An indigenous poet of the Nuosu (Yi) people of mountainous southwestern China, Jidi Majia is well known and celebrated among the Chinese. But his lyrical and worldly work, though widely published and honored, has not found its voice in English translation in the West. The poems in Rhapsody in Black, presented in Chinese and deftly translated by the gifted and respected Denis Mair, at long last introduce the English-speaking world to this remarkable Chinese writer.The poetr...

In less than thirty years, China has become a major force in the global economy. One feature of its rapid ascent has been an enormous expansion of the country's science and technology capabilities, leading to the emergence of a large and increasingly well-educated talent pool. Yet China finds itself engaged in an internal debate as to whether its full potential can be realised. At the heart of this debate lie a number of uncertainties surrounding the quality, quantity and effective utilisa...

China is in the midst of transitioning from a manufacturing-based economy to one driven by innovation and knowledge. This up-to-date analysis evaluates China's state-led approach to science and technology, and its successes and failures.In recent decades, China has seen huge investments in high-tech science parks, a surge in home-grown top-ranked global companies, and a significant increase in scientific publications and patents. Helped by state policies and a flexible business cul...

This work covers in depth the new patterns of manufacturing and technology transfer that are emerging as Japanese companies seek to harness Asia's technological resources, and to utilise them to compete both regionally and globally.

Measure for Measure is one of darkest of Shakespeare’s comedies. Written in about 1603 and first performed in 1604, it immediately preceded the composition of the major tragedies Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth.Duke Vincentino, the ruler of Vienna, fears that under his mild sovereignty, the people may have become lazy and lax. He decides to “go over cover” in the disguise of a monk and appoint his deputy, Angelo, who is a reputed paragon of virtu...

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) infringement is so rampant in China that counterfeit goods - from general household merchandise, garments and media consumables to specialist products including pharmaceutical products and super computer chips - can be found in roadside stalls, markets, shops, department stores and even laboratory of leading universities. If allowed to continue these infringements may further engender a socially accepted culture of ‘fakeness’ that may seriously hamper inn...

Written in 1645, The Book of Five Rings (Go Rin no Sho) is a legendary Japanese treatise on strategy, combat, and discipline by master swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. Divided into five sections—Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Void—the book outlines Musashi's philosophy of martial arts and the mindset required for victory. Beyond swordsmanship, Musashi's teachings emphasize awareness, adaptability, mental clarity, and strategic thinking. His principles extend far beyond the battlefield, offering ...

China Versus the West is an innovative book.The author, a leading specialist on the international and Asian economy and business, presents the most comprehensive picture of the changing power balance between the emerging superpower China and the "old" developed economies of the West: mainly the US, Europe and Japan. The reader can clearly see in what areas and to what extent China has become the world leader, in what areas it is catching up and in what are...

An in-depth look at the Chinese car industry that sheds new light on the delicate nature of China's planned economyChina's unprecedented growth over the last three decades, along with the recent financial crisis in the West, has raised questions about the superiority of state-led capitalism. In Designated Drivers: How China Plans to Dominate the Global Auto Industry, G.E. Anderson, a specialist in finance and Chinese political economics, uses the auto indu...

Since the global financial crisis of 2008–9, central-level, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in China have extended their reach into the Chinese economy. Some have interpreted this development as a turning point in Chinese economic development; a decision for state capitalism and a stand against slow but steady marketization. In The Advance of the State in Contemporary China, Sarah Eaton suggests that the shift is a much slower-moving process and that this particular aspect of state sector r...

The spread of capitalism worldwide has made people wealthier than ever before. But capitalism’s future is far from assured. The global financial meltdown of 2008 nearly produced a great depression. Economies in Europe are still teetering. Income inequality, resource depletion, mass migrations from poor to rich countries, religious fundamentalism-these are just a few of the threats to continuing prosperity.How can capitalism be sustained? And who should spearhead the effort? Critics...

A new collection from “one of the world’s great essayists” (The New York Times)The Ghosts of Birds offers thirty-five essays by Eliot Weinberger: the first section of the book continues his linked serial-essay, An Elemental Thing, which pulls the reader into “a vortex for the entire universe” (Boston Review). Here, Weinberger chronicles a nineteenth-century journey down the Colorado River, records the dreams of people named Chang...