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This guide to corporate expansion planning shares the
insights of a veteran leader of global business site selection consulting
for location choices by corporate executives.
Marcel was the founder of Plant
Location International in Brussels, and has assisted many leading
corporations with their expansion plans around the world.
Europe Unites : The EU's Eastern Enlargement
Review of previous EU changes and the prospective ones in the
context of some major EU integration challenges
Peter Poole
2003
Bruce Donnelly
How Germans Negotiate : Logical Goals, Practical Solutions
Insights by a retired diplomat at Georgetown University about
both diplomatic and business negotiations
Memoirs : Jean Monnet - The Architect and Master Builder of
the European Economic Community
0385125054
The development of a very different vision for Europe through
the eyes of a very influential statesman in the process which created what
is largely taken for granted today, as though it had been inevitable.
It wasn't.
A witty collection of cross-cultural observations which are
as valid as the more scholarly work of other authors such as Edward Hall
Bob Larson
1983
Bruce Donnelly
Hidden Differences : How to Communicate With The Germans
Published long ago by Stern Magazine in Germany (Gruner &
Jahr), there may be an updated version, but I haven't looked for it.
Edward Hall was a leader in this field, and taught Foreign Service Officers
this subject long ago.
Edward Hall, Mildred Hall
1983
Bruce Donnelly
See also the more entertaining
"Getting Along With the Germans", by Bob Larson. Wit with a valid
message.
Cross-cultural issues for daily life, rather than just for
business transactions
Yale Richmond
1996
Bruce Donnelly
The Oligarchs: Wealth & Power in the New Russia
1586480014
Much has been written about "gangster capitalism" and
protectionism in the transition from the Soviet Union to the Russia of
today. It is worth understanding.
Interesting in hindsight (end of the Soviet era, and
subsequent developments in Georgia). Sure it is self-serving and not
necessarily reliable, which is not unique among memoirs, but the point is
that even he didn't foresee much of what soon transpired. Political
and economic changes can be discontinuous and very unpredictable, even for
those who are in power and have far more information at their disposal than
others. Think of that as analogous to Andy Grove's writings about an
"inflection point" in business development (Only the Paranoid Survive),
in which one must live with the challenge of very unpredictable future
scenarios and the emergence of new, unforeseen factors which suddenly make
comfortable old planning assumptions obsolete.
Another work from before the collapse of the Soviet Union
which remains interesting in hindsight. At the time of his defection
from his UN post, before Mikhail Gorbachev came to power, the historic
changes that were in motion were still unclear. Indeed, his 1985
introduction states "The USSR cannot be erased from the earth or removed
from its position at the center of power in the modern world. The
survival of mankind may depend upon temperate relations between the Soviet
Union and the United States." As further remarks in the epilogue
suggest, even a high-level insider such as this didn't see the collapse
coming, despite awareness of all the pressures involved. The remarks
about the importance of the relationship with Russia, however, merit more
attention. It is not in the interest of the world to neglect Russia's
needs, or to assume that the situation is any more predictable now.
Regardless of preconceived notions about the issue, take a
look at this former CIA analyst's perspective, and how and why his views on
the subject have changed over the years
Kenneth Pollack
2002
Bruce Donnelly
Arabs at War: Military Effectiveness, 1948-1991
(Studies in War, Society, and the Military)
0803237332
Recent military history and analysis of performance by
countries in the region by a former CIA analyst who doesn't hide his view
that it is time for Saddam to go, despite the risks involved in military
action
Kenneth Pollack
2002
Bruce Donnelly
Tinderbox : US Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism
1567512267
One need not agree with all the conclusions, including
objections to policies of the current administration, to find interesting
background, analysis, and suggestions from this more academic and
opinion-poll-conscious perspective on foreign perceptions of US policies.
Stephen Zunes
2003
Bruce Donnelly
Structural Flaws in the Middle East Peace Process :
Historical Contexts
0333738500
A collection of essays on how the situation has gone from bad
to worse, and some of the root causes which make this such a challenging
process.
JW Wright Jr.
