Organizations Books

This is the most insightful book I have ever seen on the subject of Japanese business. The author clearly knows his subject

There has been the deluge of books and articles on Japanese keiretsu. But this book published a decade ago (1992) is still one of the best. There are so many good enough accounts on the vertical keiretsu appeared in the Toyota¡¯s value chain. But not so, when it comes to the horizontal keiretzu. There is no shortage of materials but most of them are no more than anecdotal case studies or, at best, cursory impressions. I can¡¯t capture why they form such a long-term ties based on what interest at all, for example. The advantage of vertical keiretsu is obvious and well described. But what is the economic foundation of horizontal keiretsu? Is it mere social club of economic elites? Nobody could think so. The network structure (or network form) of horizontal keiretsu is well documented, such as main bank, cross shareholding, sacho-kai, and the preferential trading. But those are merely links forming the network. The network is more than the sum of links. It¡¯s the linkage of links and it has contents. Links reproduce itself for something flows between nodes. This book plugs the gap systematic explanation of horizontal keiretsu with network analysis. In doing so, the author mobilizes not only qualitative data from interviews and business history but also extensive quantitative data to generalize his remarks to level of the population of the Japanese businesses. The author begins with describing the network structure of keiretsu from chapter 3 to 4. Then the remaining chapters deal with how the network formed and how it operates in real business environment. Namely, those chapters deal with the contents of network. Now you might retort ¡®what¡¯s the difference from other materials? This book would supply better and well-organized illustration of keiretsu. But aren¡¯t those features common in other works?¡¯
Maybe. But the most inspiring piece lies in the use of image. Keiretsu is the interfirm network and it¡¯s not unique on Japan but the ubiquitous phenomenon all over the world. Usually, they use the image of coalition, as it has developed in the game theory. The interfirm network, however more stable it is than arm¡¯s length trading, is usually depicted with the image of coalition. The coalition, particularly in the form of game theory, is relatively fluid relationship. The coalition comes and goes according to the logic of strategic self-interest. This is the reality of business such as strategic alliance. Yesterday¡¯s foe could be today¡¯s friend. For example, Apple shook hands with IBM to make PowerPC. But such an image doesn¡¯t fit into the long-term relationship of horizontal keiretsu over more than a generation. Affiliation in a keiretsu group is considered as permanent one. Instead, Gerlach uses the metaphor of alliance to illustrate the features of Japanese keiretsu. The image of alliance comes from anthropological fieldworks. It suggests long-term social relationship that links kinship groups over generations. The self-interest is also the driving-force in the kinship alliance. Kinship groups establish the long-term ties with other kinship groups through swapping women. Through this tie, they exchange resources like calling on in times of need or for protection of one¡¯s own group. Those are valuable resources in primitive societies, with no doubt, and this relationship is long-term by nature. But in such a relationship, self-interest is tempered by the central role played by group history.
Horizontal keiretsu emerged from the self-interest of member firms to stabilize the flow of resources. So at the center of group have lain the bank and sogo shosha. During the early postwar period, the capital and raw materials were scarce and most needed resources to be secured, and that, affiliation in the group opens doors to trade with other group members, and with the trading partners those firms have. But once the network is put into action, it takes the life of its own: It was instutionalized in the routine of business. Just as firms seek to position themselves advantageously in their industry and in the broader business community, so too do groups as a whole. Keiretsu network, for instance, expands itself with new memberships. Most of expansion has involved the firms that compete against firms in other keiretsu. Keiretsu compete against keiretsu for positioning in the business community. By expanding to include group-level representation in a broad variety of fields, the group simultaneously preempts market opportunities, enhances its prestige in the larger business community, and diversifies risk across a spectrum of industries. The power and prestige of the group make the individual member firm more appealing to prospective business partners and improves its status in the larger business community. The fortunes of group and companies are in this way intertwined. In other words, affiliation in group translates into marrying with the group. The individual firms act as if they are the members of the clan. This kind of interfirm network could be facilitated for the unique Japanese business history. 3 out of outstanding 6 (now 4) groups are ex-zaibatsu (industrial group). And some influences in early postwar period are crucial in forming the keiretsu.
But this is the problem of this book: no convincing explanation about why such alliance is found only in Japan? This book offers good enough description of the phenomenon. I can¡¯t help asking ¡®Is this enough explanation?¡¯ Unfortunately I don¡¯t think so. If you have this kind of question, I recommend, Ulrike Schaede¡¯s ¡®Cooperative Capitalism¡¯. This book has a very long-term standpoint from Tokugawa period to the present. This book is not about keiretsu. But you could understand the institutional background of Japanese business.

