I have read this book and find it to be one of the most comprehensive books on the subject. It develops the subject very gradually and provides solid material for understanding e-business for small companies. It provides nice and useful examples and case studies that help the reader to understand the nuts and bolts of e-business for small companies in the global market. I recommend it as the first reading on the subject to readers interested in IT and international business for small companies.

Mr. Da Costa's book is an intelligent, realistic and motivating resource for global small business owners and entrepreneurs -- as well as software vendors, industry analysts, and development agencies following small business development. This realtively small volume is stuffed with cogent and straight-forward discussions of the cultural factors and business climate that effect ecommerce success for small business ecommerce operations. He makes the inspiring argument that such developments change lives, as well as significantly affect the health of nations and economies.

More than theoretical, the book is replete with well-drawn examples and lessons - written in a thoroughly unstuffy manner. Truly useful for those of us who are actually about to launch into the ocean of global e-business, or seeking to improve our approach. Mr. Da Costa has done us all a favor, sifting through a huge pile of facts and cautionary tales. There is much here for all to learn and enjoy. Enthusiastic endorsement of Eduardo!

The author deserves great praise for a very well written account on a subject often ignored by historians. The people of Sindh have been excellent traders for a few thousand years and the author has done well to describe the development of 2 Sindhi networks developed in the past couple hundred years.

I'd highly recommend this book (and not only because it covers the history of my ancestors).

sb

BY LAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAN

The Global World of the Indian Merchant 1750-1947: Traders of sind from bukhara to panama

By Claude Markovits, Cambridge, Price not mentioned

This is a book many of us have been waiting for. Periodic pronouncements have been made about the resilience and prescience of the Asian trader operating within and against the writ of the colonial economy of the 19th and 20th centuries. Along with these, the long debate on the world economy has sustained a level of interest and enquiry about the dynamics of non-European commercial activity in widely dispersed areas of the globe. Serious gaps and doubts have, however, remained and we are often left wondering, "Whose world economy was it anyway?" Was Asian enterprise a tedious aggregate of small, but countless, transactions indulged in by the colonial state with its own calculations and compulsions.

On the other hand, the visibility and movement of Indian merchant groups in the emerging global economy since the 19th century have invested the Asian experience with a certain significance, which, in turn, warrants a closer examination of the process, its antecedents and its projections. Claude Markovits's study attempts precisely to do all this and more, with the result that we have a narrative that is rich in detail, sensitive to the play of historical configurations and supported by a theoretical framework that is balanced and not overly ambitious. He focuses on two communities - the Shikarpuris and the Sindworkis, and through them proceeds to weave a story of dispersal and circulation, rather than that of a unitary diaspora with overarching Indian connotations.

Markovits argues that south Asian merchant movements were essentially temporary migrations and that the settlements, when these did occur, were largely involuntary. Nor did these correspond to any unitary category of caste, territory or religion and were in every sense the outgrowths of regional compulsions and local realities. The experience of the two communities chosen by Markovits, the Shikarpuris and Sindworkis, illustrates the juxtaposition of local processes with that of the global economy, where the activities of merchant groups took on a fuller meaning.

Obviously, such an approach is admissible when dealing with the operation of a colonial economy and not that of a national one, and it is no coincidence that the study should stop at 1947. Within this framework of local and global history, Markovits teases out a fascinating story of the merchant networks of Sind region, that has suffered an overdose of orientalizing descriptions. He also traces their emergence in the context of 18th century transition politics and their expansion in the high noon of British imperialism and Russian centralization. There is also the story of their spatial advance from Bukhara to Panama. The relocation of the south Asian merchant networks in the world economy in the 18th century is a well-established fact, even if its implications are not so well drawn out. The 18th century, in particular, is seen to have constituted a turning point in the positioning of the Asian merchants who suffered major reverses and in the process facilitated the marginalization of Asia in the newly emerging world economy centred firmly in Europe. The process of relocation was not coeval with that of decline and dislocation, and according to Markovits, it was marked by sharp regional and sub-regional variations.

