Last week, I was invited to take part in a popular feature on NYTimes.com — Talk to the Times. 
Editors and writers answer questions from readers. I got some great ones, about everything from my favorite stories to whether I’m a pilot (I’m not) to the best way to handle complaints about luggage. Here’s the full Q&A. Hope you enjoy it.
Author Archives: admin
A Variety of Michigan Events to End January
What a great month this has been for the book! It’s now available in three formats: hardcover, ebook and audiobook. Please check out whatever meets your needs.
Three appearances are coming up in the next few weeks, all of them in Michigan.
On Jan. 20th, I’m speaking twice in beautiful Petoskey. 
I’ll give a lunch talk to the Rotary Club of Petoskey. It will be held at Stafford’s Bay View Inn, followed by a discussion. That evening, I’ll take part in a wine and cheese event at McLean and Eakin Booksellers, one of the country’s finest independent book stores. Both require registration.
On Jan. 26, I’m taking part in an event at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. I will be In Conversation with Dean Robert J. Dolan, discussing the book and issues facing Michigan as it climbs out of its recession.
Hope you’ll find time to attend.
Now on iTunes!
The Selling of the American Economy is now available as an audiobook on iTunes. Click the link below or the iTunes link on the sidebar to be taken to the book’s page (if iTunes is installed on your machine).
A New Year and A New Round of Events
Happy New Year, everyone! I’m looking forward to a new round of opportunities to talk about the issues in the book.
UPDATE: OSU POSTPONED BECAUSE OF SNOW. WILL BE RESCHEDULED TBD.
First up: I’ll be speaking Friday morning on a breakfast panel at the Fisher College of Business
at Ohio State University.
I’ll be joined by Larry Jutte, the long time senior vice president at Honda Motor Company, and Tazeem Pasha of Ohio’s department of development. We’ll be discussing the impact of foreign companies in Ohio, and what it says about the national economy. Please join us.
Later this month, I’ll be speaking in Petoskey, Mich., and in conversation with Dean Robert Dolan at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
I’d like to take this opportunity to send Christmas and holiday greetings to all my readers. 
If you receive The Selling of the American Economy as a Christmas present, take the time to drop me a line and let me know what you think. In the meantime, have a happy and healthy holiday weekend.
Now Available As an Audiobook
The Selling of the American Economy is now available as an audiobook from Audible.com. 
It runs six hours and 42 minutes — just right for a trip to London, or part way to Tokyo. The book is narrated by Marguerite Gavin and the audiobook version is published by Gilden Media Corporation. The audio version also can be purchased through Amazon.com. Please take a listen and let me know how you think it sounds.
Tuck Center for International Business on the book
During my visit to Dartmouth College 
this fall, I sat down to discuss the book with MBA candidate Hyeon Chang, a member of the class of 2010. You can listen to a podcast of that conversation here.
A Recommended Source for Data On Foreign Trade
BusinessJournalism.org, the web site run by the National Center for Business Journalism at Arizona State, cites The Selling of the American Economy as a source for data on foreign trade. In her article, Pam Luecke says,
For more recent inspiration, I’d recommend the 2009 book by New York Times reporter Micheline Maynard, “The Selling of the American Economy: How Foreign Companies are Remaking the American Dream.†Unlike (Lou) Dobbs, who paints this remaking as a black-and-white threat, Maynard describes a brighter and more nuanced picture.
“Foreign companies may touch a nerve in American society and may still be an object of fear and distrust among many, who view foreign investment as a threat to the American worker and way of life,†she writes. “But foreign companies that invest in the United States are having a significant — and largely positive — impact on not only the lives of workers, but also the health of the American economy and society as a whole.â€
Looking for a Gift? Amazon.com Recommends…
Nice to see the book included on Amazon.com’s list of New and Notable NonFiction Gifts. Take a look here.
January 2010: Hello, Columbus!
I’m excited to report that my first event of the new year will be at the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University. The program is called, “How Foreign Companies are Transforming the American Economy: A Dialogue” on Friday, January 8.
I’ll be discussing the issue with Larry Jutte, the long-time senior vice president at Honda of America in Marysville, Ohio, and Tazeem Pasha, global markets investment manager of the Ohio Department of Development. Our program moderator is Karen Hopper Wruck, distinguished professor of finance and the associate dean for graduate programs. There is more information here.
Honda was actually the first Japanese car company to build a factory in the United States, and it has become the largest manufacturer in Ohio. It began with motorcycles, and added three more factories, two for cars and one for engines. Its investment brought new prosperity to towns near Columbus, not to mention thousands of jobs. And the expansion hasn’t stopped: Honda has a big plant in Lincoln, Ala., which I profiled in my previous book, The End of Detroit. And it recently opened a new plant in Greensburg, Ind., which you can read about in The Selling of the American Economy.