The Polyester Prince: The Rise of Dhirubhai Ambani

The Polyester Prince: The Rise of Dhirubhai Ambani
Average customer rating:

A must read for any aspiring entrepreneur

Finding this book is difficult but worth it

Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani

Must read for anyone looking to do business in India

The Polyester Prince

The Polyester Prince: The Rise of Dhirubhai Ambani
Hamish McDonald
Manufacturer: Allen & Unwin Pty., Limited (Australia)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Business | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1864484683

Customer Reviews:

A must read for any aspiring entrepreneur .......2007-04-11

Hamish McDonald has pulled this one off with a master's touch. It covers decades of Dhirubhai's life - his dreams, struggles, failures and successes.

Too bad this book was banned in India and is out of print. One word to describe the experience - Masterpeice!

I must add, The Library at University of Georgia has two copies!!!

Finding this book is difficult but worth it.......2007-03-15

This book is worth the chase. When you first search for this book [...], you are alarmed at the price. The [...] plus price tag is incorrect, this book is available for less than [...].

Mukesh and Anil Ambani, the sons of the late Dhirubhai Ambani have spared no effort in ensuring that this book is virtually impossible to find. If you go to any book store in India, be it in Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore at any of the chains liks crossroads,odyessey, higgenbothams, oxford or at any used book dealer, you cannot find this book.

Even if you have the ISBN number and you call the Australian publishers, due to lawsuits, they will provide a standard apologetic " we do not have any copies available, we do not intend to reprint". So strike out trying to call the publisher and buying this book.

If you go to any major online book store amazon.com, half.com, overstock.com, ebay etc.. you will not find a copy. If you go to any major public university library or public library across america you will find the standard " we have put your order request into our system, but we still have not heard back from the xyz source".

In europe, south america, australia, nz, japan, india, north america, dubai, western africa, china, russia, central asia.. this book is hard to find.

So your wondering how can I find this book? two options, u can take a chance at the website mentioned by rohit shah below, or you can go to the Harvard University Library in Cambridge, MA, USa which has two copies available.

[...],

Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani.......2003-11-24

The Polyester Prince is a balanced book on India's own robber baron. Mr. McDonald pays tribute to Gujarati traders/ Banias in the first few chapters by acknowledging their exuberance of speech, inventiveness, and commercial drive. Dhirubhai first displayed his diplomatic and negotiating skills during the Junagadh freedom struggle. At Yemen, he exploits the fact that silver content in rial was higher than the pound. There he also learned the fundamentals of business by taking position in rice, sugar, and other commodities. At India, Dhirubhai progressed to trading in REP licenses and later textile manufacturing. One of Dhirubhai's greatest attributes was that he networked and lobbied furiously. He cultivated several journalists, politicians, and bureaucrats including Girilal Jain, Murli Deora, Yashpal Kapur, T.A. Pai, R.K. Dhawan, P.C. Sethi, Pramod Mahajan, and Pranab Mukherjee. Several policies such as the High Unit Value Scheme were introduced for the sole benefit of Reliance and tariffs mostly for the detriment of competitors like Kapal Mehra (Orkay Silk Mills) and Nusli Wadia (Bombay Dyeing). Reliance was the first to recognize the most important external environment- Government of India. Dhirubhai used the government to destroy Indian Express and Bombay Dyeing. Wadia, Mehra and the journalist Gurumurthy were arrested on fake charges. He is alleged to have tried to get Wadia assassinated through Kirti Ambani and contract killers. Reliance also resorted to envelope journalism and later buying out a newspaper to unfairly cast DMT as inferior to PTA. Dhirubhai is rightly called father of Indian equity cult as he patronized convertible debentures. One out of every four investors in India is a Reliance shareholder. The Ambanis used loopholes, shell investment companies/ tax havens in Isle of Man, duplicate shares, insider trading, and financial engineering tricks to ensure that Reliance was the largest zero-tax company and a pure cash flow operation. Though correctly described as ruthless and daring, Mr. McDonald overlooks that Dhirubhai was an innovative financier, brand builder (Only Vimal etc.), and an industrialist way ahead of his times (vertical integration, GDR etc.).

