troubled Future -- and the Challenge for America

One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China

China The Balance Sheet: What the World Needs to Know Now About the Emerging Superpower (Institute International Econom)

Harvard Business Review on Doing Business in China (Harvard Business Review Paperback Series)

ASIN: 1596820934

Book Description

China's new economic surge is a surprise to all, but this ancient land remains a myth to both foreigners and Chinese. Get the inside story from a Chinese journalist/consultant about China's business, society, and politics under globalization and capitalism. This revised volume gives an insider's analysis on what's behind China's surge and its implications to the world. It covers key global issues such as manufacturing and job transfers, Chinese multinationals vs. global giants, and changing production, trade and investment trends, as well as evolving international relations.

"China's Global Reach" explores:

- The ever-increasing influence of foreign multinationals (15 plus case studies);
- National and business competition;
- The ever-expanding power of Chinese multinationals (15 plus case studies);
- Global job and manufacturing transfers;
- The rise of Chinese consumers vs. opportunities;
- China's political-economic reform;
- Changing global production and economic map;
- Comparative studies on China, US, Europe, Japan and India;
- Evolving international relations;
- Convergent movement of global civilizations; and
- And more - including an afterword by Andre Gunder Frank!

"China's Global Reach: Markets, Multinationals, and Globalization" is a straightforward and timely analysis of a changing world in relation to a fast-developing China. It is a book perfect for professionals, investors, policy makers, educators, and students, as well as for anyone who questions how the world will move ahead to the next stages.

Customer Reviews:

revealing and decent.......2006-08-16

Author Gu is a brave fellow. He offers straightfoward info and analysis on what is really inside Chinese business and political world. He is highly critical of the Communist ills that continue to cause hellish problems for China and foreign operations inside. Other than this abusive bureaucratic power, Chinese people are very diligent and creative. But the key is to get rid of the overextended bureaucratic power, as so claims by Gu.

This book is a must read -- it is a rare book that reveals the inner workings of the Chinese bureaucratic system. This new edition is very nice, which is sharply revised and expanded. (Five stars for his new edition)

powerful development lessons .......2006-08-03

Author George Zhibin Gu is a high-profile Chinese journalist whose powerful newspaper pieces are widely read. This book is a must read. The reason for my recommendation is simple: This book summarises the key lessons from a fast-changing China under globalization and capitalism.

These lessons are powerful. First, an open society is a must in order to gain true development. Second, having foreign involvement is a key driving force for China's quick development in this era. Third, a truly meaningful development must depend on individual private initiatives other than government bureaucracy.

This book gives rather straightforward analysis on what is behind China's new development. It gives tremendous information on foreign multinationals and investors doing biz inside. Furthermore, it gives huge info on how this foreign involvement affects China's society, government and economy. In particular, it is extremely open about the ills of the Chinese bureaucracy. To overcome bureaucratic barriers, it emphasizes the need for greater private initiative as well as openness, among other things.

Also, the book talks about the ever-increasing influences of China's surge on global development. It gives very insightful analysis on a changing global production, investment, and trade map, as well as manufacturing and job transfers, among other issues.

The book also offers much practical advice on doing biz in China. Numerous case studies are presented, including both successes and failures.

must read.......2006-07-29

This book is for all readers. Not to mention other things, it contains several dozen case studies on global multinationals doing business in China, like Wal-Mart, P&G, Intel, HSBC, Bank of America, Ford, Siemens, BP, Unilever, Sony, GE, GM, Morgan Stanley, and Microsoft. (Amazingly, this revised and updated volume gives most current info on China -- even events happened in May 2006 are contained here.)

It also gives huge info on emerging Chinese multinationals. All the leading Chinese companies such as Haier, Huawei, TCL, Lenovo, China Telecom, Baosteel, China Oil, Sinopec, CNOOC, and Ping An are studied here. Furthermore, comparisons are made between the Chinese companies and their international counterparts. These discussions are straightforward, covering both strengths and weaknesses.

Its scope is rather wide: the author aims to identify key factors behind global development: causes, effects, and consequences. He offers vast info and analysis on a changing global production, investment and trade map, which involves all nations, rich or poor. Interesting comparative studies involve US, Canada, Europe, India, Japan and China. Above all, he pinpoints opportunities and challenges under globalization.

Also it is highly critical of the abusive Chinese bureaucratic power. Gu claims that China's fundamental weakness is with this overextended, self-appointed bureaucratic power. Vast info and facts are presented to support his statement.

He is a high-profile newspaper commentator/consultant that adds much color to his discussions. The book's key strengths come from the fact that the author has vast first-hand experiences, so that he gives countless insider's stories. Its style and presentation is very reader friendly and straightforward, but its analysis is overpowering.