2002
Bruce Donnelly
What Went Wrong : The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in
the Middle East
0060516054
Historical and cultural overview of the backdrop by a noted
scholar
Collection of insights from a 1998 meeting about the 1973
Arab-Israeli war which brought together scholars and officials from the
countries involved to explore the complexities and lessons learned for
future reference. Available from
www.adst.org Publications Dept
Edited by Ambassador Richard Parker
2001
Bruce Donnelly
Cursed is the Peacemaker : American Diplomat versus the
Israeli General, Beirut 1982
0971943206
Historical perspective reflecting the work of Philip Habib
during the conflict in Lebanon in 1982
John Boykin
2002
Bruce Donnelly
The Dream Palace of the Arabs : A Generation's Odyssey
0375704744
Interesting analysis of the Arab perspective of the peace
process from a professor at Johns Hopkins who has often appeared as an
expert on TV programs.
Fouad Ajami
1998
Bruce Donnelly
For the Future of Israel
080185928X
Published by Johns Hopkins, interviews of the former Prime
Minister of Israel with journalist Robert Little about the peace process and
dangers in the region
Shimon Peres and Robert Littel
1998
Bruce Donnelly
Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the
Modern Middle East
0195151747
For those who want to know even more about not just the war,
but also the events and perceptions behind it
Michael Oren
2002
Bruce Donnelly
The Israel-Arab Reader : A Documentary History of the Middle
East Conflict
0140297138
Good overview by respected analysts. See also Walter
Laqueur's books on terrorism, which date back to the 1970's before most
Americans were paying attention
Walter Laqueur, Barry Rubin
2001
Bruce Donnelly
Out of print, unfortunately. Look for it when visiting
England, perhaps.
The Great Arab Conquests
0704333368
If you wonder about the 8th century history which we tend to
ignore, but which many Arabs study and still revere as a guide for their
actions today, take a look at this research by a British scholar, if you can
still find it
Sir John Bagot Clubb
1980
Bruce Donnelly
The Middle East : A Brief History of the Last 2000 Years
0684832801
More social, cultural and religious history than just the
review of the historical flow of political developments, which is more of
the usual focus. See other reviews.
Bernard Lewis
Bruce Donnelly
A History of the Israeli - Palestinian Conflict
0253208734
Not light reading, but useful background to a complex subject
The Palestinian Refugees : Old Problem, New Solutions
0806133937
Based on 1999 research with contributions from Israel, the
Palestinians, Jordan, Egypt, Europe, and the US. Provides historical
background, context, and policy ideas.
Edited by Joseph Ginat and Edward Perkins
2002
Bruce Donnelly
The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order
0684844419
An important point of view to consider carefully, even if one
doesn't agree with all the conclusions
Samuel Huntington
1998
Bruce Donnelly
The Blood of Abraham
1557282935
Regardless of what one thinks of Jimmy Carter's policies or
actions as President, or thereafter, he was at the center of crucial events
and offers interesting insights into his perceptions about the region and
the changes which took place while he was in office.
Americans tend to forget about the Suez Crisis, but it wasn't
so easily forgotten in England, France, Egypt, or Israel, and remains
relevant to relations in the region.
The threat of Colonel Nasser to try to unite the Arab nations
and annihilate the new state of Israel with the support of Russian weapons
was the backdrop to the crisis, and one of the early challenges to the idea
of trying to resolve such conflicts by means other than military
intervention, such as multilateral initiatives through the UN, where the US
got the Security Council to oppose the actions of the British and French to
seize the Canal.
It was a
time when there was a very real perception among western political leaders
and the public that Colonel Nasser was the Arab's version of Hitler (quite
recently defeated at that time), given some superficial similarities between
the ideas of Mein Kampf and his own Philosophy of Revolution.
Lord Selwyn-Lloyd
1978
Bruce Donnelly
As with the Gulf War with Iraq, there were critics who
felt that war was not justified and that peaceful means were not adequately
explored, while other critics felt Nasser should have been overthrown (even
if publicly opposing the war for political reasons). This account by a
leading figure in Britain at the time reveals some of the complexities of
such situations.
In the US, the political complexities of the crisis
included a popular perception that this was another case of scheming
European leaders stirring up trouble in other countries as during their more
colonialist periods, and it was also scary in the context of the Cold War
standoff with Russia, and Russia's attempts to gain influence in many
countries in the region (as shown in the crisis in Azerbaijan a few years
earlier, which was basically the first test of the new UN and US
"containment" policies toward the Soviet Union as elaborated by George Kennan).
Eyewitness to a Genocide : The United Nations and Rwanda
0801438837
Consider once again the reality of an estimated 800,000
people being killed in a short period of time while the rest of the world
watched, but did little to even try to stop it. Can this be explained?
Next time you watch Blackhawk Down, about the Americans in Somalia, think
about the consequences for Rwanda too.
