How is the relationship between the Japanese state and Japanese society mediated by the press? Does the pervasive system of press clubs, and the regulations underlying them, alter or even censor the way news is reported in Japan? Who benefits from the press club system? And who loses? Here Laurie Anne Freeman examines the subtle, highly interconnected relationship between journalists and news sources in Japan. Beginning with a historical overview of the relationship between the press, politics, and the public, she describes how Japanese press clubs act as "information cartels," limiting competition among news organizations and rigidly structuring relations through strict rules and sanctions. She also shows how the web of interrelations extends into, and is reinforced by, media industry associations and business groups (keiretsu). Political news and information are conveyed to the public in Japan, but because of institutional constraints, they are conveyed in a highly delimited fashion that narrows the range of societal inquiry into the political process. Closing the Shop shows us how the press system in Japan serves as neither a watchdog nor a lapdog. Nor does the state directly control the press in ways Westerners might think of as censorship. The level of interconnectedness, through both official and unofficial channels, helps set the agenda and terms of political debate in Japan's mass media to an extent that is unimaginable to many in the United States and other advanced industrial democracies. This fascinating look at Japan's information cartels provides a critical but often overlooked explanation for the overall power and autonomy enjoyed by the Japanese state.

Analyzes the process of moving workers with severe disabilities from sheltered workshops to the larger work world, through case studies on four agencies that switched from maintaining sheltered workshops to providing integrated employment services. Discusses the historical roots of contemporary workshops and shortcomings of segregated work environments, and illustrates the human and organizational dynamics relevant to the conversion process. Offers strategies for restructuring workshops and training staff, and includes first-hand accounts from people with disabilities. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

In Real Estate Titans, Erez Cohen shares the advice and learnings of the world's leading real estate experts to create a guide for becoming a savvier real estate player. Cohen draws on his experience as a research and teacher’s assistant at Wharton Business School with an investment expert—and his mentor—Dr. Peter Linneman. Throughout his career, Cohen has collected first-hand knowledge from meetings with such real estate titans as Ronald Terwilliger, Sam Zell, Joseph Sitt, and numerous others. Cohen wanted to understand how these real estate giants became so successful, so he refined his quest into three critical questions: What inspires these titans to work so hard and reach such extraordinary levels of success? What are the main elements and traits inside of them that propel them to be so grandiose? How have these individuals, who had less resources, succeeded on a much bigger scale than so many of their competitors? Real Estate Titans contains the 7 key lessons distilled from interviews with several of the world’s greatest real estate investors. These critical lessons offer insight into the mindset, tactics, and habits that each of the interviewed titans possess. Once you implement these key ideas—which you won’t find anywhere else—into your business, it will grow exponentially within a matter of months. Real Estate Titans offers an insider’s view into several of the most successful investors on the planet. The book’s compelling stories and lessons show why real estate is such a wonderful and important business, and it also offers a roadmap for becoming a world class real estate player.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO BUILD REVENUE-GENERATING PARTNERSHIPS Corporations have profited from strong business development strategies for years. So it's no surprise that of the half-million new businesses created each year, the most successful ones are driven by business development. Now, savvy professionals on the business side of a startup have a reliable guide to perfecting the partnership strategies that will quickly add value to any company. Pitching & Closing gives you concrete action steps for mastering the specific skill set today's business-development professionals need to define their roles and meet revenue expectations. Written in practical terms by playmakers at Twitter and SocialRank, this A-to-Z guide walks you through forging relationships, pitching a company's product, building a network, sourcing deals, making rejection positive, and staying cool while closing large deals. Firsthand accounts from business development executives across many industries, from tech to television to finance, bring to life such topics as: How to consistently identify and land the best strategic alliances for your business Why people say "yes" and why they say "no" Etiquette for making introductions and reaching out to people in ways that elicit responses Monitoring core metrics to know where to invest your time In addition to implementable advice and techniques from the top minds in the industry, this complete resource features an entire section of best practices for every step of the partnering process. Make your moves with the confidence of having a team of experts at your back. The road from startup to IPO starts with Pitching & Closing. PRAISE FOR PITCHING & CLOSING "This book is a must-read for anyone in the business of transforming professional relationships into powerful strategic partnerships." -- Adam Bain, President of Global Revenue at Twitter "Pitching & Closing does a phenomenal job of giving you a seat in the room during some of the biggest business development deals of late. Anyone who reads this book will come away with a deep understanding of business development in the world of startups." -- Dylan Smith, CFO of Box "Pitching & Closing is the definitive guide to partnerships for the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders." -- Adam Braun, Founder and CEO of Pencils of Promise "An honest and insightful look at the delicate and complex handling of business development [that] guides readers on how to turn good ideas into great partnerships." -- Kyle Kelly, Business Development & Analysis at Zappos.com "Alex Taub and Ellen DaSilva have written the bible for business development in startup land--a well-researched, easily accessible accounting of best practices and tips of the trade from the people who are leaders in opening and closing deals that define some of the most exciting new companies on the landscape." -- Laurie Racine, Board Member, Creative Commons "I never thought I'd read a book that not only explains how nuanced business development can be, but also actually gives you what you need to take teams big and small to grow their business through partnerships. Impressive and fun to read." -- Paul Murphy, CEO of Dots and Partner at Betaworks

A leading authority on sales and customer service reveals how to close the deal on your terms. This powerful book shows you new perspectives on closing that builds relationships, creates partnerships, and allows you to win your price on your terms. The Very Little But Very Powerful Book on Closing is a great tool to help you ask effective closing questions, create urgency, and find your winning formula. With this book as your guide, you’ll master closing the sale in just five steps. • Packed with insights grounded in real world experience from the bestselling author of The Sales Bible and The Little Book of Leadership • Contains essential advice from the leading authority in sales and customer service • Teaches you how to ask the right questions to close the sale

The bestselling Dictionary of Business, now available in a completely revised Second Edition, covers the basic business vocabulary of both British and American English: it now includes 12,000 main headwords. The terms cover all aspects of business life from the office to the stock exchange to international business trade fairs. Clear definitions are included for each term, together with example sentences (drawn whenever possible from both business and popular newspapers and magazines -- to demonstrate how the terms are used in practice), part of speech, grammar notes, and encyclopedic comments for the more complex terms. The Dictionary of Business also now includes phonetic pronunciation guides for all headwords. Supplements provide information on business practice, standard financial documents, and world currencies.