Peter Robertson worked with us in the office of the CEO for the HP/Compaq integration. Though we had a high performing team with piqued strengths in leading large scale horizontal change, he helped us understand how the makeup of the team needed to change as the charter changed. Against typical instincts (why change what's working) we consciously supported some departures and refashioned the team for the second phase of organization effectiveness, after initial integration was largely complete. We also used Peter's approach to advise our own internal clients on how their teams needed to change to accomodate expectations that became apparent in the press 6 months later. His thinking and tools were a major quiver in our value to HP at an unprecedented period of change.

A fresh, new approach to how people respond to change, individually and within organizational settings. Ethology, taking in Freud and Bolby's work, shows how it is not consequences, but security and "attachment" which will predict and help in the management of personnel.

The catchy title takes in one application of this method and tool, that the composition of any team, whether athletic or organizational, is dependent on where the organization is on the "S"-curve or business cycle. For instance, if you are trying to innovate new ideas or products, you need exploratory people versus those attached to stability. On the other hand, once new products have been identified and created, you want more stability-oriented people who will stick to the plans and schedules to get the product out the door.

Very good examples from actual application at HP and other major organizations.

What can I say? I love the song Amazing Grace and I love how Judy Collins sings it. Though there are two verses in the book I don't recall and one verse I love is missing, the true worth of the book; however, is in Collins' introduction. Therein she writes: "Religion is for those who are afraid of going to Hell, ... and the spiritual is for those who have already been there." Don't know if I've ever read a more profound thought. If the song means something to you, buy this book, you'll treasure it for a lifetime.

Beautiful rendition of the hymn.


Blessings to Amazon!

I've read this book at least 5 times - more for some chapters - and I've thoroughly enjoyed it evey time. Rob has a way of capturing stories that take you there. As a family, he, our baby daughter, and I served in Guyana six months Feb 2001-Aug 2001. It was a tremendous experience and the aviation service saved many lives. I hope that he will keep writing and that you'll look for those stories about our next project in Guatemala!

No, really, it is. You should read it.

This book fills a significant gap in the historical record on philanthropy and the rise of civil society in the United States. Kathleen McCarthy's writing meets the highest standards of scholarship, in a very readable and enjoyable style that will appeal to a broad audience. It should be on the "must-read" list for all nonprofit researchers, practitioners, and students of philanthropy!

This is an important book. It offers a novel and compelling explanation of America's early democratic development that suggests a much greater role for the non-governmental sector than previous studies have suggested.

The author throws light on some neglected corners of American development, such as the role of non-governmental organizations run by blacks and women. After reading this book, no one will look on non-governmental efforts in quite the same way. Their energy and vision were essential not only in making America a more decent country but also, surprisingly, a much more prosperous one.

The concept of "anarchy" has enjoyed a privileged status in each of the two main schools of thought of IR, namely neorealism and neoliberalism -albeit in varying size and nature. I have always believed that this overemphasis on anarchy was unjustified and misleading. I think what is important is not the mere presence or absence of a governmental body at the international level, but rather whether any mechanism exists that functions against Waltz's assertion that "wars occur because there is nothing that prevents them" (1959, 232). In our modern global world, no state except the hegemon can get away with a "fait accompli" that will change regional of global balances of power. This simply means that every state except one has an "impediment" to behave like a "rogue" state. Thus, the absence of a material world government to punish the deviant states does not necessarily create an anarchic international environment, because the practical function of such a government is fulfilled to a large extent by the hierarchical nature of the international system. This is true for multipolar systems where there is a balance of power among major states as well. Throughout modern history, each state that sought a global hegemony found a community of others against her. Thus, balance of power has indeed been an ordering principle in international relations.

