Author: James McGregor
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 074325841X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 354
Book Description
From one of the most successful journalist/businessmen ever to do business inChina comes a blueprint for succeeding in the worlds fastest-growing consumermarket.
One Billion Customers
Author: James McGregor
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 074325841X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 354
Book Description
From one of the most successful journalist/businessmen ever to do business inChina comes a blueprint for succeeding in the worlds fastest-growing consumermarket.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 074325841X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 354
Book Description
From one of the most successful journalist/businessmen ever to do business inChina comes a blueprint for succeeding in the worlds fastest-growing consumermarket.
One Billion Customers
Author: James McGregor
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0743282450
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 337
Book Description
It is well known that with a population of 1.3 billion people, China's market is moving quickly toward surpassing those of North America and Europe combined. Companies from the United States and around the globe are flocking there to buy, sell, manufacture, and create new products. But as former Wall Street Journal China bureau chief turned successful corporate executive James McGregor explains, business in China is conducted with a lot of subterfuge -- nothing is as it seems and nothing about doing business in China is easy. Destined to become the bible for business people in China, One Billion Customers shows how to navigate the often treacherous waters of Chinese deal-making. Brilliantly written by an author who has lived in China for nearly two decades, the book reveals indispensable, street-smart strategies, tactics, and lessons for succeeding in the world's fastest growing consumer market. Foreign companies rightly fear that Chinese partners, customers, or suppliers will steal their technology or trade secrets or simply pick their pockets. Testy relations between China's Communist leaders and the United States and other democracies can trap foreign companies in a political crossfire. McGregor has seen or experienced it all, and now he shares his insights into how China really works. One Billion Customers maximizes the expansive knowledge of a respected journalist, well-known businessman, and ultimate China insider, offering compelling narratives of personalities, business deals, and lessons learned -- from Morgan Stanley's creation of a joint-venture Chinese investment bank to the pleasure dome of a smuggler whose $6 billion operation demonstrates how corruption greases the wheels of Chinese commerce. With nearly 100 strategies for conducting business in China, this unprecedented account combines practical lessons with the story of China's remarkable rise to power.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0743282450
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 337
Book Description
It is well known that with a population of 1.3 billion people, China's market is moving quickly toward surpassing those of North America and Europe combined. Companies from the United States and around the globe are flocking there to buy, sell, manufacture, and create new products. But as former Wall Street Journal China bureau chief turned successful corporate executive James McGregor explains, business in China is conducted with a lot of subterfuge -- nothing is as it seems and nothing about doing business in China is easy. Destined to become the bible for business people in China, One Billion Customers shows how to navigate the often treacherous waters of Chinese deal-making. Brilliantly written by an author who has lived in China for nearly two decades, the book reveals indispensable, street-smart strategies, tactics, and lessons for succeeding in the world's fastest growing consumer market. Foreign companies rightly fear that Chinese partners, customers, or suppliers will steal their technology or trade secrets or simply pick their pockets. Testy relations between China's Communist leaders and the United States and other democracies can trap foreign companies in a political crossfire. McGregor has seen or experienced it all, and now he shares his insights into how China really works. One Billion Customers maximizes the expansive knowledge of a respected journalist, well-known businessman, and ultimate China insider, offering compelling narratives of personalities, business deals, and lessons learned -- from Morgan Stanley's creation of a joint-venture Chinese investment bank to the pleasure dome of a smuggler whose $6 billion operation demonstrates how corruption greases the wheels of Chinese commerce. With nearly 100 strategies for conducting business in China, this unprecedented account combines practical lessons with the story of China's remarkable rise to power.
Adventures in the Chinese Economy: 16 Years from the Inside
Author: Sven Agten
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 981161167X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 275
Book Description
This book provides an insightful overview of the social-economical trends in modern China, their global influence, and the disrupting consequences for businesses and countries all over the world. It is a fresh look at the business conditions that Western firms face in China, poised to become the world's largest and most dynamic economy. Using a vast array facts and data, combined with personal stories and experiences, Mr. Agten provides an accessible and entertaining glimpse at Chinese megatrends, such as the development of the middle class, innovation and upskilling, digitalization of Chinese society, rising labor costs and more. This book is a must-read for entrepreneurs, executives and economists seeking to understand the Chinese market.
