Hot Property: The Stealing of Ideas in an Age of Globalization

Amazing how quickly time flies. All of last month was spent studying for the LSAT, hence the lack of posts, and, albeit, reading of books.

However, I did manage to squeeze in an excellent, mind-blowing book by Pat Choate. For those of you politically minded, the name may sound familiar as Ross Perot selected him to be his vis presidential running mate. Makes we wonder know what the world would be like if Ross Perot had actually won the election.

Anyway, this is an amazingly shocking, well written book that covers the history of Intellectual Property (IP) and the challenges it faces today with technology and the quickly developing world. From pharmaceuticals to aircraft engine parts to DVDs and CDs. From the first patent to the first patent lawsuit to globalization and the challenges it brings to IP protection, and lack there of. This book covers all the bases while making an argument.

He clearly makes an argument that government has let inventors suffer, and not taken a stronger stance on the international stage to protect its own. Talks with China, for example, inevitably lead to the United States giving advanced information with nothing in return. Sometimes information is being outright stolen, and the red tape to fight it is thicker and longer than the Great Wall of China.

Turns out, this is nothing new. America's Industrial Revolution came courteously from information stolen from England. China's rise of industrial strength has come from the United States and Europe. China has discovered that it can send its people to the US to study, and they return with ideas that further develop China's industry and economy. What is surprising, however, is that China turns out more science students than the US. For every 1 US engineer, there are 10 Chinese engineers. And these 10 Chinese engineers need jobs, are willing to work for less pay than American counter parts and what company would not want to get more work, better work, for less money?

This book says what we all think from time to time, and traces the development of this country's strong IP laws and the ramifications of IP in a age of globalization.

The book blew my mind, and made me absolutely fascinated by IP, which makes law school all the more attractive.

If you want to learn something, if you're curious, if you don't have the faintest idea what IP is or what in the world it has to do with you or why you should care: read this book. You will think twice before getting on an airplane, turning the engine on in your car or swallowing the prescription pill you have been taking for as long as you can remember.

Rating: G$_G$_G$_G$

The Wal-Mart Effect

My how time flies! I started this post way back in June when I finished the book, lent it to my dad who read it and then I forgot about this post. And yes, I have done quite a bit of reading in the past two months and have some catching up to on this blog.

Anywhere, here is how it started:

"Everything is associated with Wal-Mart in one way or another. Literally. Everything. From the salmon sitting in your freezer to the A/C window unit to your laundry detergent to the threads that make up your cloths and the parts in your car. Everything.

Wal-Mart has done wonders to stream line businesses, as well as run others out of business. Though the book doesn't take an exact stance, it does provide compelling arguments for both sides."

You can argue that the book is anti Wal-Mart but it presents enough evidence to the contrary not to be considered anti Wal-Mart, especially compared to the other Wal-Mart literature that occasionally adorns the shelves of the business section at Banres & Noble and Borders. You will find more Wal-Mart literature than you will find Google literature though.

The Wal-Mart Effect, in essence, distills the complicate structure of Wal-Mart and the ripple effect it has across the world. It discusses in great detail the companies that stick with Wal-Mart even though the continuous squeeze on price while demand for higher production no longer makes the relationship profitable for anyone but Wal-Mart. The book also discusses Wal-Marts failures, particularily in Germany and its struggle to gain a foothold in China, Japan and Mexico. The company is an example of struggles faced by all in this world of globalization. From working conditions to increased competition to public backlash.

A very fascinating read, and the author, Charles Fishman, does an excellent job in telling the story in a lively, entertaining voice. He interjects his own experiences, especially in the beginning, to give the reader a sense of commonality. He breaks the information down and simplifies so the astronomical numbers and data make sense, and the reader can see the whole picture instead of just a sliver or two.

Reading the book made me wonder what would happen of Wal-Mart, the Walt Disney Company and Google merged into one.

If you find business fascinating, especially the business of Wal-Mart, and ever wonder if or how the bag you take to work every morning could have anything to do with Wal-Mart, you should read The Wal-Mart Effect. It will satisify your curiosity and leave you wondering about where you shop, what you buy and how come it suddenly is a big deal.

Rating: G$_G$_G$_G

My War: Killing Time In Iraq

Okay. So I'm a bit behind on my book blogging: I've been doing so much reading!

My War: Killing Time In Iraq by Colby Buzzell is a hilarious, quirky inside look at reasons to join the Army, basic training and the War on Terror in Iraq. It plays out in stark contrast to what we see on TV and also demonstrates that even the armed forces are struggling over the phenomenon of the Internet and blogging just like civilian institutions.