The Age of Access: How the Shift from Ownership to Access Is Transforming Capitalism

Average customer rating:

Surprisingly current
not that good
Capitalism Conquers All
180 Degrees in one Book
FIGHTING FOR ATTENTION IN A DEFICIT SOCIETY....

The Age of Access: How the Shift from Ownership to Access Is Transforming Capitalism
Jeremy Rifkin
Manufacturer: Tarcher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Web Marketing | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1585420182
Release Date: 2000-03-27

Amazon.com

He's been called the postmodern Chicken Little, but it happens that the sky really is falling. Jeremy Rifkin pulls the plug on the trend away from property ownership and free public life in The Age of Access: The New Culture of Hypercapitalism Where All of Life Is a Paid-For Experience. As usual, he's a bit ahead of the curve--most of us aren't fully immersed yet in the sea of leased products and packaged experiences that he sees awaiting us. Still, his eerie vision of a world of gatekeepers paying each other for access to nearly every aspect of human life brings a chilling new meaning to the phrase "pay to play" and should spark some debate over our new cultural revolution.

Using examples from business and government experiments with just-in-time access to goods and services and resource sharing, Rifkin defines a new society of renters who are too busy breaking the shackles of material possessions to mourn the passing of public property. Are we encouraging alienation or participation? Can we trust corporations with stewardship of our social lives? True to form, the author asks more questions than he answers--a sign of an open mind. If property is theft, leased access is extortion, and The Age of Access warns us of the complex changes coming in our relationships with our homes, our communities, and our world. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

Destined to become one of the most talked-about books of 2000, here is a journey into the new world of hyper-capitalism where accessing experiences becomes more important than owning things and all of life is a paid-for activity.

In The End of Work, Jeremy Rifkin argued that computers, robotics, telecommunications, and biotechnologies are fast replacing human beings in virtually every industry and workplace. In The Age of Access, he goes further, showing how new technologies are even eliminating concepts of "property" and "ownership" from our lives. In this new era, we will buy enlightenment and play, grooming and grace, and everything in between in the form of purchased experiences.

Imagine a world where virtually every activity outside the confines of family relations is a paid-for experience--a world where traditional reciprocal obligations and expectations are replaced by contractual relations in the form of paid memberships, subscriptions, admissions charges, retainers, and fees.

For the first time in modern history, Rifkin argues, ownership of physical property is seen as an albatross, and intangible ideas and expertise are the chief generators of wealth. This dramatic shift affects corporations as much as consumers: the world's major companies are quickly shedding property holdings, factories, and other assets in favor of massive outsourcing and leasing.

Rifkin warns of a dawning era in which giant access-providing companies are profiting from every aspect of human existence, while consumers own nothing. In this new economy, access-sellers will finally be able to commidify all of human experience.

Customer Reviews:

Surprisingly current.......2007-09-22

Do you remember the dot.com revolution? Mass customization, location-based offers, intelligent e-business and all that? Much of it was, as Alan Greenspan famously said, irrational exuberance. But, some of it was true. The fact that Rifkin wrote this book in the heat of the dot.com boom (2000), and that he still got much of it right, is a testimony to his insight. As good as this book is, there is proof that he is not a perfect prognosticator. For example, he also wrote a book called The End of Work. That sure hasn't happened for me yet.

The best parts of this book are in the middle. Toward the end of the book, his analysis of postmodernism and its relationship to the network economy is great. Some of his key points: there is a significant shift underway from products to services and that even what we understand as products today are being offered as services, there is a significant shift from a production-based capitalistic economy to a network economy, and there is a shift toward commoditizing human relationships as we are currently witnessing with the social networking sites. This is a good and amazingly current book.

not that good.......2007-06-03

maybe it's just that i read it in 2007 (as the date stamp of this review shows) but i already knew all of what was covered in the book. it is old news. maybe it was relevant at the time, but half the things he talked about weren't accurate. *shrug* i found myself skipping through the book; trying to find something worth reading.

Capitalism Conquers All.......2006-12-19

Rifkin states that the new economy is one in which cultural experiences are exchanged for money such as in tourism. He sees this development as the growth of capitalism into the cultural sphere in which cultural experiences become commercialized. He thinks that the work that we do now will be done by robots or computers in the future. The waning blue and white collar work will be replaced by opportunities in cultural work. The commodification of relationships means that people will buy the time, attention, and affection of other people.

Another feature of the new economy is that it deals in ideas and images, more than physical assets. Companies outsource the manufacturing of their product and concentrate on the design of the product only, such as with computers and cars. Companies also like to outsource manufacturing to non-union subcontractors so that they don't have deal with unions. Cheap labor overseas manufactures the product.