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 981161167X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 275
Book Description
This book provides an insightful overview of the social-economical trends in modern China, their global influence, and the disrupting consequences for businesses and countries all over the world. It is a fresh look at the business conditions that Western firms face in China, poised to become the world's largest and most dynamic economy. Using a vast array facts and data, combined with personal stories and experiences, Mr. Agten provides an accessible and entertaining glimpse at Chinese megatrends, such as the development of the middle class, innovation and upskilling, digitalization of Chinese society, rising labor costs and more. This book is a must-read for entrepreneurs, executives and economists seeking to understand the Chinese market.
China's Super Consumers
Author: Savio Chan
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118905903
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 245
Book Description
Chinese Consumers are Changing The World – Understand Them and Sell To Them China has transformed itself from a feudal economy in the 19th century, to Mao and Communism in the 20th century, to the largest consumer market in the world by the early 21st century. China's Super Consumers explores the extraordinary birth of consumerism in China and explains who these super consumers are. China's Super Consumers offers an in-depth explanation of what's inside the minds of Chinese consumers and explores what they buy, where they buy, how they buy, and most importantly why they buy. The book is filled with real-world stories of the foreign and domestic companies, leading brands, and top executives who have succeeded in selling to this burgeoning marketplace. This remarkable book also takes you inside the boardrooms of the people who understand Chinese consumers and have had success in the Chinese market. A hands-on resource for succeeding in the Chinese marketplace Filled with real-world stories of companies who have made an impact in China Discover what the Chinese consumer wants and how to deliver the goods Written by Savio Chan and Michael Zakkour, two leading experts on the Chinese market This book is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants a clear understanding of how China's Super Consumers are changing the world and how to sell to them.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118905903
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 245
Book Description
Chinese Consumers are Changing The World – Understand Them and Sell To Them China has transformed itself from a feudal economy in the 19th century, to Mao and Communism in the 20th century, to the largest consumer market in the world by the early 21st century. China's Super Consumers explores the extraordinary birth of consumerism in China and explains who these super consumers are. China's Super Consumers offers an in-depth explanation of what's inside the minds of Chinese consumers and explores what they buy, where they buy, how they buy, and most importantly why they buy. The book is filled with real-world stories of the foreign and domestic companies, leading brands, and top executives who have succeeded in selling to this burgeoning marketplace. This remarkable book also takes you inside the boardrooms of the people who understand Chinese consumers and have had success in the Chinese market. A hands-on resource for succeeding in the Chinese marketplace Filled with real-world stories of companies who have made an impact in China Discover what the Chinese consumer wants and how to deliver the goods Written by Savio Chan and Michael Zakkour, two leading experts on the Chinese market This book is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants a clear understanding of how China's Super Consumers are changing the world and how to sell to them.
One Billion Hungry
Author: Gordon Conway
Publisher: Cornell University Press
ISBN: 0801466105
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 469
Book Description
Hunger is a daily reality for a billion people. More than six decades after the technological discoveries that led to the Green Revolution aimed at ending world hunger, regular food shortages, malnutrition, and poverty still plague vast swaths of the world. And with increasing food prices, climate change, resource inequality, and an ever-increasing global population, the future holds further challenges.In One Billion Hungry, Sir Gordon Conway, one of the world's foremost experts on global food needs, explains the many interrelated issues critical to our global food supply from the science of agricultural advances to the politics of food security. He expands the discussion begun in his influential The Doubly Green Revolution: Food for All in the Twenty-First Century, emphasizing the essential combination of increased food production, environmental stability, and poverty reduction necessary to end endemic hunger on our planet. Conway addresses a series of urgent questions about global hunger: • How we will feed a growing global population in the face of a wide range of adverse factors, including climate change? • What contributions can the social and natural sciences make in finding solutions?• And how can we engage both government and the private sector to apply these solutions and achieve significant impact in the lives of the poor?Conway succeeds in sharing his informed optimism about our collective ability to address these fundamental challenges if we use technology paired with sustainable practices and strategic planning.Beginning with a definition of hunger and how it is calculated, and moving through issues topically both detailed and comprehensive, each chapter focuses on specific challenges and solutions, ranging in scope from the farmer's daily life to the global movement of food, money, and ideas. Drawing on the latest scientific research and the results of projects around the world, Conway addresses the concepts and realities of our global food needs: the legacy of the Green Revolution; the impact of market forces on food availability; the promise and perils of genetically modified foods; agricultural innovation in regard to crops, livestock, pest control, soil, and water; and the need to both adapt to and slow the rate of climate change. One Billion Hungry will be welcomed by all readers seeking a multifaceted understanding of our global food supply, food security, international agricultural development, and sustainability.