Additionally, the establishment and workings of the colonial economy reared a sub-stratum of commercial functions and operations that were deftly handled and taken over by enterprising indigenous groups. It is within this context that Markovits positions his communities. He argues that far from operating in a residual space left open by the colonial dispensation, these merchant networks adapted successfully to a trading world dominated by European capital through a complex process of collaboration and conflict. The Shikarpuri and Sindworki networks developed under very different circumstances. The surge in Indo-Central Asian trade from the 1840s enabled the Shikarpuris to rework an existing network of caravan commerce and credit transactions under the dispensation of the Uzbeg khanates of central Asia. Meanwhile, the Sindworkis regrouped under the British dispensation and took advantage of the extension of the colonial economy from Bombay into Sind to operate a trade of truly global proportions. The Shikarpuri network was forced out of its base in Sind by changes that followed in the wake of colonial subjugation and changing configurations of commercial exchange. They exploited their old connections with central Asia, Iran and Afghanistan to emerge as principal moneylenders and traders, especially in the khanate of Bukhara. The details of the network have been deduced from a mass of legal material that the Russian authorities felt compelled to share with the British government in the eventuality of any death-related succession dispute involving a British Indian subject. One of the most striking features of the network to emerge from this legal discourse is the working of Shikarpuri panchayats in most localities of central Asia. The Sindworkis, on the other hand, were very much part of the colonial economy and began as modest peddlers of native crafts to a European clientele. This venture expanded substantially to include, in subsequent years, a wide range of curios that found their way into the European markets. Their initiative and intrepidity were quite remarkable. Consider the trader who protested against Australian immigration restrictions and flashed his credentials as a trader of repute who bought and sold exotic goods besides carving the occasional tortoise shell or setting a piece in jade. Curios became doubly important as the tourist traffic caught the fancy of European visitors, enabling a massive expansion of Sindhi enterprise on both sides of the Suez that soon turned to trade in textiles and financial speculation.

In all, this is a fascinating story of commercial dynamism. What makes the story even more fascinating is the exploration of the proclivity to spatial and social mobility among the networks. Caste did not play a central role in forging solidarities. The affinity seemed very much to lie with the region and with the ability to travel extensively and, in the process, ensure a circulation of skills and entrepreneurial labour.

Circulation however, remained confined to males, very rarely did wives accompany their partners. The absence of female company did not, however, deflect the passion for riches as merchants alternated between celibacy and permissiveness to balance the sexual economy of circulation.

This is the greatest book on the best ethnic restaurants in LA. Hopefully, the author will put out a new edition. I have it. It's about 10 years old, and I'm not going to sell it. It's better than any new guide out there. Even if you don't go to these places, it's an interesting read.

When this book first came out about 10 yrs. ago or more it was a revelation. In one collection it guided you through EVERY major ethnic community in the greater L.A. region and told you which were the best restaurants, bakeries, markets, etc. I don't know of any other book that comes to close to being this comprehensive & incisive.

If you ever spend any time in L.A. & you are interested in ethnic food, you must have this book.

A superb book on fully understanding all the crucial incoterms used in foreign trade. Our firm relies heavily on this publication to protect our clients' interests as well as our own.

INCOTERMS are the definition of terms used in international trade contracts as maintained by the International Chamber of Commerce. It is not possible to be a successful exporter without having and using the information contained in this reference guide. It covers everything from quoting prices to shipping overseas and collecting upon receipt of shipment. Our consulting staff recommends this industry-standard publication to all of our clients - without exception!

Having lived and worked in Mexico City for many years, I'm quite familiar with the sort of problems often encountered by foreign businessmen arriving here for the first time. I believe The American Chamber's Guide to Mexico Business (8th edition) is probably the most useful tool they can get their hands on. The guide has piles of sensibly organized information which covers every topic imaginable: from the cultural aspects of local business and living in Mexico to far more technical areas such as legal aspects, contact finding, and setting up shop. What sets this guide apart from others, in my view, is the insider information - each chapter is written by top-notch local experts in the field and not by a foreign writer trying to interpret unfamiliar information. Nobody has as much Mexico business experience as the people at the American Chamber and I have no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone seeking a comprehensive guide to every aspect of working, doing business and living in Mexico - I only wish I'd got hold of a copy sooner!

I have been doing business in Mexico for over 15 years, and I have come to rely on this book for its information. For anyone who does business in Mexico, you know that information--hard facts--is the scarcest commodity of all. I have sat on the phone for hours trying to get clues and make contacts.

This book spells it all out, does all the legwork for you. It also gives advice on any step of the process you might need, from setting up a sales plan to going into a joint venture.

This book comes highly recommended by me personally. It is required reading for my staff.

If you were a Clevelander in the 50's and 60's and wanted to shop in style, Halle's was your store. This book refreshes the memories of those who had the pleasure of shopping this retail institution while it told how a family of merchants experienced the successes and ultimate failure of a Cleveland retail icon.

If you are not a Clevelander, this book gives great detail of what "carriage trade" retail was and what happened to it.

Good reading, lots of memories, good fun.

Halle Brothers was a Cleveland institution. It was, like many family-owned department stores, a vital player in the city's history. As the city grew, so did Halle Brothers. Author James Wood paints an interesting, vivid portrait of a store, the likes of which, are rarely seen in today's world of "cookie cutter" chains.

