Tai-Pan (Asian Saga
Chronological Order #2)
by James Clavell · first published 1966
78% recommend22% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Sweeping historical fiction set in 1840s Hong Kong around the first Opium War, based on the Jardine Matheson trading firm. Readers praise its gripping pace and themes of freedom and individualism; suits saga fans.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"It is the early 19th century, when European traders and adventurers first began to penetrate the forbidding Chinese mainland. And it is in this exciting time and exotic place that a giant of an Englishman, Dirk Straun, sets out to turn the desolate island of Hong Kong into an impregnable fortress of British power, and to make himself supreme ruler-- Tai-Pan!"--P. [4] of cover.
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It's designed more for kids, but I found it useful for understanding basic accounting concepts: The Accounting Game: Basic Accounting From the Lemonade Stand. I also found two of the novels in Clavell's Asian Saga to be quite business-focused: Tai-Pan and Noble House. Not so much for the nuts-and-bolts of business, but just a large business organization being founded and growing over the course of multiple centuries.
on “Ask HN: Fictional business books like The Goal” ↗…and it is well worth it, the compounding will generate your FU money, and something you can leave to your kids to run after... The books I would recommend are more for motivation and inspiration: The Asian Saga by James Clavell, reading as a kid on how to rule your life, business and create a dynasty... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Asian_Saga More Money Than God: Hedge Funds and the Making of a New Elite…
on “Ask HN: What Algorithms are you using to make money?” ↗We agree to disagree on this one :-) For me one series I feel like you do, is the Asian Saga by James Clavell, maybe because I read the books for the first time as a child and have always been interested in business, etc, but like you I cannot explain it :-)
on “Ask HN: What books are you currently reading?” ↗you could also read shogun by james clavell, which is a fictional novel based on tokugawa. i read his whole asian saga series because that first book was so good.
on “The rise of the pointless job” ↗Clavell's whole Asian Saga (Shogun, Tai-Pan, Gai-Jin, King Rat, Noble House, and Whirlwind) is amazing. My favorite is Tai-Pan - the book had a tremendous impact on me, and I'd imagine it would appeal to every real entrepreneur.…
on “Ask HN: Best book you read in 2010 and briefly why” ↗Shogun is a great read. It got me started on the whole historical fiction genre. The rest of the books in Clavell's Asian Saga are pretty good too except for maybe Gai-jin. I also enjoyed reading Gore Vidal's Lincoln and Burr from his Narratives of the Empire series - very entertaining and definitely not run-of-the-mill biographic…
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in 2012” ↗Yeah the Asian Saga includes King Rat, Shogun, Noble House, Taipan as well as Gai-gin, The Whirlwind. They're all pretty good books but I believe Taipan, Noble House and Shogun are considered Clavell's best work, in that…
on “Ask HN: What literature do you read?” ↗Read the Asian Saga by James Clavell to get inspired... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Asian_Saga
on “Ask HN: What's the best book on leadership you know of?” ↗I would suggest the whole "Asian Saga" my childhood favorite (and re reading it when I have nothing else) a must read for sure...
on “Ask HN: What was the best book you've read this year?” ↗…For All Markets by Edward O. Thorp http://www.edwardothorp.com/books/a-man-for-all-markets/ More Money Than God by Sebastian Mallaby https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More_Money_Than_God Fiction: The Asian Saga by James Clavell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Asian_Saga The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Master_and_Margarita
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite books?” ↗The Asian Saga by James Clavell, reading as a kid on how to rule your life, business and create a dynasty... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Asian_Saga As grown up, on now to rule the world: More Money Than God:…
on “Ask HN: What books have most influenced the way you see the world?” ↗…quickly... The best way is to buy stock market data and start testing ideas until you find your edge... All that said, here are the books I usually recommend, more for motivation and inspiration: The Asian Saga by James Clavell, reading as a kid on how to rule your life, business and create a dynasty... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Asian_Saga More Money Than God: Hedge Funds and the Making of a New Elite…
on “Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses?” ↗Highly recommend James Clavell's Asian Saga starting with Shogun. Also Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson might be one of my favorites
on “Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?” ↗…no dry statistical language, subversive in a way. we need more statistical reasoning in the world, particularly around risk assessment, to subdue fear and panic. edit: as for fiction, james clavell's asian saga[0] series is entertaining historical fiction, which i've read twice. pat conroy's southern portraits, particularly the lords of discipline and the prince of tides, both wrenching, haunting, and beautiful.…
on “Ask HN: Which books have you read more than once?” ↗And an even better book, which is a part of an excellent series spanning centuries and Singapore, Hong Kong, Iran, and many other places. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Saga
on “Samurai City” ↗