Top Books for Cross-border Success

Doing business in just one country and language almost certainly leaves money on the table. Yet operating internationally adds challenges and complexities. Here are 11 books — six just published — that help succeed across borders.

Top Books for Cross-border Success

American Idioms for Marketing: Engage and Persuade with Colorful Expressions Used in the USA by Liz Chroman and Richard Koret

Filled with colorful illustrations, this book aims to help non-native English speakers remember common marketing-related idioms such as “bird’s-eye view,” “find your niche,” and “flying under the radar” in a fun way. The authors are Liz Chroman, an English language teacher, and international marketing and communications expert Richard Koret.

How the World Ran Out of Everything: Inside the Global Supply Chain by Peter S. Goodman

New York Times economic journalist Peter S. Goodman explores how the pandemic exposed the complexity and vulnerability of the global supply chain and how to improve it.

Mastering Market Entry: USA: The European’s Guide to Making It Big in America by Manny Schoenhuber

This book offers a playbook for European business owners to break into the U.S. market. Schoenhuber is an attorney who represents European companies and investors in the U.S. and facilitates collaboration.

Spiderweb Capitalism: How Global Elites Exploit Frontier Markets by Kimberly Kay Hoang

University of Chicago professor Kimberly Kay Hoang reports on her groundbreaking behind-the-scenes investigation into the shadowy world of offshore finance and shell corporations.

Change Your Perspective: Communication Pitfalls in International Business by Irek Zyzanski et al.

Explains how to avoid stereotypes, improve cultural intelligence, and work smoothly with international teams.

The Language of Global Marketing by Wendy MacKenzie Pease

Pease aims to help businesses expanding into new markets optimize their content and communications with global inbound marketing and quality translation.

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, Third Edition by John Perkins

This expanded version of John Perkins’s New York Times bestseller exposes how the U.S. and China use development loans to trap less-wealthy countries in a corrupt system. The first edition was translated into more than 30 languages.

A Business Guide to International Trade & Investment  by Devyini E. Bailey

Published last year, Bailey’s book is a comprehensive guide to international trade operations and management, focusing mainly on import and export logistics.

Transforming the Global Supply Chain: Cyber Warfare, Technology, and Politics by Dennis Unkovic

Unkovic argues that the underlying causes of supply chain problems are not the pandemic but the increasing presence of cyber threats, the powerful impact of 3-D printing and robotics, and the new ways countries seek to protect their domestic economies from foreign competition.

Build Your Cultural Agility: The Nine Competencies of Successful Global Professionals by Paula Caligiuri

Caligiuri combines theory and practical advice for building cultural flexibility, an essential skill for global managers in any industry who want to be successful in international careers or managing global teams. One reviewer described this book as “a treasure chest of ideas.”

Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Diversity in Global Business, Fourth Edition by Charles Hampden-Turner and Fons Trompenaars

This 2020 update of an international classic provides an in-depth look at cultural differences, change management, and more. The authors are prominent thinkers on globalization.