Must read for anyone looking to do business in India.......2003-11-04

I bought this book directly from the publisher as it has been banned in India and after reading it is easy to understand why. Ambani's were the most visible business family from India in 80s. Everyone knows that powerful political connections are responsible for the meteoric rise of the ambani business empire. What the book talks about are many issues, which were kept under the carpet and never ever spoken in public. It is a very interesting reading.

Anyone who is interested to learn how business can be done in India, especially before the privatization, must read this book. The link between politics and business is very powerful and though it may have diminished a little in today's India, it is not completely gone.

I recommend this book to anyone who is trying to analyze the strengths of Indian business environment as an emerging country and wish to do business in India.

The Polyester Prince.......2003-10-16

This book is over rated because of controversy. Look at at the price of the book its ridiculous. There are thousands of other books i would rather read. Dont waste your time here

Book Description

All of the greatest world champions, the most cunning contenders, and the hungry up-and-comers just waiting to make their mark are included in this ultimate guide to the wildest personalities from all the major wrestling organizations.

Also included is info on how to become a professional wrestler, the top wrestling schools in the country, the real story behind the birth of WrestleMania, full-color photos, and a full glossary of wrestling terms.

Average customer rating:

The pink mat monster
Patt Wagner
Manufacturer: Nexus Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000725ZSS

Average customer rating:

S'NOT FOR KIDS. MONSTER STEW ISSUE
Mats Stromberg
Manufacturer: Stromberg
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PLT3CK

Average customer rating:

Monster of the Mat
Robert Picarello
Manufacturer: Berkley Pub Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKS5F8

Book Description

Presenting many never-before-published new painting and pin-ups, plus noteworthy Vampirella paintings, this book showcases renowned comic book and pin-up artist Joe Chiodo's latest tantalizing visual feast of lush painted ladies. This book presents a look at Chiodo's recent pin-ups and paintings in the perspective of his past work. Chiodo's new work convincingly demonstrates that his artwork has become more assured and mature without losing its playfulness and sense of whimsy. An extensive gallery of Chiodo's recent unpublished paintings of his luscious ladies, Works of Art, is a comprehensive monograph about the past and current work of comic artist, colorist, and painter Joe Chiodo, and demonstrates the wide diversity and range of the artist's work.

Average customer rating:

wonderful collection of brand new artwork from pin-up master Chiodo
This book is superb!!!!
WELL BALANCED VIEW OF AN ARTIST
A big disappointment
Good commercial art

Works of Art: Joe Chiodo
Joe Chiodo
Manufacturer: Hermes Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Joe Chiodo: Sketches, Drawings & Paintings
Joe Chiodo's How To Draw And Paint Pin-Ups
Frank Cho Women: Selected Drawings And Illustrations
The Art Of Joseph Michael Linsner
The Dave Nestler Sketchbook Volume 1

ASIN: 0971031185

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

wonderful collection of brand new artwork from pin-up master Chiodo.......2006-08-18

Works of Art: Joe Chiodo is a wonderful, albeit small, collection of new artwork from one of the comic and pin-up industry's best kept secret. Most people first discovered Chiodo's work through his stint as colorist, inker and later artist for many different comic book titles. His work usually involved the superhero side of the industry though he's branched out abit and done some fantasy work since.

With Works of Art, Chiodo has put together a brief collection of works from the many different phases of his career. Some pieces chosen look to be from his superhero phase, especially during his stint as one of Image Comics resident jack-of-all-trades artist. There's some samples where he moves onto to more fantasy-themed subjects with jungle girls and what-nots. They're all well done and all done in his unique signature painting style. A style which calls to mind 40's and 50's pin-up paintings with the female body full of smooth and lush curves. In addition, he shows the influence of Japanese animation in his depiction of faces, though I will admit that he doesn't go overboard with the anime-style. He's taken the anime stylings and combined it with the simplicity of Disney face artwork. With all those influences and styles combined, Chiodo's work takes on a playful but still sultry and sexy look.

Works of Art: Joe Chiodo could've been made much larger in terms of the amount of artwork chosen to be included. It also could've had more writen material detailing Chiodo's own words as to his definite influences and his thoughts about the artwork he's chosen to include in the book. Despite not being a large collection, this book is still a great conpilation showcasing why Joe Chiodo remains one of this generations best pin-up artists.