No matter which industries you're competing. Branding is one of the most important to substain your business. Nowadays, products and services become homogenous goods in the eyes of customers. Only branding can differentiate in the pool of keen competition. This book studies and analyzes how hi-tech companies can build their brands, positioning, and strategies.
The most useful part in the book is it can instruct you to build Internet Brand with ample cases illustrated.

This book is a must for those who wanna become the winner by brand building in the industry.

A Marketer's guide to the fundamentals of branding in this digital age. This intriguing book tells us how to build brands by thinking ahead .... but on a realistic scale. A must for marketing souls.

The book is wonderful for the busy business person who wants to get straight to the point on how to organize a profitable e-mag. I wanted to use an e-newsletter for marketing purposes for my small business. Because of this book, I have started a whole new subsidiary to my business. It has actually started to become an income stream, though minor, for my business. It more than pays for itself. I owe a large percentage of this success to "How To Publish A Profitable E-mag. If read from front to cover, it will take you less than 1 day to read. The author presents valuable resources and bullet point information. She also promotes other valuable resources that she doesn't even profit from. I find her book to be genuine and practical. I have used it as a blue print for our new business. She is very honest in mentioning the limitations in her book, but she points you to other books and periodicals that get further into the technical aspects of e-magazines. "How To Publish a Profitable E-mag" is definitely the first stop in publishing a profitable e-mag.

I bought this brief "How To" book and was rather impressed. It provides a sound methodology for writing and publishing e-books in an age where small self-publishers can theoretically compete with the large publishers, especially if the self-publishers are skilled at digitizing their publications for online sales. The references to key "virtual" partners were also invaluable. Finally, I liked the fact that I could read the entire book in an hour or so.

This is a very exciting and pleasurable book. In the honest and open way the author shows "How to Survive the E-Business Downturn". The author shows that there is no downturn per se but there are companies who managed to attract investments but fail to creating wealth and value to the customers. Such companies inevitably collaps (with boo.com as an example). The author gives a lot of remarkable case studies throughout the book to illustrate his view.

The author shows that in order to survive, the company should have the right strategy and keep careful eyes on it, the concrete mission, the clear vision of the perspectives, the definitive goals and the business plan. The author shows five stages of growth of a company (with IBM as an example) and tells how to survive the transitions. Most of the companies fail to survive the first transition.

With various examples, the author shows that nothing kills the business as fast as the attempts to do many distinct things simultaneously, and emphasizes the importance of aligning the vision of the key players of the business. Those members of your organisation should be in charge of writing the business plan who take accountability of the outcomes of the plan that they have written.

The author also empasizes on the teamwork and the employee motivation as the imperatives of a success of any business.

I would also recommend "What Management Is" by Joan Magretta and "Leading the Revolution" by Gary Hamel in addition to this book.

How to Survive the E-Business Downturn is a must for all those internet entrepreneurs, myself included, who are running, or planning to start-up an e-business at a time when online ventures are facing violent changes and where failure is more common than success. The book showedd me how to use proven management tools and concepts, adapted in ways that suit my e-businesses in order to keep it thriving in such a fluctuating marketplace. The intro to the book explains in depth just what is currently happening in the world of e-business and gives enough background for readers to understand the essence of the subject. Set out in parts, with each part having five or six separate chapters, making it easier to follow without having to tackle large chunks of text! There is also an excellent list of references to enable readers to take on further readings on anything discussed. The author draws on a host of real-life, uptodate cases and supports his advice with numerous action plans and checklists. This book advises in a stepbystep format, the potential (or existing) e-businessperson what to do to develop a successful e-business, but also warns of what not to do! It is interesting to read about what companies, or even individual people, have done that has made them either successful or unsuccessful in the Internet World of business.

We bought this book before heading up to the Hudson Valley and it proved to be invaluable. When we weren't visiting sites like the Roosevelt Museum and Vanderbilt Mansions, we stopped at many of the farms mentioned in the book. All of the farmers knew Jan Greenberg and treated us like old friends. We returned to New York with a hamper full of food which we enjoyed for days afterwards. A book like this is certainly different from your standard guidebooks and gave us a special dimension to our visit to the Hudson Valley.

When my family moved to the Hudson Valley, we had heard about its agricultural resurgence but it was difficult to find out where to go and who was growing and producing what. Jan Greenberg's book has been a wonderful source for the freshest, just-picked fruits and vegetables. We now buy most of our meat and poultry locally as well. We know that we are eating food that not only tastes good but is grown and raised in a way that makes us feel good about eating it. We also like being able to tell our children the stories about the farmers who raise the food that we are eating. All in all, this is a great resource.