Like the famine in North Korea, the killing fields of
Cambodia,
or various civil wars (as in the Balkans) or other grim reminders that the world is still a very dangerous, uncivilized
place in which there may be few good policy options, there must be an
effort to achieve much better outcomes than this. Terrorists still
kill limited numbers of people. Genocidal despots kill far more, and
unfortunately may only be stopped by force.
The dilemma is that those who see such crises starting to
develop may have little power to affect the policies or events in such
places, and those who want to help may have little power to stop them.
Stopping genocide is not always easy to achieve, even after the risks or
actual killings become obvious.
Michael Barnett
2002
Bruce Donnelly
See also "The Problem From Hell" as another book
about modern genocide, which largely blames the US and the European nations
for inaction and infers that this must have been deliberate because it is
persistent behavior in many such crises. The book suggests that most political
leaders respond more to domestic constituencies which don't care to assume
the risks or costs of intervention. More importantly, they don't
support policies which might avert such outcomes in the first place.
That book is basically an unproven indictment of political
leaders, their advisors, and their intentions, but there is probably some
truth in it.
This "Eyewitness" book is probably a
more objective look at the many complexities of the same problem : people
who want to help, but find the flow of events and policies beyond their
influence or control.
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be
Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda
0374286973
This book tries to make the unspeakable personal.
Consider the scale of the US response to 3000+ deaths on 9/11 by
comparison to what happened in Rwanda.
Tragedy is not defined by body counts of the victims, but we
need to better understand how our own response to the suffering of others is
perceived as indifference when we don't perceive "vital interests" at stake,
or have a popular option with low risks of failure. Consider the past
and current famine situations in places like Ethiopia, too, or more recent
atrocities in countries like Sudan and Zimbabwe. The lack
of economic development and better governance kills many people. Literally millions of
people are at risk, and sending food aid is not the real solution.
Philip Gourevitch
1998
Bruce Donnelly
Various US
organizations, public and private, do great charitable work worldwide, as do
UN agencies and other countries, but we can and must to better than this.
Rwanda is an outrage from an era of opinion poll foreign policy, and will leave
us with a legacy of hatred in Africa that enemies will not soon forget, or fail to
exploit against our interests, as recent events have already shown.
Refer also to our directory of humanitarian and
philanthropic organizations, many of which are actively engaged in
Africa because of the obvious needs there.
The Fate of Africa, published by PublicAffairs
Post-colonial history of the continent as a chronicle of
political-economic problems from a journalist and academic perspective
Martin Meredith
2005
Bruce Donnelly
From Ancient Afryqah to Modern Africa : History Revealing
Clues to Current Issues
CD-ROM encyclopedia-style overview of Africa available from
www.afryqah.com
Pierre Sales
1999
Bruce Donnelly
Revolution in Zanzibar : An American's Cold War Tale
0813339499
A personal history of the 1964 period of crisis, including a
period of genocide by Africans against Arabs which many Americans have
probably forgotten, if they ever noticed at all. At the time, however,
it was perceived as a dangerous precedent for the spread of communism in
Africa, which thrust it into the spotlight of the Cold War temporarily -
much as nobody paid any attention to Afghanistan in the 1970's until the
Soviet Union invaded.
Tales From the Dark Continent : Images of British Colonial
Africa in the Twentieth Century
0708819303
Like the earlier oral history project about the lives of
British people in India before independence, Plain Tales From the Raj,
this chronicles anecdotal experiences of ordinary people in the British
colonial areas of Africa. It makes the days of the British Empire
personal.
Edited by Charles Allen
1979
Bruce Donnelly
You won't find this easily, even in major university
libraries, unfortunately, except perhaps in South Asia or East Africa, or
maybe Cannes, where he lived.
The Memoirs of Aga Khan : World Enough and Time
Although written 50 years ago, this account of the life of
the leader is the Ismaili Muslims should be of interest to people who want
to know more about the history of the region, including World War I in the
Middle East, and the movement toward indendence in India, as well as his
role in the League of Nations (President 1937). He also describes the
religious beliefs of his people, which differ sharply from the Islamist
movements of today.
His Highness the Aga Khan, with a foreward by Somerset
Maugham
1954, published in London by Cassell & Co.
Bruce Donnelly
Partner to History - The US Role in South Africa's Transition
to Democracy
1929223366
Written by the US Ambassador at the time, now at the Aspen
Institute, showing that although definitely not in control of all events, US
policy can make a difference
Princeton Lyman
2002
Bruce Donnelly
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