Buzzell joined the Army just to do something, and his book revolves around his blog while chronicling his beginnings, middles and end, interspersed with lists of war movies to get the troops fired up, best mission play list and others. His sarcasm and wit is refreshing for what is essentially a war memoir. He prints up press releases, media rules, messages, emails, military instructions and antedotes that make you laugh and wonder why we're consider the greatest military in the world while at the same time applauding the men and women who put themselves in the line of fire day in and day out.

Parts of it are very serious and quite riveting, like when he talks about going out on missions, getting caught in a fire fight on the way through only to have to turn around and go through that same danger zone again. It brought up images of Black Hawk Down.

Thoughout the novel is the theme of blogging, technology and how it poses a problem even for the military. His blog is an excellent example of viral marketing, as people found it on accident, then sent the link to friends and co-workers who logged on and read it. There is an instance in the novel where Buzzell is at an Internet cafe, checking his email, and a glance at the soldier next to him reveals that the soldier is reading Buzzell's blog and doesn't know it's Buzzell's blog!

So if you're looking for an entertaining read on the most recent war, pick up My War: Killing Time In Iraq and you'll not only get an entertaining read, but also an unbiased insider's view about the War on Terror, Iraq and what life over there is really like.

Rating: G$_G$_G$_G

Teacher Man

Okay. I finished this book about a month ago, and it still sticks in my head.

For those of you who don't know, Teacher Man is by Frank McCourt who is famous for his first novle, Angela's Ashes. He takes the same wit and humor and translates it into the trials and tribulations of being a public school teacher in New York. From the politics of academia to inspiring kids, this novel is filled with funny stories.

One that sticks out in my mind still is when he gets an excuse note from a student that is obviously forged, sticks in a drawer and then reads through all the excuse notes he has gotten while the students take a test. He reflects that "isn't it remarkable how they resist any kind of writing assignment in class or at home. They whine and say they're busy and it's hard putting tow hundred words together on any subject. But when they forge these excuse notes they're brilliant. Why? I have a drawer full of excuse notes that could be turned into an anthology of Great American Excuses or Great American Lies" (85). He proceeds with examples that are just absolutely hilarious.

There are the interactions with students, the dreaded first day, the rebel, the quiet girl. There is a familiarity with these characters, whether you take experience from the teacher or the student side, which makes the novel all the more warm and entertaining.

Now if only my movie choices the past month could be as good as my book choices. Next book to get in here will be My War: Killing Time in Iraq. A very entertaining read about the "war on terror," proof that even the military can't always keep a lid on technology and that viral marketing works across oceans.

Teacher Man Rating: G$_G$_G$_G$

Tinged with the slightest regrets of admitting this

This is an open letter to my professors and professorial friends, past and present.

Let me just start off by saying that, in general and in hindsight, I feel like I walked out of your classes with at least a few nuggets of useful knowledge. The exceptions are the classes formerly known as French 110, 230 and 231 at Grossly Enlarged Midwestern University. I should have postponed taking 110, since it was shuffled off to that file entitled "dead classes that the university will never offer again" a mere summer term after my having taken it. 230 was taught by a professor whose name shall not profane this blog - suffice it to say that I hold his lechery and blatant preference of well-dressed blondes against him. 231 - managed to hold my interest for a couple of class sessions, especially during the Farce of Maître Pathelin, but... yeah, coming up with nothing after that. Bêééé....

I had some classes that were outstanding. Capstone, for instance. David Sedaris's essay entitled "Make That a Double" is a must in my beginning classes, and I still carry around my Knopf Paris book. It is one of the most gorgeous travel guides ever - even its illustrations of the SEWERS are fascinating. Also the insanely difficult French 356, which taught me to respect the subjunctive in its many forms, and to at least pay attention to the passé litéraire, for pete's sake. Even French Civ, which I believe was numbered 100, wasn't half bad (except for the WebCT readings which would never print correctly, but that's my Mac preferences getting in the way of my education).

But let me tell you what. I still curse those of you out there who assigned the readings that, 6 and 7 years later, I have NEVER HAD COME UP AGAIN in a discussion. Not even with my friends getting their aggrégations. Not even in my master's classes up in New England. Not only were the vast majority of the said readings boring (I'd rather look up vocabulary than read them again), they also, for the most part, cost me some serious money because GEMU's bookstore gouges students on texts for class. So your readings, though painstakingly chosen from a field of hundreds of works, will now rejoin the other loser books like "Kansas Trivia" and anything by Mary Englebreit on our front shelves. Including anything not by Voltaire or Beaumarchais from that 18th-century lit. class, which is something to the tune of 4 or 5 books. The only redeeming quality of that class was seeing that I wasn't the only person that hated my roommate (a former classmate asked me last summer, "UGH! What was the name of that vapid girl, the one with the black square glasses...??") and when the professor decided to let down his hair and sing along with the recording of The Barber of Seville in class.