This book is superb!!!!.......2004-09-20

This is possibly the best book showcasing Joe Chiodo's art. All of the paintings in this book are all new and not reproduced anywhere. I know this cause I spoke to the publisher, the artist and his art rep and they all said that the art was new. The "reviewer" in TN has no idea of what he is talking about. As far as I know there are only 2 books on Chiodo's work and this is completely all new work!

WELL BALANCED VIEW OF AN ARTIST.......2004-05-20

FINALLY, a well balanced, well designed monograph about one of the best pin-up artists of the last twenty years. This book treats us to an informative over-view of Chiodo's career and a candid interview with the artist. We get a look at his past work and plenty of new pin-up, cartoon, and serious paintings as well. Chiodo deserves this well rounded art book. If you like Chiodo's work, and I do, this book provides excellant examples of the different directions the artist can go in and reproduces Chiodo's work quite accurately. I have seen some of the original paintings displayed in the book and the reproduction is top notch. My only complaint is I want more! Highly reccomended.

A big disappointment.......2004-01-02

I've enjoyed the other collections of Mr. Chiodo's works, and that's the problem.

This IS "the other collections of Mr. Chiodo's works".

Old material from his website abounds, & far too much text is crammed in.
I suspect an additional collection was mandated by contract with his publisher, & this was the result.

Good commercial art.......2003-08-11

Ever since books of Frazetta's art were published in the '70s, everybody who is pretty good at cartoony/fantasy illustration gets a book of their stuff printed. It's like selling your portfolio, and a sign that you've "made it" to a certain level in your field. Joe Chiodo is good, especially at a certain kind of stylized girlie art that is real streamlined '50s style, with cool lava-lamp color combinations, similar to what Bill Wray is doing, and somewhat derived from Hanna-Barbera animation design of the '60s, and heavily influenced by Robert McGinness' crime detective femme fatale paperback book covers of the same era. The subject range in this book is not as great as on his website. Sometimes the girls' heads are too big. Is he any relation to the Chiodo brothers of "Killer Klown" fame? If you are into animation/motion picture design, you should take a look at your competition in this book. It's a fairly slim volumn, and it's not earthshaking (as Frazetta's work was) but the guy fills me with envy for his design ability.

Book Description

Exploration, discovery, and strong leadership are the keys to building a thriving empire; however, expanding your influence is difficult when the whole galaxy is out to get you! Master
of Orion II: Battle at Antares - The Official Strategy Guide
offers effective leadership strategies for a struggling emperor with no allies. Inside this guide you'll find:
Proven techniques for establishing and developng successful colonies
Tried and true tips on evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of all thirteen alien races
Potent military and diplomatic strategies
Sound advice for dealing with the xenophobic Antarans
And ton more!!!
Making Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares -- The Official Strategy Guide your guidebook to galactic conquest will be your first of many adept decisions as an interstellar MOO2 emperor.

Customer Reviews:

Great Game Terrible Guide.......2007-04-20

I recently dug out this classic game and the worthless guide I'm currently reviewing.

This book is simply a glorified version of the game manual. Its "hints and tips" amount to little more than creating data tables of the various weapons, environments, et al in the game. There is very little, if any, actual advice on how to win the game.

What really got me was the advice that, if one is having difficulty playing in a small universe or with a certain species...the author's don't tell you how to win in said environment, but rather suggest changing to a larger universe or trying an easier species. How enlightening. It fails to suggest strategies if one is low on money or behind in research or militarily, etc, etc, etc. This constitutes a guide!?! It also fails to suggest favorable ship types/combinations as the first game's guide did. It basically says, "It's up to you." This book is a failure on every level.

Truly, this book is not worth the paper it's written on. It was written by individuals who worked on the games development but who, obviously, didn't actually *play* the game. If you do happen to need help with this truly great game, look online. You'll find much better help there. This is the last Prima hint book I'll ever spend money on.

Extremely helpful!.......2001-08-02

This guide (which I found at a half-price bookstore) is very helpful. I use it often. My copy of MOO II did not include a printed manual, so I wanted a some sort of hard copy. There are a few minor mistakes in the printing, but is a great guide!

The most useful strategy guide I've read........1999-03-15

Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares is a very difficult strategy game intent on making the colonization of the galaxy as realistic as possible. The Strategy Guide assists you in doing just that.

