Business Success in China
By Marcus B Hofer and Bernhard Ebel, Springer, October 2006, 300 pages
For businesses looking to start or expand in China this is a must read with insightful and valuable lessons from successful managers and consultants from international companies on the do's and don'ts of expanding in China. Divided into three sections it looks at the challenges and opportunities of working in China, market entry strategies and practical insights from established businessmen and academics. Particular attention is given to the banking, automotive and engineering sectors and the successful practices of Volkswagen, Allianz and MAN Roland to highlight the most effective practices. The book offers detailed and useful advice on a wide range of issues any foreign enterprise must consider when establishing itself in China, from market research, branding and pricing to legal limitations, business taboos and the most suitable location for your business. Accessible and interesting reading for all those with a commercial interest in the "dragon" of East Asia.

Mr China: A Memoir
By Tim Clissold, Collins reprint ed,
February 2006, 288 pages
A vivid account of what can go wrong with joint ventures in China, Clissold tells of his own experience in the 1990s when he joined with a Chinese entrepreneur to buy into Chinese companies and boost their profits. Caught in a web of political and legal trials and tribulations, dubious factory management and endless cases of corruption, Clissold describes his failures with great perception and humour and addresses the attitudes of both the Wall Street bankers looking to pour money into China and Chinese managers' reactions to this seemingly unending source of investment. Mr China is a light, easy read offering a very personable account of the frustrating obstacles and pitfalls of doing business in China in the early 1990s. Criticised by some as lacking cohesion in his narrative, Clissold still succeeds in providing an entertaining and enjoyable read and despite his commercial failures, retains enthusiasm and interest for China throughout the book. A welcome change from the sometimes dry and impersonal accounts of carrying out business in China.