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| Asian Eclipse: Exposing the Dark Side of Business in Asia, Revised Edition | 
 enlarge | Author: Michael Backman
Publisher: Wiley
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $16.77
You Save: $13.18 (44%)
Buy New/Used from $5.64
Avg. Customer Rating:  (26 reviews)
Sales Rank: 1338006
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: Revised
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 350
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 1
ISBN: 0471479128
Dewey Decimal Number: 338.095
EAN: 9780471479123
ASIN: 0471479128
Publication Date: May 9, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Straight Talk, Pragmatic, Hard Hitting February 21, 2000
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
This book is so pragmatic and unforgiving that many in Asia will find it hard to accept. Nevertheless, for those of us risking our livelihood in Asian business and who need clarity, not half-truths, it is really an excellent read. Few punches are pulled - but, is it is not about time that corrupt business practices in Asia were exposed? For those considering business ventures in Asia this book is a 'must read'. Some of the advice, particularly about the banking systems, might save your company a fortune. Well done Michael Backman - straight talk is what leads to new attitudes. Decent, honest Asian business people will celebrate your work. Unfortunately, cognitive dissonance is likely to prevail in many of the more corrupt quarters.
 Not much help for investors February 17, 2000
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
I bought this book because I thought it would help me to understand how to do business in Asia. Instead, I found many "newsy" stories of "those corrupt Asians" -- not particularly helpful in making decisions there or working with people there. Yes, Asia is corrupt; but then, so is Australia or the USA. Probably Asia is more corrupt in some respects -- but this is not the defining mode for seeing business relationships there. I enjoyed reading this book because it does read like a novel. But, I much prefered George Haley's "New Asian Emperors: the Overseas Chinese, their Strategies and Competitive Advantages" as an aid to understanding business and relationships and this is the book that I am recommending my company read. Backman's book too often stoops to being sensational and "scoopy" and sometimes just appears plain racist and offensive.
great read with lots of info January 24, 2000
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
Asian Eclipse was listed in The Economist magazine as one of the best books published in 1999. I was not disappointed. The author is at times controversial but always highly informative. The added plus is that the book does not read like a text book but is easy to read. There's lots of information on and examples of corporate intrigue in Asia, including Japan, China and all of Southeast Asia. The level of detail is at times overwhelming - a great amount of research has obviously gone into the book. Overall, I was very impressed.
 Selective & Lacking Depth But Nevertheless Informative November 30, 1999
13 out of 14 found this review helpful
Asia was a shining star in the world economy for most of the 1980s and 1990s. The secrets of its success were often a subject of intense debate. Plaudits cited Japanese economic power, Confucian work ethics, the freeing of China's markets, Eastern ingenuity and the powerful overseas Chinese guanxi networks. Critics were dismissed as ignorant of Asian values. But behind the facade lay a darker, more sinister truth. This remarkable account tears away the myths of Asian business and reveals the dark side of the Asian success story. The recent downturn in the Asian economies has been blamed on a number of factors. This controversial, eye-opening book analyzes a number of dubious business practices that are endemic in the region and which the author believes have played a significant part in Asia's economic downfall. Along with an in-depth examination of such troubling symptoms as widespread cronyism and inadequate legal protection, Asian Eclipse includes chapters on the unique business environments of Japan, China, and Indonesia. Of particular interest to Malaysians are the whole sections devoted to "The Mahathir Family in Business" (pp 304-311), "Sarawak Incorporated" (pp 311-314), and "Malaysia's Ekran Group" (pp 120-124). From endemic corruption to rampant cronyism, Asian Eclipse is a tale of capitalism gone sour, it names the perpetrators and offers timely advice on what is really needed for Asia to clean up its act. With its lucid explanations on how outside investors should approach the new Asian markets, it will remain an indispensable guide to the complexities of corporate Asia for years to come. Australian Michael Backman is a leading commentator on corporate Asia, regularly contributing to the Asian Wall Street Journal. Previously an executive officer of the East Asian Analytical Unit of Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, he is known for this detailed and uncompromising analysis. Trained as an economist, he has lived and worked in Jakarta and travels widely throughout Asia. He is the principal author of Overseas Chinese Business Networks in Asia. He is now a fellow at the EC-ASEAN Management Centre. Reviewed by Azlan Adnan, Managing Partner of Azlan & Koh Knowledge and Professional Management Group
 Expect this one in the discount bin soon. September 27, 1999
13 out of 20 found this review helpful
This book is merely an anthology of tall-tales and tittle-tattle dressed up as a serious reference book. He recounts scandal after scandal and attributes them to something dark and nebulous called 'culture'. He makes curious comparisons with Western 'culture' (the headlight story above, and the 'do unto others' theory so eloquently and quickly debunked by Frank Ching in the Far Eastern Economic Review') without a single mention of thousands of western business scandals, not least in Backman's own country, where, during the 1980s, there was a string of scandals involving businessmen like Christopher Skase and Alan Bond. They weren't Asian, but quite readily scooted off with millions of dollars of other people's money. Backman has clearly researched and written this book with a set of conclusions already in mind, namely, Asians are innately devious and slippery. Save your money and your time. Give this book a miss.
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