The intangible asset of the new economy is the knowledge or imagination of the associates in firms such as Microsoft. This company does not own many physical assets, but its stock still is valuable because of innovativeness of its knowledge workers in coming up with priceless commercial ideas. A new way of accounting needs to be devised to measure intangible assets such as knowledge, morale, progressive leadership, and creativity of different firms. Although Rifkin is excited about the new economy, he worries that non-commercial ideas will go by the wayside in a world in which only commercialized ideas are important.

Franchisees do not have as many rights as business owners do. In fact, the supplier often controls how the business is to be run. The contract can be broken if the franchisee violates any of the rules. Franchisees pay for the business formula and the name of the business, hoping for success without the risk of ownership. Rifkin predicts that small business will become extinct and will be replaced by franchises because the new economy is based on supplier/user relationships, not ownership. The franchisee is not autonomous and therefore cannot come up with any creative ideas on how the business should be run.

What we formally owned in the past will no longer be ours in the new economy. Rifkin informs us that we don't even own our genes because life science companies have patented them. If we want gene therapy, we will have to pay for the privilege of using their knowledge of the patent. Gene therapy may increase health care costs because of the expense of the genetic tests. We also will not own our seeds in the future because life science companies have patented the seeds that they have genetically modified. The seeds will be leased to the farmer for one growing season only. Heavy fines will be put on those who save the seeds to grow next season. Rifkin suggests that we need to revamp our anti-trusts laws for the knowledge economy so that monopolies will not control intellectual property.

The leasing of cars shows that businesses are turning to a service-based rather than a product-based economy. They seek the lifetime loyalty of the customer by establishing a relationship with him. I suppose that this will have an advantage for the customer since the supplier will seek the satisfaction of the customer over a lifetime, not wanting to betray trust. In the future, it will be assumed that products will come with long term service; if they don't, they could be rip-offs because the seller does not wish to maintain the product over the years. Invasions of privacy may occur if such suppliers are always seeking to find out what your buying habits are. Service relationships have also helped companies save money and the environment by having a service find out a way to provide that service more cheaply and less wastefully. The relationship between PPG painting and Ford Motor Company is given as an example.

The switch to product based economy to one in which service is emphasized has come about because there is more profit in providing added long-term services for a product, rather than selling the product as a one-time event. An over-production of goods means that it is difficult to sell products as one-offs and still make money. Products that are similar also have to have services that will differentiate them from the competition. The ability to customize a product to the customers needs is now able to be done. This mass customization replaces mass production of the previous era. In the new era, products are given away as the bait that will hook the customer into a relationship with the business over the long-term.

With the commodification of relationships in the new era, customers are ones that businesses seek to control, not so much the products. Companies will increasingly seek to sell to the same customer over the lifetime many different products. The customer is the market in this sense. With new technology, companies are able to find out what the buying habits of customers are and then cater to their preferences. Controlling the customer means that the company wants to become so "embedded" into the lives of customers that they can't live without the company. Changes to another company may become too much of a hassle, given the complexity of the commercial relationship. Corporate institutions wish to control the customer, just as they did the worker during the industrial era. They want to control economic life as opposed to having the masses control it. The purpose of capitalism is to keep increasing its power over our lives, even to the point of setting up communities of interests to help sell their services. Planned communities are also a way that corporations sell a lifestyle while abridging the ownership rights of the people who live there.

180 Degrees in one Book.......2006-10-29

This book makes you turn 180 degrees fast! It takes all that you have learned in school about the ways of modernity and it pushes you into the global economy where experiences, ideas and relationships are valued above all else.

If you are wondering why the world has changed and how you can leverage those changes, you should take some time and read this book.

FIGHTING FOR ATTENTION IN A DEFICIT SOCIETY...........2005-03-07

Attention is key to communication in any society....listening, seeing and experiencing-- so important to getting any message across, let alone establishing social networks and personal relationships. Rifkin is a master at spotting what is a major issue in our society-- I can't wait to read his European book...He understands trends before they hit the "Tipping Point" -- a salute to him. This book belongs on every marketer's shelf and on every student of branding and next-gen advertising and mass communications.....wonder why no one's paying attention -- Rifkin covers some of the possible answers here.

Think!: Why Crucial Decisions Can't Be Made in the Blink of an Eye

Average customer rating:

Missed the Point
Could use a bit more thinking....
Critical Thinking Not Found In This Book
dichotomy in cardboard
Not the book it claims to be

Think!: Why Crucial Decisions Can't Be Made in the Blink of an Eye
Michael R. LeGault
Manufacturer: Threshold Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Macroeconomics | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Decision-Making & Problem Solving | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Applied Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Public Policy | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1416531556

Book Description

Outraged by the downward spiral of intellect and culture, Michael LeGault offers the flip side of Malcolm Gladwell's bestselling phenomenon, Blink, which theorized that our best decision-making is done on impulse, without factual knowledge or critical analysis. If bestselling books are advising us to not think, LeGault argues, it comes as no surprise that sharp, incisive reasoning has become a lost art in the daily life of people everywhere.