Publisher: Cornell University Press
ISBN: 0801466105
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 469
Book Description
Hunger is a daily reality for a billion people. More than six decades after the technological discoveries that led to the Green Revolution aimed at ending world hunger, regular food shortages, malnutrition, and poverty still plague vast swaths of the world. And with increasing food prices, climate change, resource inequality, and an ever-increasing global population, the future holds further challenges.In One Billion Hungry, Sir Gordon Conway, one of the world's foremost experts on global food needs, explains the many interrelated issues critical to our global food supply from the science of agricultural advances to the politics of food security. He expands the discussion begun in his influential The Doubly Green Revolution: Food for All in the Twenty-First Century, emphasizing the essential combination of increased food production, environmental stability, and poverty reduction necessary to end endemic hunger on our planet. Conway addresses a series of urgent questions about global hunger: • How we will feed a growing global population in the face of a wide range of adverse factors, including climate change? • What contributions can the social and natural sciences make in finding solutions?• And how can we engage both government and the private sector to apply these solutions and achieve significant impact in the lives of the poor?Conway succeeds in sharing his informed optimism about our collective ability to address these fundamental challenges if we use technology paired with sustainable practices and strategic planning.Beginning with a definition of hunger and how it is calculated, and moving through issues topically both detailed and comprehensive, each chapter focuses on specific challenges and solutions, ranging in scope from the farmer's daily life to the global movement of food, money, and ideas. Drawing on the latest scientific research and the results of projects around the world, Conway addresses the concepts and realities of our global food needs: the legacy of the Green Revolution; the impact of market forces on food availability; the promise and perils of genetically modified foods; agricultural innovation in regard to crops, livestock, pest control, soil, and water; and the need to both adapt to and slow the rate of climate change. One Billion Hungry will be welcomed by all readers seeking a multifaceted understanding of our global food supply, food security, international agricultural development, and sustainability.
NO ANCIENT WISDOM, NO FOLLOWERS
Author: James McGregor
Publisher: Easton Studio Press, LLC
ISBN: 1935212818
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 150
Book Description
In the past three decades, China has risen from near collapse to a powerhouse -- upending nearly every convention on the world stage, whether policy or business. China is now the globe’s second largest economy, second largest exporter, a manufacturing machine that has lifted 500 million of its citizens from poverty while producing more than one million US dollar millionaires. Then why do China’s leaders describe the nation’s economic model as “unstable and unsustainable”? Because it is. James McGregor has spent 25 years in China as a businessman, journalist and author. In this, his latest highly readable book, he offers extensive new research that pulls back the curtain on China’s economic power. He describes the much-vaunted “China Model” as one of authoritarian capitalism, a unique system that, in its own way, is terminating itself. It is proving incompatible with global trade and business governance. It is threatening multinationals, which fear losing their business secrets and technology to China’s mammoth state-owned enterprises. It is fielding those SOEs – China’s “national champions” -- into a global order angered by heavily subsidized state capitalism. And it is relying on an outdated investment and export model that’s running out of steam. What has worked in the past, won’t work in the future. The China Model must be radically overhauled if the country hopes to continue its march toward prosperity. The nation must consume more of what it makes. It must learn to innovate. It must unleash private enterprise. And the Communist Party bosses? They must cede their pervasive and smothering hold on economic power to foster the growth, and thus social stability, that they can’t survive without. Government must step back, the state-owned economy must be brought to heel, and opportunity must be freed. During the Tang Dynasty, an official in the imperial court observed: “No ancient wisdom, no followers.” He was lamenting that regime was headed alone into dangerous and uncharted waters without any precedent for guidance. Again today – as McGregor makes clear – this is China’s greatest challenge.
