Vietnam Today: A Guide To A Nation At A Crossroads (Paperback)

by Mark A. Ashwill (Author), Thai Ngoc Diep (Author)
Key Phrases: world values survey, nonpublic institutions, Vietnam Today, Brief History, Core Cultural Dimensions (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
A practical and relevant guide that provides a deeper understanding of Vietnam's rich heritage and recent changes. In-depth and comprehensive. -- Asian Pages, January 15-31, 2005

Vietnam is opening to the Western world. Contains history, cultural overview, and contemporary facts to ease the way. -- AsianWeek, January 28, 2005

Product Description
Vietnam stands at a crossroads. Located in the geographical center of Southeast Asia, Vietnam is a complex mixture of the ancient and the modern. A Soviet-style legacy contrasts with an emerging Western-style market economy. Vietnam is faced with pressing political, social and economic challenges, and yet it is full of hope and potential. Here is a first look at Vietnam in the twenty-first century, a nation undergoing rapid change and opening up to the world. Dr. Mark Ashwill paints a broad picture of Vietnam, past and present, and explores today's defining issues. Readers come to understand how a two-thousand-year history of foreign invasion, occupation and war has deeply influenced the Vietnamese character. The Chinese, French and U.S. Americans have all left their imprint. Yet the struggle against oppression has infused the Vietnamese with a fierce spirit of nationalism and caution in their dealings with foreigners. Building relationships and trust as a prelude to doing business are critical to the Vietnamese, whether at home or abroad. Vietnam Today reveals the most prominent characteristics of the Vietnamese: their energy and drive, the dominance of group over individual and the paramount importance of maintaining harmony. In doing so, Ashwill and his Vietnamese contributor shed light on many sources of misunderstanding between Vietnamese and Western professionals. But for those who are prepared to take the time to get to know the people, to move at their pace, and to learn about their culture and history, Vietnam can be a land of promise and opportunity.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Intercultural Press (November 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931930090
• ISBN-13: 978-1931930093
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #180,449 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on Vietnamese culture by a foreigner.., December 25, 2005

By	David V. Vu (Oklahoma city,OK USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a Vietnamese-American living in the US for 26 years, I consider this book one of the best ever written about Vietnam nowadays undergoing great changes. Very insightful,honest, fair,well balanced, non bias and not influenced by,for the better or worse, the American experience in Vietnam. Only a few corrections are recommended for next editions. First the Chams ( not Chans), are a malay group of minorities.The group living in Central Vietnam are mainly hinduist while the other group living in the Delta ( province of An Giang ) are mainly muslim.They never consider themselves as Vietnamese but Chams whose civilization was destroyed by the Vietnamese. The name of the late President of South Vietnam missed the middle name. He is Ngo "dinh" Diem, still highly revered by the majority of Vietnamese overseas. I appreciate very much the fact that the author use the abbreviation HCM City for Saigon instead of the full name which is anathema for many Vietnamese. Very clever and sensitive. The quotation about letting the windows open will let a few flies and mosquitoes flying in is one of the famous quotation of Deng Xiao Ping which changed the history of China. The sub title " a Guide " can mislead a few readers to think that this book is just another touristic travel book about Vietnam ( most of them not well written and superficial). This book is much more valuable and insightful than all the recent books about Vietnam. Congratulations !!!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique guide to modern Vietnam, January 28, 2005

By	Allison Martin "Book Reviewer" (comeunity.com) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Vietnam Today, A Guide to a Nation at a Crossroads is a unique guide to Vietnamese life and history for anyone who is interested in succeeding in a business or endeavor in modern Vietnam. If you are willing to spend a little time understanding the cultural influences on personal and business interactions in Vietnam, this book will be very helpful in your endeavors.

Much of Vietnam Today focuses on cultural interactions between Vietnamese people and Vietnamese and foreigners, especially Americans. It aptly explores the differences between societal expectations and unspoken rules between the two somewhat disparate cultures. Several chapters are devoted to explaining Vietnamese culture and manners in the context of business and society. Anyone working with Vietnamese people or staying long term in Vietnam will find these discussions and examples enlightening.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars captures the culture, politics & complexity of today's VietNam, July 12, 2007

By	Richard Fitzpatrick (Henderson, Nevada) - See all my reviews

VietNam is land full of promise and potential -- yet is faced with pressing political and economic challenges. VIETNAM TODAY provides a valuable picture of VietNam, past and present, and defines the issues and trends of today. It is a very practical guide that captures the culture, politics and complexity of today's VietNam - a nation of 80+ million - the thirteenth most populous country - with the second fastest growing economy.
It is significant to note that more than two-thirds of Vietnamese were born after the last American GI left in 1975. This book describes the 21st Century VietNam where, for the first time in more than 100 years, a generation has grown into adulthood not experiencing war or foreign domination.
VIETNAM TODAY was written for those who will visit VietNam on business, as well as for travelers who come on holiday also who want to know something about the country they are visiting. Furthermore, it should be read by Americans who want to understand VietNam as a country - not the name of a war.
It provides chapters on geography, demographics, politics, economy and business, history, changes since the war, cultural differences and offers invaluable tips for dealing with Vietnamese. It describes how to work with the fact that VietNam is a relationship-based society in which everyone is tapped into a network. It makes the observation that mavericks and lone wolves are likely to fail in making inroads here.
Particularly helpful is Chapter 7, "How the Vietnamese See Westerners." It presents impressions and reflections - positive, negative and constructively critical - from Vietnamese who have worked with foreigners for many years.
Don't let the subtitle "a Guide . ." mislead you into thinking that this book is simply your basic travel book (for that, I recommend The Rough Guide to VietNam and National Geographic Traveler's new VietNam guidebook).
VIETNAM TODAY offers a vivid, compassionate view of a people and a land that captured my heart two-and-a-half decades before Ashwill set foot in the country. It helped provide a context for me to understand numerous things that I had observed but hadn't been able to fully comprehend. This book will not only change the way you think about VietNam, it may cause you to reflect upon how you view the world. That's a lot to get from a travel guide!