Contrary to the popular view that persists in seeing China as a land of 'one billion consumers' and that the country is on a fast track to convergence with the West, economically if not politically, this book argues that the pitfalls and dangers of business in China have not gone away - indeed in some cases they have multiplied. Cultural and political sensitivities remain powerful. China is not so much converging with the West as proceeding through a stage in its own economic and cultural evolution. Singular and Different is intended as a series of sober reflections on the differences that remain between East and West, and how Western managers can act to minimize risk and increase their own chances of success.