Traffic in China’s major cities is so bad that it makes Los Angeles traffic seem turbocharged by comparison. I know, I’ve been caught in it so many times it’s not irritating anymore, but expected. In fact, it’s not unusual in … Continue reading Traffic in China
Communication between Chinese and Westerners can often result in misunderstandings. There’s been more than one businessperson who’s thought they’d heard one thing from their Chinese counterpart, when in actuality they’d been told another. Unless you have a good interpreter who … Continue reading The Lack of Unequivocal Answers in China – Soft No’s and Soft Yes’s
In Doing the China Tango I discussed the driving habits of a great many Chinese drivers. But, as with all authors, you sometimes can’t get into the level of detail you like in the few lines or paragraphs you have … Continue reading There are no Speeding Tickets in China
My partner Dave Dodge and I have been diligently working on our new book, which will be my first collaborative effort with Dave, and my fourth published book. The book has the working title of Piercing the Great Wall of … Continue reading My future books
Just recently I received the first set of comments back from the editors on my third book. As an author, you always expect comments back from the editors that examine your work. If they’re doing their job they’ll give you … Continue reading My third book
In chapter 4 of The Wild Wild East I noted in Refkin’s Rule #7 that Chinese businessmen love to use time pressure. This is a common tactic used against foreigners in China. A Chinese businessperson doesn’t want to give you … Continue reading The use of time pressure
When I wrote Doing the China Tango, I tried to incorporate a great many of my experiences in China. Some of these experiences were good and resulted in a profitable business relationship. Others were the opposite, and I still have … Continue reading Ceremonial contracts
Last week I was having lunch with a friend of mine in Shenzhen, China when I asked him when he thought he would start seeing private planes flying throughout China, now that the government had approved their use with certain flight restrictions. My friend, who is a Chinese fund manager, told me that he thought the market for private planes may be limited as most wealthy Chinese and government officials now want to keep their heads low. They don’t want to let people know they’re rich. There are two reasons for this, he explained. The first is that China’s new … Continue reading Keeping Your Head Low in China
Selecting the title and cover design for the Wild Wild East Selecting the title for a book, as well as the cover, is an important part of the publishing process. It says to the potential reader: pick me up, I’m … Continue reading Behind the Scenes, 7-29-23
7-24-23 A New Book is born Name: Pending approval, or name change, from the earthly version of God (the publisher): Doing the China Tango II, Advanced Studies. How to Dance around pitfalls in Chinese Business Relationships Estimated Publishing Date: September – October, … Continue reading Behind the Scenes: 7-24-23, A New Book is born