I found my inspiration as to the "order" in the international system in the writings of some British scholars. Contrary to the central place of anarchy in the North American theories of international relations, "international society" thinking and its resultant emphasis on "order" has been a tradition in post-war Britain. "The English School" argued that there is a persistent order in the international system alongside "anarchy" and that the preservation of a minimal order has been a common objective of the major members of the international system. Hedley Bull was one of the most influential scholars within the English School. In his The Anarchical Society he defines order in international system as "a pattern or activity that sustains the elementary or primary goals of the society of states," (p. 8). In further elaboration, he lists these goals as 1) the preservation of the system and society of states itself, 2) maintaining the sovereignty of states, 3) maintaining peace, and 4) sustaining the elementary goals of the individual, i.e. life, truth, and property (pp. 16-18). He argues that the maintenance of order is a common goal of states, because -whatever the further goals of states- the existence of a minimal order is a necessary condition to achieve these higher goals. Like individuals, states value order because they value "the greater predictability of human behavior" that comes as the consequence of conformity to the elementary or primary goals of states (p. 7).
According to Bull, "balance of power" is the primary and most effective instrument for the maintenance of international order. It is primary, because it provides the conditions in which other institutions of order (diplomacy, war, international law, and great power management) have been able to operate; it is the most effective, because by preventing the emergence of a hegemon, balance of power helps preserve the existent order.
Two of the instruments that Bull argues states use to preserve international order are particularly interesting. First, Bull directs our attention to the positive functions of war with respect to the maintenance of order. While in the traditional IR literature war is associated with conflict and disorder, Bull argues that war has widely been used by states (in particular the great powers) as a means of enforcing international law and preserving balance of power (p. 102). Thus, for Bull, war is a two-faceted phenomenon: a threat to be limited in most cases, but also an instrument to be used for order-related purposes in some cases. Second, he contends that great power politics contribute to the preservation of international order as well. Bull argues that great powers do so by preserving the general balance of power, avoiding major crisis among themselves, and respecting each other's "spheres of influences" (p. 200). In that respect, the English school warns us that the great power politics is not a wholly "tragic" story.
I think The Anarchical Society made two important contributions to our understanding of international politics. First, it persuasively argued that we are not living in an international "jungle". In Bull's (and my own) view, anarchy is an element of international structure, but neither the only nor the predominant one. States purposively try to limit the negative effects of anarchy by working together to preserve a minimal level of order in order to attain higher objectives. Second, Bull helped us realize that some crucial elements of international politics -war and great power politics-, which are generally associated with conflict, many times play positive roles in terms of the preservation of international order.
An important shortcoming in Bull's approach is that Bull remains quite when it comes to the "nature" of international order. The question of what causes the emergence of different international orders is outside the scope of The Anarchical Society. Actually, Bull admits this point when he says that "we are concerned only with what may be called the `statics' of international order and not with its `dynamics'," (19). Hence, Bull does not offer us a "theory" of international relations.

It was wonderful. I've never read something like that. I advise everyone to read it. Thank you.

Whether the team with which you work is in a large or small business, in a non-profit organisation, or in a community group, you'll find this book a wonderful resource. As the introduction says "Nearly every significant accomplishment in human systems today comes from the cooperation, positive energy and learning that result from a real team effort." Appreciative Team Building explains the power that results from positive, appreciative questions. Using the strategies, suggestions, sample interview guides and 48 'starting point' questions provided in this book, you can help your team to shift from conversations that are problem-saturated (as they so often can tend to be in our current society) to conversations filled with new creativity, hope and possibility. Also clearly explained is a step-by-step process of Appreciative Inquiry that you can use to guide your team to achieve its own and its members very best potential. Highly recommended!

