http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fakebooks24apr24,0,2755999.story?coll=la-home-business
Ripping Off Good Reads in China
In the land of bootleg merchandise, fake management books by fake authors flourish.
By Don Lee, Times Staff Writer
SHANGHAI — The five-volume "Executive Ability" book series is a classic in Chinese business and management circles. Collectively, it has sold more than 2 million copies in the last two years. Top universities and public libraries in China keep multiple copies on hand.
It's also a big fake.
The series purports to be a translation of English-language works, but no such titles exist. The principal author — a Paul Thomas, said to be an eminent Harvard University business professor — is not real. Also made up is the rave review on the back cover, attributed to the Wall Street Journal: 'The most practical and advanced management thought of our time.'
