I (foolishly) studied business at university, and I've read more than enough business books, but my focus was on accounting and finance, both of which very theoretical, and there was clearly a vast swathe of understanding I missed: politics and negotiation. Tim Clissold seems to have been through the worst of those two, and in a country famous for making a quagmire out of them. The memoir is an account of Clissold's managing the biggest foreign direct investment in China in the 90's: 17 joint ventures with Chinese manufacturing companies throughout the Middle Kingdom (set up, I think, as a private equity vehicle, although he never gets into the technicalities).Tim, a native Englishman, tells us how he ended up in China, how he ended up behind this investment vehicle, then dives into 3 consecutive stories of what must have been the most stressful and tumultuous years of his life(despite being very in shape, Tim managed to pull of a heart attack due entirely to stress). If you are interested in learning about how business in China operates from the ground-level, understanding how politics, corruption, and the Chinese way of doing business really can be profoundly frustrating, and would like it told to you in a very un-pretentious manner, then I would highly recommend this book.
I doubt I'll read a better business book this year. A cracking tale of a man trying to set up and invest in businesses in China, it reads sometimes like a drama, sometimes a soap opera, sometimes a comedy and sometimes a travelogue. It works on all these levels too. You can't help feel sorry for Clissold as he wrestles with business case situations that would be near impossible to control in the West never mind China, involving fraud, cheating, lying, shooting, rioting and cultural racism. The stress almost kills him, but underneath it all there is an affection for this country and all its foibles that allows him to forgive it and its people. He wants to help them to a better life, and believes capitalism is the answer. Money, however, seems to bring out the worst in many people whatever culture they're from, and millions are squandered in every chapter. One of the most amazing cultural depictions therefore, is that of Wall Street, dolling out hundreds of millions on the strength of a presentation or two. This is a sobering picture of what the capitalists are doing with your hard-earned money you put away for your retirement - gambling it on a fashionable whim with about as much information as you could pick up from an edition of Newsweek. I'd thoroughly recommend this book.
What do You think about Mr. China: A Memoir (2006)?
A memoir of the author's time setting up joint-ventures in China's early 90s. This is very clearly a business story. There are characters (although little character development), battles (of the corporate variety), intrigue, and nefarious dealings. There is not, however, much of a plot. Briefly: the author goes to China hoping to bring investment money to the ailing factories just starting to shake off the doldrums of communism. Some joint ventures succeed. Many more have growing pains, as the Chinese partners try to trick their Western "partners" out of their money. The end.What I took from this book was that I'm glad I don't work for a joint venture, and I'm glad that I don't have to deal with the government over here. Otherwise, it was an entertaining read that describes a time that has past and business dealings I will never see. It's a good book, and if you like business and China, you should read it. Otherwise, you can probably skip.
—Patrick
I love China history and their costumes, I love to read books that explain all of these and more. This book is very different of all the others I've ever read, it's very focused in businesses in China and its growth in the early 90's, when the rest of the world is trying to reach this big economy!Is in the middle of this that Tim founds himself, but after all of this time, a country so close and with their own costumes and values, he will discover that you can have all the money in the world, but if people don't play by the same rules, it won't matter... I won't give it a five stars because in some ways it's very confusing, it jumps from a place to another and there isn't a guideline to all of the investments they are making, sometimes it felt quite random.
—Joana Marta
A must-read for anyone considering setting up any kind of JV, Business, or Representative Office in China. Whilst it's a little dated now (It focusses on the early period of mass US investment in China, led by wall street, and when China was in the 'Factory Era' rather than the 'Knowledge Economy' that China is moving towards) It's full of great lessons on HOW TO, but more often HOW NOT TO in The Far East. A great read - recommended to my by my good Friend Ollie Ward who's been a source of constant inspiration for me.
—Michael Wright
