Greetings from Peking University in Beijing.

I send out a monthly reading list with the best China articles and books I have come across. If you would like to be on this list, you can sign up at www.jeffreytowson.com. Also, if you come across any really great articles, please send them to me.

Here’s my list for August 2016. Cheers, Jeff

 – Articles –

These Viral Selfie Apps with 1B Downloads Are Shaping China’s Start-Up Culture

A cool article about Meitu, a start-up that hundreds of millions of Chinese women are using to take and beautify their selfies.

Souring Business, Xenophobia Makes China Dream Lose Its Appeal for African Migrants

Guangzhou has the largest African population in China. This is an interesting story about how this group is doing business.

WeChat’s World: China’s WeChat Shows the Way to Social Media’s Future

A solid summary of how WeChat has expanded to become an alternate homepage on Chinese smartphones.

– Books and Reports –

Inside China’s Shadow Banking: The Next Subprime Crisis

Joe Zhang is always entertaining to read. This is a good insider’s account of China’s fairly confusing shadow banking industry.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

By Robert Cialdini. Not a China book but I reread it every year. Useful but it makes me a bit paranoid.

– My Recent Articles –

Uber vs. Didi Round 2: The Fight For GrabTaxi and Southeast Asia

Uber China sold to Chinese Didi this month, making news globally. But I think they are going to be in a new fight in SE Asia almost immediately.

Why Mark Zuckerberg is Pretty Smart About China

Mark keeps showing up down the street from me in Beijing. My thoughts on what he is doing in China.

– A Final Funny One –

Badass Woman Proposed to Boyfriend with Harley Motorcycle and Property Deed

I think giving a Harley should be part of any wedding proposal. I also think newspapers should use the word badass more often in headlines.

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I write, speak and consult about how to win (and not lose) in digital strategy and transformation.

I am the founder of TechMoat Consulting, a boutique consulting firm that helps retailers, brands, and technology companies exploit digital change to grow faster, innovate better and build digital moats. Get in touch here.

My book series Moats and Marathons is one-of-a-kind framework for building and measuring competitive advantages in digital businesses.

Note: This content (articles, podcasts, website info) is not investment advice. The information and opinions from me and any guests may be incorrect. The numbers and information may be wrong. The views expressed may no longer be relevant or accurate. Investing is risky. Do your own research.

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