Publisher: Easton Studio Press, LLC
ISBN: 1935212818
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 150
Book Description
In the past three decades, China has risen from near collapse to a powerhouse -- upending nearly every convention on the world stage, whether policy or business. China is now the globe’s second largest economy, second largest exporter, a manufacturing machine that has lifted 500 million of its citizens from poverty while producing more than one million US dollar millionaires. Then why do China’s leaders describe the nation’s economic model as “unstable and unsustainable”? Because it is. James McGregor has spent 25 years in China as a businessman, journalist and author. In this, his latest highly readable book, he offers extensive new research that pulls back the curtain on China’s economic power. He describes the much-vaunted “China Model” as one of authoritarian capitalism, a unique system that, in its own way, is terminating itself. It is proving incompatible with global trade and business governance. It is threatening multinationals, which fear losing their business secrets and technology to China’s mammoth state-owned enterprises. It is fielding those SOEs – China’s “national champions” -- into a global order angered by heavily subsidized state capitalism. And it is relying on an outdated investment and export model that’s running out of steam. What has worked in the past, won’t work in the future. The China Model must be radically overhauled if the country hopes to continue its march toward prosperity. The nation must consume more of what it makes. It must learn to innovate. It must unleash private enterprise. And the Communist Party bosses? They must cede their pervasive and smothering hold on economic power to foster the growth, and thus social stability, that they can’t survive without. Government must step back, the state-owned economy must be brought to heel, and opportunity must be freed. During the Tang Dynasty, an official in the imperial court observed: “No ancient wisdom, no followers.” He was lamenting that regime was headed alone into dangerous and uncharted waters without any precedent for guidance. Again today – as McGregor makes clear – this is China’s greatest challenge.
One Billion Americans
Author: Matthew Yglesias
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 059319022X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER What would actually make America great: more people. If the most challenging crisis in living memory has shown us anything, it’s that America has lost the will and the means to lead. We can’t compete with the huge population clusters of the global marketplace by keeping our population static or letting it diminish, or with our crumbling transit and unaffordable housing. The winner in the future world is going to have more—more ideas, more ambition, more utilization of resources, more people. Exactly how many Americans do we need to win? According to Matthew Yglesias, one billion. From one of our foremost policy writers, One Billion Americans is the provocative yet logical argument that if we aren’t moving forward, we’re losing. Vox founder Yglesias invites us to think bigger, while taking the problems of decline seriously. What really contributes to national prosperity should not be controversial: supporting parents and children, welcoming immigrants and their contributions, and exploring creative policies that support growth—like more housing, better transportation, improved education, revitalized welfare, and climate change mitigation. Drawing on examples and solutions from around the world, Yglesias shows not only that we can do this, but why we must. Making the case for massive population growth with analytic rigor and imagination, One Billion Americans issues a radical but undeniable challenge: Why not do it all, and stay on top forever?
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 059319022X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER What would actually make America great: more people. If the most challenging crisis in living memory has shown us anything, it’s that America has lost the will and the means to lead. We can’t compete with the huge population clusters of the global marketplace by keeping our population static or letting it diminish, or with our crumbling transit and unaffordable housing. The winner in the future world is going to have more—more ideas, more ambition, more utilization of resources, more people. Exactly how many Americans do we need to win? According to Matthew Yglesias, one billion. From one of our foremost policy writers, One Billion Americans is the provocative yet logical argument that if we aren’t moving forward, we’re losing. Vox founder Yglesias invites us to think bigger, while taking the problems of decline seriously. What really contributes to national prosperity should not be controversial: supporting parents and children, welcoming immigrants and their contributions, and exploring creative policies that support growth—like more housing, better transportation, improved education, revitalized welfare, and climate change mitigation. Drawing on examples and solutions from around the world, Yglesias shows not only that we can do this, but why we must. Making the case for massive population growth with analytic rigor and imagination, One Billion Americans issues a radical but undeniable challenge: Why not do it all, and stay on top forever?