The main force of influence in the Strategy Guide is the explanation of every little bitty thing inside of the game. The technologies for Research are completely explained in detail, in addition to suggestions being given for what to choose and at what time to choose them. The alien "Picks" option that allows you to customize aliens is completely explained and suggestions for alien creation are put forth. However, the writers have a bent for challenging themselves, which I highly suggest to veteran players of the game.

All in all, it explains the entire campaign necessary to bring down those pesky Antarans and how to best keep a Space Eel from spawning. Give it a peek sometime. You won't be disappointed.

Book Description

Provides a rare look at the situational framework used in building a project management toolbox.
* Includes real-world examples of toolboxes used in a variety of project situations.
* Bridges the gap between theoretical and applied project management.

Customer Reviews:

Highly recommended and extremely useful.......2007-08-16

This book is a fantastic resource for Business Analysts and Project Managers alike. I've recommended this book to several of my contemporaries, and use variations of many of the tools discussed in the book. If you've ever had a creative block on how to demonstrate good analyses, this set of tools will provide you with the spark you need.

A Practical "Goldmine".......2006-05-11

If you're a project manager, this is one of those invaluable resources to add to your personal "toolkit".

This is a very practical reference book to keep close to your workspace. It contains more than 50 tools you can incorporate into your practice.

When that moment arrives in the project where one of your managers demands some additional piece of information presented in a particular way (as Murphy's Law describes - always at the busiest, most hectic, time), and perhaps it's one of those things you've never personally done before ...

Don't panic, just reach for the "Toolbox".

Each tool is described clearly, most including a table, diagram, or sample of the tool, along with instructions as to best practice use of the tool, e.g.:

o When to use it

o The best place in the project life cycle to use it

o Its benefits (in case you need to "sell" its use within your organization), and

o Advantages/Disadvantages - enabling you to make smarter choices among the tools, and more effective application of the one you select

One suggestion for future editions: I'd like to see more correlation of these tools with the Project Management Institute (PMI)'s PMBOK - both in terms of consistent language and project phasing. (The author does include a short appendix that attempts to do some of this.)

Notwithstanding, I still consider this book a valuable resource for my practice.

Finally we have a ToolBox in one peace.......2005-03-24

Traditionally, project management tools and techniques have been seen as vehicles for reaching an objective or, more specifically, a project deliverable. However, most project management literature just describes individual tools and, at best, loosely gathers them into a quasi-toolbox to aid the project or program manager in doing the job more effectively. Thankfully, the business community finally has Project Management ToolBox by Dragan Z. Milosevic, not just another review of available tools and techniques, but the most comprehensive text ever published on the subject. The author makes a strong case for the need for a more systematic and pre-constructed project management toolbox, one that is of significantly more value than the simple sum of its individual tools.

Within the book, Milosevic develops a new role for project management tools and the toolbox in three distinctive ways. First, the book provides a clear roadmap for how to deploy and customize each tool depending on the specific project and company environment. Second, the book goes beyond individual tools by offering a more effective approach, i.e., constructing a toolbox, unique to an organization, which gathers together a predefined set of tools, thus supporting not only individual project management activities and deliverables but also the complete project management process. Finally, the book spells out how to customize the toolbox. Constructing a generic project management toolbox has value, but customizing it to fit a company's competitive strategy significantly enhances that value.

The book content is clearly and logically organized by project management process - initiating, planning, implementing, and closing - and then by practical applications. This helps users locate tools according to use, i.e., to support one or more specific deliverables in the project management process. Also, it reinforces the applications aspect of the toolbox for a standardized, company-specific project management process.

In summary, the Project Management ToolBox is not just the resource for a collection of project management tools and techniques. It offers an extensive set of tools that goes beyond the limits of generic domains and also takes the guesswork out of when and how to use them in order to support the project management process and to deliver concurrent projects as dictated by a company's strategy for competitiveness and profitability. It also describes how to link project goals and practices and the organization's mission, and it offers much value to managers of organizations of any size or endeavour. In short, it is a must-have book for the project manager.

"Project Management Toolbox" Helps Win Projects!.......2004-06-29

I don't share many of my consulting "know-how" secrets, but in this case I will, because I think the field of PM will benefit from the ideas presented in this book. After working 20 years in the consulting and project management field, I felt I was as knowledgeable as one could be about managing projects. Then one day, I came across Dragan's PM ToolBox. WOW! Every page is an eye opener. And this book really is a toolbox because its filled with detailed examples, report layouts, checklists, and figures which I have personally incorporated into my projects management and documentation. And those work examples have helped me win additional PM business many times over.

