Paperback, 407 pages
English language
Published by Arrow.
On the forty-fifth floor of the Nakamoto Tower in downtown L. A. a grand opening celebration is in full swing at the new American headquarters of the immense Japanese conglomerate.
On the forty-sixth floor, in an empty conference room, the dead body of a beautiful woman is discovered.
The investigation begins... and immediately becomes a headlong chase through a twisting maze of industrial intrigue... a no-holds-barred conflict in which control of a vital American technology is the fiercely coveted prize - and the Japanese saying 'business is war' takes on a terrifying reality... --back cover
This made me wonder if Japanese people really do ignore outsiders. Other than that, it's a classic read.
A slow story, hopelessly dated and full of racist propaganda and dire ridiculous warnings. As a person raised during the era when "we had all best learn Japanese" (according to some), I can at least remember this time.
If you're too young to remember the cola wars, this book is best skipped. A sort of nationalist alarmist fabric with a rather dull and lackluster plot laboriously tacked onto it, it has none of the things I like about Crichton.
