Michael Woodford

For those interested in contemporary Japan and Japan business, and for those who liked Michael Crichton's 'Rising Son', this book may be for you. Unlike 'Rising Son', however, this is nonfiction. It's well-written, and I have doubts that Woodford actually wrote it himself, but I can't find anything saying it was ghost-written. It's very detailed, as if Woodford took notes throughout his ordeal. He names a lot of people by their actual name, which surprises me a bit, as a lot of what he wrote is potentially embarrassing for those people. I have the impression that Woodford understands Japan quite well, despite being unable to speak Japanese (which surprises me too, along with the fact that he seems to be tech-challenged, even to the point of being unable to type or use his email at a standard business level). Sometimes Woodford comes across as being unbelievably saintly. It really makes me wonder why Kikukawa, his main adversary, put him in such a position of responsibility, as the result - exposure - seems sort of inevitable. The one chapter that details the nuts and bolts of the accounting shenanigans that Olympus actually pulled was nearly incomprehensible to me. I kind of wonder if it would make sense to anyone. However, I enjoyed the book and read it straight through. I hope many Japanese, after reading the Japanese edition, take his message to heart.… (mais)