J Michael Cole's New Book Out! (and other announcements)

I am honored to count among my friends the incisive and perceptive commentator and analyst J Michael Cole of the Taipei Times, who has just published a new book on Taiwan. He says of his new book:

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I am thrilled to announce the release of my book Democracy in Peril: Taiwan’s struggle for survival from Chen Shui-bian to Ma Ying-jeou! More than two years in the making, Democracy in Peril comes at a critical period in Taiwan’s history, and its release could not be more timely. Over the next few weeks, my book will start being available at various bookstores and online. Already, it can be purchased at Amazon.com and barnes&noble.com, and the e-book can be directly purchased from the publisher at www.iuniverse.com. As bookstores may not have it in stock, you may have to special order it from them. Hopefully, it should also eventually be available at bookstores in Taiwan as well as on www.books.com.tw. Please spread the word! This nation is worth it and the rest of the world needs to know what's going on.

BOOK DESCRIPTION
Despite the warm reception in world capitals and favorable press coverage the cross-strait policies of Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou have received since he came into office on May 20, 2008, there is something rotten in Taipei. In just one year, the cost of closer relations with Beijing has become increasingly obvious in Taiwan, the small, officially unrecognized democracy of 23 million people, where police brutality, government meddling in the media and political persecution are reawakening the specter of its authoritarian past.

In a timely collection of essays and reportage written during the last18 months of the Chen Shui-bian administration and Ma’s first year in office, Democracy in Peril offers a history of the present in Taiwan as this vibrant democracy and economic powerhouse strives for international recognition under the constant fear of Chinese invasion. It shows how the greatest threat to the nation’s survival now possibly comes from within, under a government that has proven divisive and whose efforts to improve relations with China could come at an unbearable price — not only to Taiwanese, but to the entire world.

Paperback: 440 pages
Publisher: iUniverse.com (June 25, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1440150591
ISBN-13: 978-1440150593
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
Price: Trade Paperback US$27.95 (e-book US$6.00)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
J. Michael Cole is a former analyst at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and has a Master’s Degree in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada. He currently lives in Taipei, Taiwan, where he works as a columnist and editor at the English-language Taipei Times newspaper. He is the author of Smokescreen: Canadian security intelligence after September 11, 2001, published by iUniverse in 2008.

You can learn more about recent developments in Taiwan and articles by J. Michael Cole at http://fareasternpotato.blogspot.com/

Panorama of the Lanyang River in I-lan.

The Lung Ying-tai Cultural Foundation announces its July 18th lecture:

On July 18th, we will be hosting an all English "Taipei Salon" named "Denmark: Small yet Super?" with Mr. Flemming Aggergaard, the Director of the Danish trade Organization Taipei Office, as our speaker.

This event will be conducted in English with no entry free required. We will look into the success of Denmark: how does such a tiny state take on world affairs with such grace and self-confidence and achieve the reputation as the happiest and least corrupt nation with the highest income equality? Is there possibly a price to pay in order to achieve such success?

For more information, our website is http://www.civictaipei.org/activity/meat/153.html

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