If you think this is just another "Here are the PM process steps" book, then click on by. But if you do, you will miss out on the chance to reach a higher level of excellence in the field of project management that will set you apart from the rest.

Thanks Dragan for a job well done!!

Put This Book on Your Desk, Not on Your Bookshelf!.......2003-07-22

Prof. Milosevic's Project Management Toolbox is to the practitioner of Project Management what the Physicians' Desk Reference is to practitioners of medicine. As the name appropriately implies, this book contains just about every tool and technique one can imagine to be used to manage, and assess projects effectively. But not one or two tools for every phase of a project, but several -- or to quote a cliche -- "a tool for every occasion".

Sound project management techniques are clearly described, substantiated by research, and presented in an easy to understand format. But Milosevic goes even further -- he details how to use each tool, when to use each tool, and when the use of a particular tool may not be appropriate. He even goes so far to present comparisons (pros and cons) of comparable tools (complete with sample form templates that can be put to immediate use), so that the project manager reading the book can select the most appropriate tool or technique to use for his/her particular project and/or organizational environment.

The book is organized logically, and in such a way that after you read the first chapter (which explains the theory & structure of the book), it isn't really necessary to read the book sequentially to put the concepts to practical use.

Whether you're a seasoned project manager, or a manager without much practical experience managing projects, you'll find this book useful and informative. Not merely from an academic point of view, but from a practical one as well.

That's why I recommend that you don't put the book on your bookshelf. Put it on your desk and you'll use it constantly to resolve immediate project management issues, as well as serving as an indispensable project management desk reference.

Customer Reviews:

The detailed portrait of extraordinary musician and educator .......2006-02-08

The latest of the "Lives in Music" series, Irving Fine: An American Composer In His Time is the detailed portrait of extraordinary musician and educator Irving Fine (1914-1962). Covering Fine's early life, his accomplishments as a composer and pianist, his brief teaching career at his alma mater Harvard University, his encounters with veiled anti- semitism, his subsequent success at Brandeis University, and much more. Pulitzer prize-winning composer Richard Wernick provides a foreword describing the growth and change of Fine's compositional style and aesthetic; while author and composer Phillip Ramey draws heavily upon the testimony of those who knew Fine best to craft an eminently readable and insightful study of a creative genius.

Cracking the AP World History Exam, 2004-2005 (College Test Prep)
Average customer rating:

Great Review

A Key to a 5

Cracking the AP World exam

Clear, concise, helpful.

Decent I Suppose

Cracking the AP World History Exam, 2004-2005 (College Test Prep)
Princeton Review
Manufacturer: Princeton Review
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Advanced Placement | Test Guides - College & University | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Test Prep Central | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

How to Prepare for the AP World History (Barron's How to Prepare for the Ap World History Advanced Placement Examination)

5 Steps to a 5 AP World History (5 Steps to a 5)

Cracking the AP U.S. History Exam, 2004-2005 Edition (College Test Prep)

Kaplan AP World History 2005 (Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions)

Cracking the AP World History Exam, 2006-2007 Edition (College Test Prep)

ASIN: 0375763805
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Book Description

The Princeton Review realizes that acing the AP World History Exam is very different from getting straight A’s in school. We don’t try to teach you everything there is to know about world history–only what you’ll need to score higher on the exam. There’s a big difference. In Cracking the AP World History Exam, we’ll teach you how to think like the test makers and
-Focus on the key ideas and information by using the History Review,
structured to help you wade through thousands of facts
-Nail the essay questions by learning how to compare and contrast
across civilizations and through the centuries
-Learn time-tested Princeton Review techniques for answering multiple-
choice questions and acing essays
This book includes 2 full-length practice AP World History tests. All of our practice test questions are like the ones you’ll see on the actual exam, and we fully explain every answer.

