Welcome To Utopia : Notes From A Small Town
by Karen Valby

I really liked the introduction. You get an idea of what a small town is like that has no mayor, no stoplights, seven churches, no fast food, no movie theaters, etc.
Utopia is in Texas and the original name was Montana. The guy who renamed it was the first postmaster. Quirky information that I find fascinating, but it came to a screeching halt in the first chapter. The author starts mentioning some of the characters she meets and their deadening conversation. Ho, hum.
Too bad. It looked like the book was going to be fun and entertaining. No such luck.

Poorly Made In China : An Insider's Account Of The Tactics Behind China's Production Game
by Paul Midler

Let's reword the title: Poorly Written Book On China.
There have been several books describing factory-made products in China and none of them have been good. This latest volume is just as bad.
The author, who is fluent in Mandarin and has a Wharton MBA (uh oh), is a buffer between Chinese companies and foreign importers. Everybody wants to work with him, so that they can be one step ahead in the new economy. Sound exciting? Not really.
It's certainly not enlightening nor entertaining as is written in the dust jacket. There's no continuity and everything is choppy.
I guess if one is a business major, in college, this might be required reading, but for the rest of us, stay very far away.