Josh Levine
Writing Samples Part 1 (VBJ):    Contrarian, in-depth business cover stories.  
mmegoosefront.JPG (12067 bytes)Mme. Goose got her M.B.A. by selling goose soup on the streets of Hanoi for ten years.
Today she is rich.
To franchise?  (also linked to Cover Story) +Photos

Perspective: Tourism 101
The Scam Wall

riverfront.JPG (2830 bytes)

Day-tripping Hanoians get the tourist treatment from these jungle villagers. +P

Cover: Buying Power
Send Over Snacks

tvsfront.JPG (15364 bytes) Is this consumer market a hyped bust -- or untapped gold mine? In one of the world's poorest nations, meet the cadres of Sony and Armani. +P
Profile: Service
Those Irresistible 108 Girls  Attention CRM gurus: Meet the entrepreneurial dream team of phone operators. Their boss? The state-owned phone monopoly.
Profile: Consumer
Pushing Mush  Two young Americans noticed how sentimental Vietnamese are. Their Hallmark Card shop has customers weeping -- and buying.
Explainer: Economics
Funny Money  Ten years ago Vietnam's official currency was rice. Now the government encourages people to think that money is one big joke. Here's how. +P
Perspective: Consumer Rights
Freedom Fighters  They only look like Party yes-men. Messrs. Dat and Tinh, of advocacy group Vinastas, are the foot soldiers of the new Consumer Class.
Cover: Auto
Too Many Already? GM, Mercedes and 12 others raced to make autos here. Their next challenge: convince farmers to trade in their oxen.
Cover: Real Estate
"Dirt Shack -- Only $100K!"  How did property prices get so high, so fast? Illegal and ungoverned, real estate might just be Vietnam's first free market.

Additional Writing Samples 2:   Business and features for print and the web.

Life, Harper's, Crain's New York and other outlets have featured my writing, and I've served as staffer or regular correspondent at papers including The Newark Star-Ledger and award-winning weekly Echoes-Sentinel. At a top consulting firm I was a lead writer in the CEO office. I've also freelanced for business and general audiences:

Discovery/TLC
On the Ropes   Profile of Brooklyn street fighter
who becomes Golden Gloves champ, and his serene, wizened trainer, formerly a crack-addict convict.
Coincided with the opening of a related Academy Award-nominated documentary.

U.S. Foreign Commercial Service/
Depts. State & Commerce

Trade Sector Analysis: Vietnam/Asia
 U.S. investor-oriented strategic insight and analysis. Prepared fifteen in-depth reports and industry overviews, including Insurance Industry and Internet Industry.

 

Web Specific:  

Tonkin Gossip    A collection of amusing and telling anecdotes originating from modern life in Hanoi (mainly from an expat's perspective).

Slathered   This portal/satire site specializes in biz and culture insider/gossip sites from around the world. Great reviews and draws a sophisticated audience. Excellent marketing platform and lots of fun.

Accounting Update  Exec. briefings of key accounting and corporate governance news, rules and trends.

Free Market (Blog)  Count me as one of millions sold in the 90s by the U.S. gospel of "Global Free Trade."   What happened? Tongue-in-cheek thesis: "If America's religion is The Free Market, then
why are the infidels richest?"

 

 

 

Additional general, technical and/or corporate material available on request.


jjlevine@hotmail.com
© 2000-4 Copyright Josh Levine.
All photos, writing and web design by Josh Levine.