The book was fabulous! I found it really helpful - it is conceptually right on and it is a great and useful tool - Bottom line it fires up both sides of my brain!
Susan Copple
HR Director
Hewlett Packard Company

Robert Cox is one of the most interesting contemporary writers in International Relations. His books always bring a brand new and fresh analysis. This collection of articals represents his great academic carrer and certainly points new directions to the study of the discipline. This book is highly recommended to all students of IR theory.

Robert Cox has done a brillant job of taking Political Economy to the next level in this collection of essays. Cox and Sinclair have culled together many of Cox's essays previously published in unaccessible journals. Each essay is prefixed by short bio stetch which very much sets the mood for what follows. Cox's uniqueness lies his open approach to the discipline. Whereas other political theorists have concentrated on the International Political Economy. Cox focuses upon the Global and the forces which go into the making of forms of production, state and world order. Any student interested in the dynamic historical interplay of these structures is well advised to pick up a copy of this book. Although, Cox is a Historical Materialist, he is a Gramscian thus allowing for a greater theoretical openness then some operating in the same paradigm. The essays are meaty and sometimes require reading and re-reading to get into the rthymn. Many are leading to or leading from his seminal book: Power, Production and World Order. Sadly, Cox does not write more.

I first bought this book about 15 years ago. It made a huge impression on me then when I didn't know much about uniforms, and it is still a great resource today now that I am a uniform collector. The painted images of soldiers of all the major armies of World War II are vivid and interesting. The text is informative and thorough. Of particular use are charts that detail rank insignia for all the various armies.

This is the DEFINITIVE reference book on the uniforms of WWII. Mollo carefully explains his terms and illustrates them in this handy, well-organized work. Individual illustrations of patches, epaulets and weapons are complemented by contemporary, hand-colored photographs of a wide variety of uniforms. Excellent!

International arms sales is one of the issues that I got into as a student of IR in the early 80s. I read Andrew Pierre's Global Politics of Arms Sales, which was so good that I almost pursued the issue as a career concern. I read Sampson's book at that time, and it was the perfect complement to the academic side of it: Sampson went to the places where catastrophe was brewing from arms sales run amok, evoking it in the vivid language of a real writer and with the eye of a first-rate reporter.

Sampson explains the economics, investigates the characters, and describes the environments they operate in. It is a true tour de force, as only the best journalists can accomplish.

However, the book is dated, as it was written in the latter part of the Cold War. With the US-Soviet rivalry, the dynamic was altogether different from today, when it was far more political to sell to your allies and potential clients. Now, it is pure economics on the selling side, while the buyers are more or less mercenary capitalist brutes.

Warmly recommended. But the interest is largely historical.

Hello!
I lve in New delhi , INDIA, I am an avid reader of books on defence , military history, great discoveries, technological innovations, construction, urban planning, architecture and geography. I work as a consultant.

I went through the amazon site and looked at the entire listing of books that iwanted to buy, i got the titles and authors. But could not decide which book is the latest one

there are name of the same book with slightly different titles, hence i am not able to decide whether it is the same book or they are differnt books altogteher, i mean do the contents vary from book to book with the same title

I am refeering to the books like

1 A The arms bazar from lebanon to Lockhhed
1 B The arms bazar - the companies, the dealers,the bribes, from vickers to Lockheed ( are the two books same)?? the price varies)

similarly

The Seven Sisters the world they made ??
The seven sisters the world they shaped ??

i would be thankful to any one who can help me clarify the above points

I would like to Buy the following three books ( Old ones)

The Arms Bazar

The Seven Sisters

The Money Lenders
all written by Anthony Sampsosn
I
I have read the first two books about ten years ago from the US Library in New delhi India, they donot have the copies any more.

I would like to buy them for my persosnal collection.

Is it safe to buy from amazon using a international master card, credit card. Please advise.

I donot want any one accross the internet (and the world) to have access to my card no. and misuse to make fake and fradulent charges to my card which in actual I have not undertaken/ purchased/ bought.

I shall only honour the legitimate purchase of books purchased by me only.

Thanks in anticipation of your help
Best regards,

Ananda Kishore Das

Telphone no 091 - 011 - 26973950 (Available bewteen: 10 AM - 5 PM IST)
( IST = GMT + 05.30 Hours)