Customers for Life
Author: Carl Sewell
Publisher: Crown Currency
ISBN: 0307567311
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 241
Book Description
In this completely revised and updated edition of the customer service classic, Carl Sewell enhances his time-tested advice with fresh ideas and new examples and explains how the groundbreaking “Ten Commandments of Customer Service” apply to today’s world. Drawing on his incredible success in transforming his Dallas Cadillac dealership into the second largest in America, Carl Sewell revealed the secret of getting customers to return again and again in the original Customers for Life. A lively, down-to-earth narrative, it set the standard for customer service excellence and became a perennial bestseller. Building on that solid foundation, this expanded edition features five completely new chapters, as well as significant additions to the original material, based on the lessons Sewell has learned over the last ten years. Sewell focuses on the expectations and demands of contemporary consumers and employees, showing that businesses can remain committed to quality service in the fast-paced new millennium by sticking to his time-proven approach: Figure out what customers want and make sure they get it. His “Ten Commandants” provide the essential guidelines, including: • Underpromise, overdeliver: Never disappoint your customers by charging them more than they planned. Always beat your estimate or throw in an extra service free of charge. • No complaints? Something’s wrong: If you never ask your customers what else they want, how are you going to give it to them? • Measure everything: Telling your employees to do their best won’t work if you don’t know how they can improve.
Publisher: Crown Currency
ISBN: 0307567311
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 241
Book Description
In this completely revised and updated edition of the customer service classic, Carl Sewell enhances his time-tested advice with fresh ideas and new examples and explains how the groundbreaking “Ten Commandments of Customer Service” apply to today’s world. Drawing on his incredible success in transforming his Dallas Cadillac dealership into the second largest in America, Carl Sewell revealed the secret of getting customers to return again and again in the original Customers for Life. A lively, down-to-earth narrative, it set the standard for customer service excellence and became a perennial bestseller. Building on that solid foundation, this expanded edition features five completely new chapters, as well as significant additions to the original material, based on the lessons Sewell has learned over the last ten years. Sewell focuses on the expectations and demands of contemporary consumers and employees, showing that businesses can remain committed to quality service in the fast-paced new millennium by sticking to his time-proven approach: Figure out what customers want and make sure they get it. His “Ten Commandants” provide the essential guidelines, including: • Underpromise, overdeliver: Never disappoint your customers by charging them more than they planned. Always beat your estimate or throw in an extra service free of charge. • No complaints? Something’s wrong: If you never ask your customers what else they want, how are you going to give it to them? • Measure everything: Telling your employees to do their best won’t work if you don’t know how they can improve.
One in a Billion
Author: Nancy Pine
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1538143410
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 309
Book Description
This heart-wrenching story immerses readers in the dramatic survival of one outspoken man who illuminates the souls of a billion ordinary Chinese citizens. An Wei—a stubborn, hardworking peasant who has lived by his values and stood up for his convictions—has succeeded against all odds in the authoritarian environment of China. Despite grinding poverty, hunger, reeducation campaigns, and attacks from jealous peers, An Wei continues to inspire with his daring achievements, such as launching a democratic congress in his own village. His compelling life provides a vivid backdrop for understanding the development of modern China from the unique perspective of an outspoken citizen. Through his audacious determination and survival skills forged in rural poverty, An Wei’s unstoppable drive to improve himself and rural China will captivate and enthrall readers. Her website can be found at https://nancypine.info/
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1538143410
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 309
Book Description
This heart-wrenching story immerses readers in the dramatic survival of one outspoken man who illuminates the souls of a billion ordinary Chinese citizens. An Wei—a stubborn, hardworking peasant who has lived by his values and stood up for his convictions—has succeeded against all odds in the authoritarian environment of China. Despite grinding poverty, hunger, reeducation campaigns, and attacks from jealous peers, An Wei continues to inspire with his daring achievements, such as launching a democratic congress in his own village. His compelling life provides a vivid backdrop for understanding the development of modern China from the unique perspective of an outspoken citizen. Through his audacious determination and survival skills forged in rural poverty, An Wei’s unstoppable drive to improve himself and rural China will captivate and enthrall readers. Her website can be found at https://nancypine.info/
One Billion Seconds
Author: Poppy and Geoff Spencer
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780692910757
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