Somewhere along the line, the Age of Reason morphed into the Age of Emotion; this systemic erosion is costing time, money, jobs, and lives in the twenty-first century, leading to less fulfilment and growing dysfunction. LeGault provides a bold, controversial, and objective analysis of the causes and solutions for some of the biggest problems facing Western culture in the 21st century. From the over- load of reality TV shows and gossip magazines that have rendered curiosity of the mind and spirit obsolete to permissive parenting and low standards that have caused an academic crisis among our children, LeGault looks at all aspects of modern lives and points to how and where it all went wrong.

Customer Reviews:

Missed the Point.......2007-09-28

I don't think that LeGault even read Blink. More likely, he looked at the cover, scanned a few pages, and decided to write a cultural book as a "counterarguement" to a much better book that was really about human and organizational psychology (and in the process score a few extra book sales by piggy-backing on a much better and more popular book). Save your money. If you really want to read about decision making, I recommend Sources of Power by Gary Klein, and for business people, Certain to Win by Chet Richards.

Could use a bit more thinking...........2007-09-26

One would expect a book call "Think" to exhibit more thought. I expected to see examples of carefully thought out analyses, but found none, really. There are knee-jerk rants, unsupported opinions, and really nothing that challenges anyone to change the way that they think.

The first chapter hints that we are about to discover a better way to think--but mostly we discover is that the world is not reaching the conclusions that LeGault thinks that it should, and we are not presented with any evidence why the world is wrong. The world may very well be wrong, but in most cases LeGault attacks the same old straw men, presenting only a parody of the ideas he opposes. He presents no data to back the ideas that he supports. He intends to champion objectivity, but does not exhibit it himself. He particulary misrepresents the book "Blink," which is more about how to avoid the pitfalls of unconcious bias than how to avoid thinking.

There are many examples of great thinkers presented, but in a rather shallow way. LeGault does not really pinpoint what it is that separates great thought from mediocre; we gain no insight into the thought process of his exemplars. This is not the book to read if you want to find out how the great thinkers do it.

Critical Thinking Not Found In This Book.......2007-08-16

What irony that a book about critical thinking was written without the use of any critical thinking by the author. In contrast, I see a lot more critical thinking in the reviews written by the irate readers of this book than from the author, editor, and publisher combined.

The premise of this book is worthwhile, but it needed a real critical thinker and writer to execute.

dichotomy in cardboard.......2007-08-15

i looked forward to this book, but someone else should have written it. the author, the longer the book is read, disproves his own theory. he begins to write emotionally, taking potshots at everything from michael moore to global warming theories to the use of ritalin to psychologists in california, without the slightest evidence of critcal thinking. he states the obvious, and groups an entire people, such as the greeks, romans, americans, etc. as critical thinkers or not. actually the book, to me at least, would discourage logic. if this guy is what critical thinking produces, you can have it. it is a jumbled mess. a smart guy with a thesaurus, does not produce clear thinking. trying to separate logic from emotion is a fool's errand. it ignores humanity, which is what really separates us from the beasts. i guess i am trying to say is that this book, contains little logic. in fact, the whole premise is illogical.

Not the book it claims to be.......2007-07-16

Marketed as a rationalists response to Gladwell's "Blink", LeGault spends precious little time explaining the books thesis and inordinate time presenting his personal political viewpoints. For example, the author claims that the vast majority of scientists disagree with the threat of global warming, and he accuses those that believe in the problem of falling prey to poor thinking again, and again, and again. The author also feels that radical feminism is a serious threat to American culture (I still haven't met one of these mysterious radical feminists). In general, the author seems to think that simply being a contrarian makes one rational. If you think like he does, then you are being logical. LeGault's real thesis appears to be an attempt to conflate rationalism with conservativism. Still, if you can wade through the author's obvious biases, there are a few thoughtful passages that offer a valuable counter-point to "Blink".

Average customer rating:

Machiavelli, Marketing and Management
Phil Harris
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Entrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0415216702

Book Description

A fascinating, cutting-edge book that provides insight into the meaning and interpretation of Machiavelli and his works for management, marketing and political thought, and highlights their particular relevance to the manager today. The authors address a number of common themes relating to the influences and arguments of perhaps the first political scientist and advocate of sound management and marketing principles. Topics covered include: modern management; governance and ethics; postmodernism; marketing, political communication and spin doctoring; and rhetoric and dichotomy of Machiavelli.

Download Description

This fascinating and cutting edge text provides an insight into the meaning and interpretation of Machiavelli and his works for management, marketing and political thought, and highlights their relevance to the manager today.

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