Book Review: Start-up Nation, The story of Israel's Economic Miracle by Den Senor and Saul Singer ISBN 9780446541466

One recent news item coincides with my reading of this book:after French's terrorism attacks on Jews in Paris, Israel's prime minister was visiting France to urge French Jews to immigrate back to Israel. Immigration, as stated in the book, was one of the policy reason that fostered Israel's innovation driven growth and industry.

Start-up nation addresses the trillion-dollar question: How is it that Israel-a country of 7.1 million people, only sixty years old, surrounded by enemies, in a constant state of war since its founding, with no natural resources- produces more start-up companies than large, peaceful and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada and the United Kingdom? Drawing on examples from the country's foremost inventors and investors, the authors describe how Israel's adversity-driven culture fosters a unique combination of innovative and entrepreneurial intensity.

Here are the list of possible reasons for Israel's success in generating start-ups:

• Geopolitical: Surrounded by Arab adversity
• Racial character: Jews individualistic and risk-taking culture
• Mandatory military drafting policy as a start-up incubator and entrepreneurial training ground
• Pro start-up investment environment
• Pro-immigration leads to inflow of new ideas and fostering bootstrapping mentality
• Expat community that support motherland's start-ups

Book Review: Thread of the silkworm 中国飞弹之父钱学森之谜 by Iris Chang 张定绮，许耀云译， ISBN 0465087167

想读此书源于越来越多的华人在美经济和社会地位提高，但似乎有一层玻璃天棚横在头上， 远有钱学森50年代McCarthy主义的冤狱， 近有李文和案。张纯如(Iris Chang)给此书定名Thread of the silkworm 颇含深意： 一可译为破茧而出，暗指当年钱学森冲破美国的玻璃天棚回到中国，另起炉罩，兴中国航天大业；也可译为做茧自缚，暗指来美的华人所常见的聪明，勤奋却也清高，孤立，不善结盟，不善交际，轻视不如自己的人，结果用事业学业的成功把自己隔绝起来，一旦冲突来临，孤立无缘，少人帮助的困境。

在美华人喜欢从事科技行业，靠头脑聪明打拼，希冀扬长避短，用善干来补嘴拙，以绕过玻璃天棚的制约。科学无国界，但科学家是有的。钱学森当年学术精英， 前途无量，但生不逢时，McCarthyism盛行，蒙冤受辱，只好回国发展。中美文化，体制不同，又均为大国，日后竞争角力在所难免，在美华人要有准备，全面发展，经济政治力量齐头并进，嗅觉敏锐，防McCarthyism于未然。 另外要广结善缘，联盟合纵，消除种族阶级壁垒，少做茧自缚。