Culture Hacks

Richard Conrad

International business requires a deep level of industry insight but also a keen understanding of the cultural differences that impact how business is done. If you’re an American working in China or Japan for the first time, you may not realize the way each culture thinks and reasons is quite different from your own, which can lead to frequent misunderstandings. You may be unaware, for example, that Americans reason in a linear manner, Chinese in a lateral manner, and Japanese intuitively. Or that the Japanese and Chinese believe in relative truth, while Americans believe in absolute truth.

You won’t read about these differences in a typical business etiquette book, but they are foundational to the way each culture considers and conducts their business.

In Culture Hacks, Richard Conrad draws on his 25 years of experience living and working in Asia to explain the different ways Americans, Chinese, and Japanese think, reason, and interpret the world. He’ll equip you to successfully navigate unfamiliar territory by offering best practices and recommendations for interacting with and understanding each other.

Press & Praise

Fraser Howie, author of Red Capitalism

"With rising US-China tensions, this original and creative new book will shed light as to why American and Chinese officials and businessmen are speaking past one another. Mutual misunderstanding has been a key outcome of both political and business interaction over the past four decades, and Conrad's new book is a great place to understand why."

Dave Asprey, founder and CEO of Bulletproof; NYT bestselling author of The Bulletproof Diet

"Read this book to learn how culture is the secret to winning in China and Japan--it's what makes your business bulletproof!"

Kathy Matsui, author of the Womenomics Report

"Culture Hacks is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the important differences between Japanese, Chinese, and American economies and societies. Drawing on his own personal experiences and extensive research, Conrad creates a valuable framework for navigating these three very unique cultures."

Richard Conrad

Richard Conrad grew up in Washington, D.C., studied engineering and economics at Vanderbilt University, earned a master’s degree in Economics as a local student at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, and later earned an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Richard worked for the last sixteen years for a large U.S. money management firm researching, analyzing, and investing in Chinese and Japanese equities.

Richard is fluent in Chinese and Japanese and continues to live in Asia with his family.


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