Customer Reviews:

Great Review.......2007-07-01

I use the Princeton Review for everything. I hate textbooks and as an enviromentalist, I hate how schools just use a textbook for everything. This review was excellent and was a concise review. Take some notes on this book, usng its first grader reading level style, and you will be bound to get at least a 3. I got a 5 on the exam (I found out yesterday) and am a sophmore and this book helped me so much. I reccommend just going through some topics online though. The review part is great for the MC but the essays are a little more detailed. So just know some facts for the essays (especially "wow they know there stuff" facts) and it will be great. If you love history, this book is great and interesting. The tests in the back are much harder than the real exam, and they say you need to answer 50/70 to get a 3, but that is more like a 4/5. If you can answer the 50 and know the essays, you will get a 4 guaranteed. Don't read the essay description. They go a little OCD on it and you will run out of time on the exam. If you are homeschooled, for the essay I reccoment visiting a teacher for help on it...I'm sure they'll be pleased. There are only 2 exams, so use sparingly. Other than that, it is a great book and left a good impression

A Key to a 5.......2006-10-01

My AP World History Teacher last year reccommended that everyone in the class buy this book, and none of us regretted it. It's written by one of the people who works on the AP World test- which seems like a pretty obvious advantage to me. It written clearly and on a level that should be accessable to anyone (and anyone who thinks it's cheesy hasn't read my US History textbook). Now, I was lucky enough to have a really fantastic teacher, but on the block schedule (which meant we only had about 4 and 1/2 months to learn the history of the world) our class had fantastic pass rates. Out of our class of 25, 10 people got 5's, 10 people got 4's, 4 people got 3's, and only one person ended up with a 2. I only studied for about 2 weeks and I got a 5. I would reccomend this book without qualms to anyone taking the AP World test.

Cracking the AP World exam.......2006-02-23

A good review book. I have urged all my AP students to buy it. We will use it to review for the exam in May.

Gee...lucky I am over the age of 13. In fact, I am 53 years over that age....so I guess I can write a review.

Clear, concise, helpful........2005-10-16

My student is finding this a big help in her first AP class. She says the prep book is much clearer than her textbook. She's using it now as an alternate source to review for tests and to make sure she understood what was in the text. Later in the year, she'll be using it to practice for the AP test itself. Glad we bought it!

Decent I Suppose.......2005-10-09

While this book would prepare any student well enough for the AP Exam, I would recommend the Barrons AP Review Book as a far better resource. The Princeton Review treats the reader as a child, frequently trying to be funny and failing miserably, coming off as partronizing and condescending.

Your Money Or Your Life: The Tyranny Of Global Finance
Average customer rating:

Good on debt issues, uneven otherwise

Your Money Or Your Life: The Tyranny Of Global Finance
Eric Toussaint
Manufacturer: Haymarket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Debt & Deficits | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | 20th Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Sweatshop Warriors : Immigrant Women Workers Take On the Global Factory

Globalization: Neoliberal Challenge, Radical Responses (IIRE (International Institute for Resear)

The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization

Women and Men in Management, Third Edition

Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq

ASIN: 1931859183

Book Description

In the last decade, neoliberal policies have created debt and global impoverishment on a massive scale. In this updated edition of his internationally recognized book, Eric Toussaint traces the origins and development of the crisis in global finance.

This new edition is fully updated with new statistics to account for new developments in global financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF. Your Money or Your Life is widely considered one of the clearest and best-documented books on globalization available. Includes an extensive bibliography and notes.

Eric Toussaint is president of the Committee for the Cancellation of Third World Debt and is a fellow and frequent lecturer at the International Institute for Research and Education in Amsterdam.

Customer Reviews:

Good on debt issues, uneven otherwise.......2006-04-30

This book goes into detail on the problems of globalization, debt relief for developing countries, the international flow of capital, the World Bank, and the IMF. The book makes a very good case for debt relief for poor countries. As Toussaint points out, in most cases the borrowed money went straight into the pockets of dictators and corrupt officials, and was never invested in the country at all. It therefore seems nothing short of ridiculous to expect repayment from the present governments and peoples of these countries, who never saw any of the money. Do we really expect developing countries to shut down their school systems and courts to be able to make payments on these debts?

Toussaint is also convincing on the subject of radical reform or outright elimination of the World Bank and the IMF. These institutions have consistently failed in the economic stabilization and development of poor countries that was their supposed mission. Today they are more of a force dragging down developing countries than pulling them up. Toussaint is very good on the need for a Tobin tax and other controls on the international flow of capital.

