Poorly Made in China by Paul Midler

It took me quite some time to finish reading "Poorly Made in China" written by Paul Midler.  Not that it requires certain level of technical knowledge to allow full comprehension, quite the opposite, it was an easy read.  I just did not have the luxury to read the book on my preferred time since I did not own a hard copy and had to read from my sister's kindle.  Lucky though that my sister has been preoccupied with more important things that I was able to finish the book during the holidays.

The book offers answers to the long-standing question that has kept many wondering: "How come almost all products are being manufactured in China?"  We already knew of the cheap outsourcing cost, but the book goes further by illustrating how China is able to afford manufacturing at such low prices.  One instance cited is the practice of operating at zero profit.  Selling at low prices is one of the strategies used by Chinese manufacturers in attracting customers.  They may not gain in monetary value now, but they do benefit in other areas: the reputation of having to act as supplier for large, international corporations, having the access to unique product samples (provided by the customers) that may be offered to other customers, etc.  They give up profit that can be earned now in exchange for more profit in the future.  In addition to this, Chinese manufacturers make it appear easy for importers to start a supplier-customer relationship with them.  All it requires is the provision of samples.  China possesses superb mimicry skill that enables it to reproduce provided samples at incredible level of accuracy and speed.

It does not take long for importers to realize that everything is not as easy as what the manufacturers make it appear.  The book points out two major issues that the importers have to deal with: quality issues and disregard for the existing partnership.  The manufacturers often make important decisions that result in huge losses to the importers on its own, without discussing or even informing its partners.  This is very different from what I learned in school on the importance of good customer relationship, yet, it works very well for the manufacturers, because the importers have no other choice but to stick with the partnership.

While I was about to feel despair for the situation where the importers are in, the author was in time to spark a light of hope when he told an anecdote on how one importer was able to temporarily reverse the situation.  Even though this is a unique case, it still shows that the situation may be corrected in some ways.  

Paul Midler did a great job as a narrator.  He was able to clearly convey his point in a very interesting manner.  I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a peek into China's manufacturing industry.    

Reflection
Honestly, it was hard for me to believe some of the author's accounts.  I am a Chinese-Filipino.  My ancestors came from Mainland China, yet, I was never taught to act in the same way as how the Chinese manufacturers acted in the book.  In fact, we value honesty very much.  I can still remember the story of the 2 siopao owners told in Chinese class when I was still in elementary.  One insists to use the best part of the pork for his siopao, while the other one uses the not so good part.  At first, the second owner benefited from his strategy.  His customers soon found out about this.  As he lost his customers, the second owner was forced to shut down, while the first owner continued to prosper.  Maybe, history really plays an important role in shaping our values.  That even though we came from the same lineage, with different pasts and experiences, we turn out to share completely different cultures.

             

Meet Papa the Way Mackenzie has

I strongly recommend The Shack by William Young to all people who are having doubts regarding their faith.
The book may not give answers, but it will surely bring you to reexamine your preconceived thoughts on faith.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

It has been a while since the last time I read an English novel and I am glad that the first book I read after that lapse of time is The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

page-turning, worth the read, I must say.

First of all, the book is well-researched. Kostova's good command of history gave the story a strong foundation. Adding to the richness is the vividness in Kostova's use of description. I am certain that other readers enjoyed their journey with the author from place to place as much as I did. Above all, I like how Kostova made use of the dispute on the whereabouts of Vlad Tepes' grave to develop such a rich plot. Creative. Remarkably, Kostava was able to give life to Vlad Tepes in accordance with historical records with her vast imaginations.

The book reminds of the wicked nature of vampires, which I have almost forgotten in the heroic depiction of vampires these days, especially now that I become fond of watching The Vampire Diaries.

Cannot decide on what book to read next. Will you suggest one?

Success as a Function of Chance and HARDWORK

Every time I learn of successful personalities, I can't help envying them. I envy them for achieving high in their field of interest, while many with similar aspiration fail in their endeavor.

I assume that many of you think the same way as I do. We always tend to focus on these persons' glorious sides and forget to look at the whole picture. We leave the struggles they had undergone before succeeding out of the picture. They have worked hard to earn their success.

Reading Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers" reminds me of the importance of hardwork. He mentions of the 10,000 hour rule,of the need to spend 10,000 hours before it is sufficient to excel in a specific field. 10,000 hours, an unbelievably huge amount of time.

Gladwell emphasizes that we owe our success to the opportunities that come our way. I agree with him, but I believe that opportunity without hardwork would still result in failure. As one would recall,in his book "The Drunkard's Walk," Leonard Mlodinow writes:

"Since chance does play a role, one important factor in success is under our control: the number of at bats, the number of chances taken, the number of opportunities seized."

At this point, you may be moved by the power of hardwork. But I tell you, there is a gap between acknowledging the importance of hardwork and actually exercising it. As one of my teachers in college said, one remains a "potential" until he finally takes action.

The Drunkard's Walk

I just finished reading "The Drunkard's Walk" by Leonard Mlodinow. A well-written book; however, non-math lovers may not appreciate it for its emphasis on math technicalities. The author dedicated most pages to probability theory, using it as a tool in explaining the role of randomness in our lives.

Some of the quotes from the last chapter of the book:

Always keep in mind the other term in the equation - the role of chance.

Since chance does play a role, one important factor in success is under our control: the number of at bats, the number of chances taken, the number of opportunities seized.

It is no tragedy to think of the most successful people in any field as superheroes, but it is a tragedy when a belief in the judgement of experts or the marketplace rather than a belief in ourselves causes us to give up.