The landscape of business and trade in the UK is constantly changing. This book explores current statistics, opportunities for small businesses and the outlook for graduates who wish to become self-employed.

When Amitav Ghosh began the research for his monumental cycle of novels, 'The Ibis Trilogy', ten years ago, he was startled to find how the lives of the 19th century sailors and soldiers he wrote of were dictated not only by the currents of the Indian Ocean, but also by the precious commodity carried in enormous quantities on those currents: opium. Most surprising at all, however, was the discovery that his own identity and family history was swept...

When Britain declared war on China in 1839, it sealed the fate of what had been, for centuries, the wealthiest and most powerful empire in the world. China was much weaker than was commonly understood and the war set in motion the fall of the Qing dynasty which, in turn, would lead to the rise of nationalism and communism in the 20th century. Beginning with the very first efforts by the British government to 'open' China to trade, Stephen Platt tells...