Toussaint misses the boat on some economic issues. He points out that GDP is a poor measure of economic growth, but doesn't discuss more accurate statistics such as the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare (ISEW). Toussaint wants growth so that the developing countries can be lifted out of poverty. What he doesn't mention is that if growth is accomplished by overexploitation of natural resources and pollution of the environment, as it usually is these days, in the long term this will mean more poverty. Since GDP does not account for changes in population, exhaustion of resources, or declining quality of life, increase in GDP is certainly not evidence of prosperity. I think the best we can hope for is the steady state economy; further economic growth is just not possible. This is not necessarily a bad thing. For more on this, I would suggest Herman Daly's book "Beyond Growth."

Toussaint is a fan of low prices for consumer products, apparently out of concern for the poor. I see the difficulty here as that low prices exacerbate the exhaustion of natural resources. Developing countries today are being systematically cheated out of the true value of their resources. An example is oil, today found mostly in developing countries. Given that a barrel of oil takes millions of years and tons of plant material to make, an accurate price would be nearer $700 a barrel than today's $70 a barrel.

Toussaint also wants the developed countries to open their borders to migrants from impoverished countries. This is totally wrongheaded. Such opening would very likely bring on a worldwide ecological collapse. Toussaint is being way too optimistic here about the worldwide economic future. The next decade is likely to see very substantial declines in the standard of living in both developed and developing countries, due largely to climate change and the passing of the global oil production peak. The developing countries are not going to be able to export their people or their problems to the rest of the world. Developing countries do have some advantages in these times, in that they are less oil-dependent than the developed countries are. Developing countries need to capitalize on their advantages, reduce their populations, and focus on their local markets. Dependence on international export for development is a futile exercise. In the developed countries, reducing unsustainable populations is equally necessary, and refocusing from global to local markets will be a must. For more on this, see Kunstler's book "The Long Emergency."

Toussaint also takes aim at the global patent system. Toussaint sees the patent problem as another example of the rich countries exploiting the poor, making drugs too expensive for people in poor countries to afford. The reality is that high-tech medicine in rich countries has long since reached the point of diminishing returns. The fact that a drug is under patent does not necessarily mean it is better than other drugs; in fact, the opposite is often true. In any case, most drug patents have surprisingly short lives, no more than a few years. The health care systems of developing countries would be better off if they forgot about patented drugs and focused on more-value-for-the-money health care improvements.

Toussaint opposes privatization of government assets and in some cases supports nationalization or re-nationalization of such assets. Toussaint makes a good case that in some countries privatization has been botched. I don't see, though, that the problem is privatization as such; more that the process should generally proceed slowly and that controls on the international flow of capital are a necessity. These assets, after all, were not contributing anything to government coffers when they were under government control; quite the contrary, they were a drag on the budget.

The book itself is rather unfocused, and is dull and academic in spots. It addresses many important issues, though. Some of Toussaint's proposals are excellent, others would only make matters worse. I would recommend the book for anyone with an interest in globalization and world poverty. Read it with a large grain of salt, though.

Your Money or Your Life!: The Tyranny of Global Finance

Average customer rating:

Good on debt issues, uneven otherwise
An invaluable resource!

Your Money or Your Life!: The Tyranny of Global Finance
Eric Toussaint
Manufacturer: Pluto Press (UK)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

Good on debt issues, uneven otherwise.......2006-04-28

An invaluable resource!.......2000-07-17

This book has the best, clearest summary of key issues in financial globalization, Third World debt and free-market reforms that I have ever seen (and I've seen a lot). I recommend it for academics who study globalization in their research, anti-globalization activists, and concerned world citizens in general--you'll find yourself using it as a reference!

Your Money or Your Life! The Tyranny of Global Finance. (Book Reviews).(Book Review): An article from: Capital & Class

Average customer rating:

Your Money or Your Life! The Tyranny of Global Finance. (Book Reviews).(Book Review): An article from: Capital & Class
Wendy Olsen
Manufacturer: Conference of Socialist Economists
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008FS57W
Release Date: 2005-07-30

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Capital & Class, published by Conference of Socialist Economists on September 22, 2002. The length of the article is 705 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Your Money or Your Life! The Tyranny of Global Finance. (Book Reviews).(Book Review)
Author: Wendy Olsen
Publication: Capital & Class (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2002
Publisher: Conference of Socialist Economists
Page: 179(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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