“A thoughtful reconsideration of China’s actual place in the new world order, based on reality rather than fanciful speculation.” —Kirkus Reviews Can anything prevent China surpassing the United States and becoming the world’s top superpower? While predictions that China’s rise to global supremacy is a near-certainty have resulted in this belief becoming almost conventional wisdom, this book boldly counters such widely held assumptions. Investment strategist Timothy Beardson brings to light the daunting array of challenges that today confront China, as well as the inadequacy of the policy responses. Threats to China come on many fronts, Beardson shows, and by their number and sheer weight these problems will thwart any ambition to become the world’s “Number One power.” Drawing on extensive research and experience living and working in Asia over the last 35 years, the author spells out China’s situation: an inexorable demographic future of a shrinking labor force, relentless aging, extreme gender disparity, and even a falling population. Also, the nation faces social instability, a devastated environment, a predominantly low-tech economy with inadequate innovation, the absence of an effective welfare safety net, an ossified governance structure, and radical Islam lurking at the borders. Beardson’s nuanced, firsthand look at China acknowledges its historic achievements while tempering predictions of its imminent hegemony with a no-nonsense dose of reality.

Smart. Funny. Fearless."It's pretty safe to say that Spy was the most influential magazine of the 1980s. It might have remade New York's cultural landscape; it definitely changed the whole tone of magazine journalism. It was cruel, brilliant, beautifully written and perfectly designed, and feared by all. There's no magazine I know of that's so continually referenced, held up as a benchmark, and whose demise is so lamented" --Dave Eggers. "It's a piece of garbage" --Donald Trump.

The novel Envy provides a humorous look at the individual's struggle with an increasingly industrialized society. This critical companion, edited by Rimgailia Salys, aims to acquaint readers with the history, biographical context, critical reception and interpretation problems related to the novel. It also helps the first time reader decipher some of the text's more difficult features, including its shifting narrators and fluid boundaries between dream and reality.

The topic of China's rise and what it really means for the global and regional order is the subject of intense debate. In this volume, top scholars address China's power today, compare China's power with that of the USA, and forecast China's power in 2025.

David South Consulting is an international development media and consulting service. Designing human development and health. Editor and writer of Southern Innovator. Website: www.davidsouthconsulting.com

A gothic, historical tale of found family and friendship, loss and redemption, Once a Monster is a dazzling reimagining of the myth of the Minotaur set in 19th century London. ‘Robert Dinsdale mixes history and mythology with great panache . . . Richly textured and with an appropriately labyrinthine plot . . . Book of the Month’ - Book of the Month, The Sunday Times Some villains are meant to be heroes . . . London, 1861: Ten-year-old Nell belongs to a crew of mudlarks who work a stretch of the Thames along the Ratcliffe Highway. An orphan since her mother died, leaving Nell with only broken dreams and a pair of satin slippers, she spends her days searching for treasure in the mud in order to appease her master, Benjamin Murdstone. But one day, Nell discovers a strange body on the shore. Nearly seven feet tall, the creature has matted hair covering his legs, and on his head is the suggestion of horns. Nell's fellow mudlarks urge her to steal what she can, but as she ventures closer the figure draws breath – and Nell is forced to make a decision that will change her life for ever . . . From the critically acclaimed author of The Toymakers, Robert Dinsdale. Perfect for lovers of historical fiction with a mythical twist, such as Stone Blind and Madeline Miller's Circe. ‘A wonderful magic trick of a story . . . Dinsdale is a beautiful, evocative story teller’ – Stuart Turton, bestselling author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle ‘Imaginative mash-up of the mythical with Victorian gothic’ – The Times ‘Historical writing at its finest’ - Essie Fox, bestselling author of The Fascination

This book investigates whether a power shift has taken place in the Asia-Pacific region since the end of the Cold War. By systematically examining the development of power dynamics in Asia-Pacific, it challenges the notion that a wealthier and militarily more powerful China is automatically turning the regional tides in its favour. With a special emphasis on Sino-US competition, the book explores the alleged linkage between the regional distribution of relevant material and immaterial capabilities, national power and the much-cited regional power shift. The book presents a novel concept for measuring power in international relations by outlining a composite index on aggregated power (CIAP) that includes 55 variables for 44 regional countries and covers a period of twenty years. Moreover, it develops a middle power theory that outlines the significance of middle powers in times of major power shifts. By addressing political, military and economic cooperation via a structured-focused comparison and by applying a comparative-historical analysis, the book analyses in depth the bilateral relations of six regional middle powers to Washington and Beijing.

During the last thirty years, a wide range of product companies throughout the Western economies have considered moving into or setting up service businesses. Some have rejected the idea after careful consideration, some have wandered into competitive services without any real idea of what is involved and others have deliberately executed a carefully considered strategic manoeuvre. Included in this debate are some of the most famous business names in the western world: Unisys, Ericsson, Michelin, Nokia and HP. For IBM it was Lou Gerstener’s ‘big bet’; at GE it was one of former CEO Jack Welch’s ‘four major strategies’ and, at General Motors, the financial services arm was its most profitable business for many years. Yet very little has been published on this profound transition. As a result, myths and idiocies abound. Some routinely claim that the ‘evolution from products through services to solutions’ is inevitable. Others think that manufacturing is being outsourced to China and India while American or European teenagers face a career in hamburger stalls. The truth is much more fascinating. To succeed in a service business, most functions of a product company need to change. Operations, management, recruitment, finance, sales, new product development and marketing must all be adjusted. So the move into service therefore involves huge risk caused by disruptive and radical change. What has pushed realistic business people in such widely different industrial sectors to take so large a risk? Does their experience contain lessons or warnings for others? Is the trend likely to continue and affect other parts of the world as their economies develop? Will India, China or other developing economies need to learn how to export service once their manufacturing industries mature? Written by a successful businessman who has been at the heart of these changes in several companies and, with case studies from companies like IBM, Unilever, BT, Michelin, Ericsson and Nokia, this book explores the experience of those who have made the transition; and some who have resisted it. It covers in depth subjects such as: strategic focus, change management, service operations, branding a service business, service sales and service marketing. It is the first major work on this subject. "This book is a ‘must read’ for those considering the plunge into service growth and innovation. Even those companies that have already taken the plunge will gain fresh perspective" —Jim Spohrer, Director, IBM Almaden Research Centre, USA "Laurie Young details in very practical ways the reasons and methodologies for change … I would recommend this book to every one of my customers." —Douglas Morse, Managing Principal for the Services Transformation and Innovation Group LLC "I am thrilled with the publication of this much needed book. In my work with businesses around the globe, I find that grappling with the challenge of transforming a company from products to services is a compelling priority for increasing numbers of firms." —Stephen W. Brown, PhD, Carson Chair, Professor and Executive Director, Center for Services Leadership, W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University