One Billion Seconds delivers a powerful tale of how true love transcends time, tragedy and a broken heart. Deeply in love, Poppy and Geoff still need help from Jesse, a "relational choreographer," to help them manage life's ups and downs and the communication skills needed to maintain a mature relationship. But sometimes real life and true love don't mix. Jesse's 'star couple' break up and move to separate parts of the country. For the next 32 years-or one billion seconds-Poppy and Geoff lead separate lives, which include marriages, children, deaths, divorces, 9/11, and losing their own identities. Real-life couple, Poppy and Geoff Spencer, are relationship consultants, speakers, radio show hosts, and the authors of One Billion Seconds-a keen look into many true events in the couple's lives-both separate and united. The beautiful story opens in happy times, featuring the two college sweethearts in sunny Florida over three decades ago. But their storybook romance comes to a screeching halt when Poppy graduates ahead of Geoff and returns home to Wisconsin. Initially, the young love was not enough for distance and naivet�. "We were 21-years-old and naive," Poppy and Geoff quip of their real-life break-up more than thirty years ago. "Through the writing of One Billion Seconds, we uncovered the implicit understanding of what makes relationships work and what can lead to their downfall; and, the short answer is to embrace vulnerability. We wouldn't have turned tragedy into triumph, gotten back together, or written a book without being 100% vulnerable. This book not only entertains, it also inspires readers to truly understand the value of vulnerability." It's more than a novel and not exactly a memoir; instead, One Billion Seconds is an inspirational tale that weaves the Spencers' real-life professional experiences as relationship consultants with their own love story. Readers of One Billion Seconds are given hope, the courage to take risks that honor who they are, and a roadmap to eliminate negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that prevent true happiness in a relationship. One Billion Seconds provides a rich and textured love story against the backdrop of practical, useful relationship advice from real-life, professional relationship coaches. It also includes the following themes: * Hope and courage: which allow you to take risks to honor the core of who you are * Offers a positive mindset to help you get rid of any thoughts, feelings, and behaviors preventing you from being the best version of yourself * A Parenting style, including solidarity or one voice between parents * Strength to face, overcome divorce, and flourish * How to successfully integrate blended families * Challenges fear and social bias * The value of speaking the honest truth * A trademarked communication tool and effective communication solutions, even if no words are the best * Belief in a happy-ever-after.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780692910757
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
One Billion Seconds delivers a powerful tale of how true love transcends time, tragedy and a broken heart. Deeply in love, Poppy and Geoff still need help from Jesse, a "relational choreographer," to help them manage life's ups and downs and the communication skills needed to maintain a mature relationship. But sometimes real life and true love don't mix. Jesse's 'star couple' break up and move to separate parts of the country. For the next 32 years-or one billion seconds-Poppy and Geoff lead separate lives, which include marriages, children, deaths, divorces, 9/11, and losing their own identities. Real-life couple, Poppy and Geoff Spencer, are relationship consultants, speakers, radio show hosts, and the authors of One Billion Seconds-a keen look into many true events in the couple's lives-both separate and united. The beautiful story opens in happy times, featuring the two college sweethearts in sunny Florida over three decades ago. But their storybook romance comes to a screeching halt when Poppy graduates ahead of Geoff and returns home to Wisconsin. Initially, the young love was not enough for distance and naivet�. "We were 21-years-old and naive," Poppy and Geoff quip of their real-life break-up more than thirty years ago. "Through the writing of One Billion Seconds, we uncovered the implicit understanding of what makes relationships work and what can lead to their downfall; and, the short answer is to embrace vulnerability. We wouldn't have turned tragedy into triumph, gotten back together, or written a book without being 100% vulnerable. This book not only entertains, it also inspires readers to truly understand the value of vulnerability." It's more than a novel and not exactly a memoir; instead, One Billion Seconds is an inspirational tale that weaves the Spencers' real-life professional experiences as relationship consultants with their own love story. Readers of One Billion Seconds are given hope, the courage to take risks that honor who they are, and a roadmap to eliminate negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that prevent true happiness in a relationship. One Billion Seconds provides a rich and textured love story against the backdrop of practical, useful relationship advice from real-life, professional relationship coaches. It also includes the following themes: * Hope and courage: which allow you to take risks to honor the core of who you are * Offers a positive mindset to help you get rid of any thoughts, feelings, and behaviors preventing you from being the best version of yourself * A Parenting style, including solidarity or one voice between parents * Strength to face, overcome divorce, and flourish * How to successfully integrate blended families * Challenges fear and social bias * The value of speaking the honest truth * A trademarked communication tool and effective communication solutions, even if no words are the best * Belief in a happy-ever-after.