China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World Ted C. Fishman ISBN: 0743257529 Pub. Date: February 2005 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

Those who do not play with China will lose out first. Those who play will lose out later. No matter what, China wins. It is destined to become the dominant economic force in the world and we all going to help.

Ted Fishman spent 300 pages to say just that. He loads it up with anecdotes and statistics that boggle and later numb the mind. Ted also gives a deep insight into how the central planning really works. I cannot help admiring what China has accomplished. In short 20 years, the government managed to transform the country. It turns its 1.3 billion population from a burden into a weapon. Western countries are all teaching and investing in China so that China can use the newly learned technologies and received funding to win the same games western countries are winning today.

Those who are interested in learning more about China have lots of reading choices. Ted Fishman could haved been more to the point and less lecturing, particularly at the end.

Quotable Quotes

These people were hired with a lifetime-employment contract. They don't have severance pays, very minimal unemployment benefits, no trainings, or what-so-ever. They pretty much just got dumped on the street and left on their own.

A similar concept was in the book of Genome. When nutrition, health care, and education become the same, the only thing that will make a difference is your genes. As global traffic, internet bandwidth, talent education, etc. equalize countries, social infra-structure become the only competitive advantage.

Do you know this city was named after Beijing? It was said Beijing is on the opposite side of the globe and they rename the city as such.

The companies may have expected it, but they don't have to like it and still should demand change. But let's not fool ourselves, everyone knew what to expect.

I disagree strongly. This concept is dangerous. Dwelling in the past and using historical victimization as the justification for wrong-doing will only cause eternal bickering.

This is a familar line on US national debts. Somehow, US borrows its way to prosperity. Will this last? Who knows.

Not only China has the largest number of Chinese-speaking people. It also appears to have the 2nd largest number of English-speaking people. Wow. (India should have the honor of having the most.)