Publication

FNF Vietnam and Women's Publishing House Successfully Release Two Insightful Books

In November 2023, FNF Vietnam, in collaboration with the Women's Publishing House, successfully published and introduced to the public two captivating books with high practical value on socio-economic topics: "Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future" by Johan Norberg and "Beating Inflation" by Hermann Simon and Andreas Stoffers. Below is a summary and main content of these two books.

"Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future" by Johan Norberg

Johan Norberg's book consists of ten chapters discussing progress in various areas of life, including food, hygiene, longevity, poverty, violence, the environment, literacy, freedom, equality, and children's welfare. Norberg argues that humanity has reached its highest standard of living in history. He notes that in all areas of life, people seem healthier and wealthier than ever before. For example, global literacy rates have improved from about 20% to around 85% by the end of this century, and the global average life expectancy has increased from 31 years in 1900 to 71 years at the beginning of the 21st century. Humans are becoming smarter (Flynn effect). Access to modern sanitation systems has tripled in the past thirty years. Hunger, once a widespread phenomenon, has become an exception, affecting only a small part of the world. Global violence, whether homicide or war casualties, is decreasing. Norberg also notes that most people tend to focus on bad news, such as terrorism, which is more widely shared than ever before thanks to modern media.

"Beating Inflation" by Hermann Simon and Andreas Stoffers

Is uncontrolled inflation the new normal? – Inflation has returned and is here to stay. For Vietnamese companies, this means their business world has fundamentally changed. The book "Beating Inflation – Agile, Concrete and Effective" examines inflation from various perspectives and proposes measures and strategies for how businesses can cope with and manage inflation to ensure survival. For Vietnamese businesses and consumers, the goal is not to eliminate inflation but to manage it to minimize losses. This involves not just price management but also sales activities, finance, purchasing, cost management, digitalization, and innovation. It also entails a shift in corporate culture, which, if managed swiftly and successfully, offers a good chance to beat inflation and ensure the company's survival. Additionally, the book provides advice on management practices and policy changes that can help leaders formulate sound economic policies and strategies to navigate Vietnam through the waves of inflation.

Book Launch Event Series

Two books were introduced to Vietnamese readers through a series of launch events organized by the Women's Publishing House in collaboration with the Vietnam Women's Academy, featuring Prof. Dr. Andreas Stoffers, Country Director of FNF Vietnam, who is also a co-author of the book "Beating Inflation".

On April 11, 2024, in Hanoi, the Women's Publishing House of Vietnam partnered with the Vietnam Women's Academy to organize the first book launch event. The event was combined with a seminar and interaction session with students of the Vietnam Women's Academy. The seminar not only helped young students learn about the two books but also provided them with additional knowledge shared by invited experts. Additionally, students had the opportunity to interact directly with experts from various fields to update themselves on the latest knowledge and strategies in coping with inflation and understanding the progress of humanity today.

The event was attended by:

• Mr. Cesar Guedes - Former Senior UN Official;
• Prof. Dr. Savas Tumis - Professor of Economics and Management, Berlin Institute of Technology;
• Prof. Dr. Andreas Stoffers - Co-author of "Beating Inflation", Country Director of FNF Vietnam;
• Ms. Lê Bích Ngọc - Translator and editor of the two books;
• Ms. Khúc Thị Hoa Phượng - Director of the Women's Publishing House of Vietnam;
• Dr. Nguyen Hung Cuong - Head of Business Administration Department, Vietnam Women's Academy;
• Prof. Dr. Hermann Simon, author of the book "Beating Inflation";
• Mr. Johan Norberg, author of the book "Progress - Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future".

The upcoming events in the book launch series will be held at various universities in two big cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, including FPT University, University of Economics and Finance in Ho Chi Minh City (UEF), University of Management and Technology (UMT), Van Lang University, etc. These events attracted and received enthusiastic participation from hundreds of students, teachers, and university officials.