by TK TI Edward SW Ti ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 2, 2012
Will provoke animated conversation among global news enthusiasts.
In their debut nonfiction title, the authors explore Singapore’s global economic rise in the context of world history, politics and culture.
Singapore’s economic ascent parallels that of other Asian countries, a phenomenon, the authors assert, due to both broad Asian characteristics and Singapore’s unique history, geography and culture. The title’s emphasis on globalization and post-modernization succinctly highlights the reasons for this city-state’s success, but the reasons, of course, are much more detailed. The beginning of the book presents an overview of the current global economy, and moves toward presenting a detailed case study of Singapore within that economy. There is, however, more to achievement than singular financial considerations: The last two parts, “Building Human and Social Capital” and “Enhancing Liveability,” illustrate the importance of not only education, health and dwellings but cultural activities such as arts, sports and nightlife. They posit that the tiny country’s standing has been engineered on the pragmatic fusion of pre-modern Asian value—work ethics, thrift, and acceptance of benign authority—with western science and technology. The authors maintain that the views expressed in the book are the perspectives of two apolitical citizens in Singapore, views which are entirely personal. They might not be political in the strictest sense of government participation or activism, but their observations are certainly political, if not passionate. Singapore’s economic triumphs are surely supported by sound references, but some of the writing’s excessive value statements almost make the book seem more like a marketing piece for tourism or commerce. However, the quality of the majority of the source material is offset by an overreliance on a single source; The Straits Times news source represents one third of the footnotes. Often, facts are presented without citation. East Asians might indeed work harder than others, but documented quantification would likely ease readers’ minds about the veracity of that proclamation. Likewise, wind power might cost double that of coal, but that number should be substantiated. The outcome of the book, therefore, is a somewhat awkward mix of validated economic statements, personal observations and strong political views.
Will provoke animated conversation among global news enthusiasts.Pub Date: April 2, 2012
ISBN: 978-1469183640
Page Count: 310
Publisher: Xlibris
Review Posted Online: July 2, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Daniel Kahneman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 2011
Striking research showing the immense complexity of ordinary thought and revealing the identities of the gatekeepers in our...
A psychologist and Nobel Prize winner summarizes and synthesizes the recent decades of research on intuition and systematic thinking.
The author of several scholarly texts, Kahneman (Emeritus Psychology and Public Affairs/Princeton Univ.) now offers general readers not just the findings of psychological research but also a better understanding of how research questions arise and how scholars systematically frame and answer them. He begins with the distinction between System 1 and System 2 mental operations, the former referring to quick, automatic thought, the latter to more effortful, overt thinking. We rely heavily, writes, on System 1, resorting to the higher-energy System 2 only when we need or want to. Kahneman continually refers to System 2 as “lazy”: We don’t want to think rigorously about something. The author then explores the nuances of our two-system minds, showing how they perform in various situations. Psychological experiments have repeatedly revealed that our intuitions are generally wrong, that our assessments are based on biases and that our System 1 hates doubt and despises ambiguity. Kahneman largely avoids jargon; when he does use some (“heuristics,” for example), he argues that such terms really ought to join our everyday vocabulary. He reviews many fundamental concepts in psychology and statistics (regression to the mean, the narrative fallacy, the optimistic bias), showing how they relate to his overall concerns about how we think and why we make the decisions that we do. Some of the later chapters (dealing with risk-taking and statistics and probabilities) are denser than others (some readers may resent such demands on System 2!), but the passages that deal with the economic and political implications of the research are gripping.
Striking research showing the immense complexity of ordinary thought and revealing the identities of the gatekeepers in our minds.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-374-27563-1
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Sept. 3, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011
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BOOK REVIEW
by Erin Meyer ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 27, 2014
These are not hard and fast rules, but Meyer delivers important reading for those engaged in international business.
A helpful guide to working effectively with people from other cultures.
“The sad truth is that the vast majority of managers who conduct business internationally have little understanding about how culture is impacting their work,” writes Meyer, a professor at INSEAD, an international business school. Yet they face a wider array of work styles than ever before in dealing with clients, suppliers and colleagues from around the world. When is it best to speak or stay quiet? What is the role of the leader in the room? When working with foreign business people, failing to take cultural differences into account can lead to frustration, misunderstanding or worse. Based on research and her experiences teaching cross-cultural behaviors to executive students, the author examines a handful of key areas. Among others, they include communicating (Anglo-Saxons are explicit; Asians communicate implicitly, requiring listeners to read between the lines), developing a sense of trust (Brazilians do it over long lunches), and decision-making (Germans rely on consensus, Americans on one decider). In each area, the author provides a “culture map scale” that positions behaviors in more than 20 countries along a continuum, allowing readers to anticipate the preferences of individuals from a particular country: Do they like direct or indirect negative feedback? Are they rigid or flexible regarding deadlines? Do they favor verbal or written commitments? And so on. Meyer discusses managers who have faced perplexing situations, such as knowledgeable team members who fail to speak up in meetings or Indians who offer a puzzling half-shake, half-nod of the head. Cultural differences—not personality quirks—are the motivating factors behind many behavioral styles. Depending on our cultures, we understand the world in a particular way, find certain arguments persuasive or lacking merit, and consider some ways of making decisions or measuring time natural and others quite strange.
These are not hard and fast rules, but Meyer delivers important reading for those engaged in international business.Pub Date: May 27, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-61039-250-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2014
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