That is all. Class dismissed.

Memiors of a Geisha

Another book that has been on list of books to read, and on the left side of my bookcase has been crossed off the list and moved to the right side of the bookcase.

First off, I would like to point out that the point of view of this novel is that of a woman, yet the novel is written by a man. A man! I was only reminded of this when I closed the book and saw the name on the cover, which is a testament to both Arthur Golden's skill in writing and a truly enthralling story line.

Mr. Golden does an excellent job of taking you through the life of a young girl as she goes from her "tipsy house" to the city of Gion to become a geisha. The language in the beginning is simple, like that of a child, with phrases like "tipsy house" to describe surroundings. As the narrator matures, so does the language and phrasing. There is a subtley to the language as well, where intimacies are alluded to rather than fully described, leaving you to your imagination while being enthralled with the story.

The imagery is wonderful. You feel like you are in Gion and shake your head for a moment and look at your surroundings when you take your eyes from the page. The room in which you are in does not compare to the descriptions of Gion, the people, the buildings and the interactions between the characters. There are those Asian tidbits of wisdom as well, which strike that fine line between philosophical, sensible and sometimes commical.

An excellent read. Perfect escapism. Brain candy.

Next up for me is Teacher Man by Frank McCourt.

Rating: G_$ G_$ G_$ G_$ G_$

Ghost Wars Is Certainly Scary

I first saw Steve Coll's Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invations to September, 10, 2001 in a bookstore in Dublin, Ireland. The title itself is intriguing. When I got back to the States I saw it at a local bookstore and haven't wondered why I bought it. At the time, the Bush administration was coming under increasing criticism for the war in Iraq and it was soon clear that the US had entered the war under false pretenses. This book is an unbiased looked at US and Mid-East relationships that greatly strengthens the arguments of protestors.

Coll did a tremendous amount of research, evident in the details he weaves in a narrative format and the almost 100 pages of notes at the end of the book. It also demonstrates a clear lack of communication not just between intelligence agencies, but among them as well. From those who saw Islamist radicalism as a problem before it was on the US radar to those who did nothing despite reports outlining the rise of Islamist radicalism and rising terrorism, too many wires were crossed and information did not meet the right people. It reminded me of the game telephone. You pass a message along down the line, and it is a gross mutation of the original message by the time it gets to the end.

Ghost Wars also demonstrates how Afghanistan was a priority during the Russian invasion, and then slowly slipped under the radar and out of the budget at America slipped into a state of denial. A bi-product of our support and subsequent pull-out left Muslim countries fending for themselves. A rich man by the name of Osama Bin Laden turned the frustration of Muslims into angry action against the US; the entity responsibile for their down-trodden, poverty state.

I was appalled when I read that America pulled out before following-through on the promise of establishing democracy and security. American politics dictated that America pull out even though the job wasn't done. The US left behind a skeleton crew, people scattered about to monitor anything of interest. There certainly was interest. Middle Eastern politics is fascinating. The structure is interesting, and being part of the royal family has benefits but also causes a good deal of in-fighting, leading to overthrows and what seems like a continuous change in power. America establishes a relationship with the ruler only to have it crumble as the ruler is ousted and replaced. America learned to walk a thin line between waring factions, appeasing one and fighting the other, then vise versa in order to keep favor.

Coll does an excellent job in illustrating all the different factors that came into play prior to September 11, 2001. Staying the middle so as not to upset either side that might be in power the next day was no easy task, and caused for many missed opportunities in developing relationships.

This is not a book for the faint hearted. There are parts that are very difficult to read and often too realistic. For example, I had just read about a bombing only to hear the following morning about the Underground bombing in London. That was much too close for comfort. The depth of detail is astounding, and not what you will find in a history book. You'll learn more about the US government as well as its place in recent global events than you will by reading the news or history books.

You may, as The New York Time quote states on the cover, "want to rip the page and yell at the American counterterrorims officials he describes" but you may also gain a better understanding in why it is important for America to remain in Iraq, even if the understanding is still jaded like mine.

Ghost Wars will open a new set of doors into the world of America and its place, from a politicial as well as economic viewpoint. Sums of money change hands that only few can imagine. Ghost Wars will make you question what those large sums of cash bought, and if September 11, 2001 was an invetiable by-product of American involved in the Middle-East.

Broaden your mind and check it out the next time you're at the library or browsing in a bookstore.

Rating: G$_G$_G$_G$