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GLOBAL EMBRACE

Name: GLOBAL EMBRACE
Author: Henry Wendt
ISBN: 0-88730-591-1

CORPORATE CHALLENGES IN A TRANSNATIONAL WORLD

by Henry Wendt ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 26, 1993

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An insider's astute observations on transnational enterprises and their role in a post-cold-war world where resurgent tribalism is a force to be reckoned with. As up-from-the-ranks chairman of SmithKline Beecham, an Anglo- American colossus he helped create by merger, Wendt has firsthand knowledge of his subject. Unlike many corporate executives and ivory-tower analysts, however, he's also able to convey a down-to- earth idea of what's actually at issue in doing business throughout the globe. To begin with, the author makes useful distinctions between true transnationals (IBM, NestlÇ, Shell, Sony, etc.) and their predecessors (e.g., multinationals that simply reproduce themselves in offshore venues). By Wendt's account, transnationals (whose origins owe much to the internationalization of capital markets and the emergence of regional blocs like the EC) pay little heed to borders: They locate factories, research centers, sales offices, or allied facilities wherever they can best serve an increasingly integrated world market. Although these corporations are obliged to think globally, they must act locally with due regard for the culture, economic needs, fiscal practices, and sociopolitical sensibilities of host countries. Wendt reviews the tricky trade-offs involved in meeting the frequently conflicting demands of stockholders and stakeholders while competing across a frontier-free board. Having argued the logic of transnational status for large companies that wish to remain or become world- class players, Wendt concedes that this is neither a sovereign remedy for outfits suffering from vision deficiencies nor a particularly attractive alternative for concerns with lucrative niches in low-tech and service industries. Blue-chip commentary and insights from a new breed of organization man.

Pub Date: Feb. 26, 1993

ISBN: 0-88730-591-1

Page Count: 304

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1992

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.