Lawrence Draken About This Week's Guest Lawrence Draken Lawrence Draken published "The Year of the Rabid Dragon" in November 2018, a medical mystery set in Beijing, China. The story wound around political intrigue, cover-ups, secret interrogations, but most of all, the potential for scientists in a culture with drastically different ethics, to use new technology like CRISPR and virology for nefarious means. Draken writes not just crime stories, but about current events, politics, and the daily drama within China that is nearly impossible to understand from the outside. She lived with her husband in Beijing for nearly five years. Her book is as much a study on the culture and mindset of China as it is a medical thriller. "In Germany people value their individual rights highly (as they do in the US; In China the 'Group' forms the functional core and you first do what the authorities tell you and when you do that you will have your individual freedom." Her tips on becoming more culturally competent are: Leave your home country; if you can, take a sabbatical year or two. Get yourself confronted with different situations that you don't understand (and learn from them). If/when you come in contact with someone new, try not to pass judgment but try to learn first about what is going on. Be open to the experience that you might undergo and realize that what you possibly expected to happen or be, might not be what you will experience. Links mentioned in this episode are: Website: https://www.lhdraken.com/ Email: [email protected] Culture Matters You Can Also Listen to the Culture Podcast and Management Podcast Build your Cultural Competence, listen to interesting stories, learn about the cultural pitfalls and how to avoid them, get the Global perspective here at the Culture Matters podcast on International Business. We help you understand Cultural Diversity better by interviewing real people with real experiences. Every episode there is an interview with a prominent guest, who will tell his or her story and share international experiences. Helping you develop your cultural competence. Welcome to this culture podcast and management podcast. To Subscribe to this Management Podcast, Click here. The Culture Matters Culture Podcast. Available on iTunes and Stitcher Radio Click here to get the podcast on Spotify Talk to your Amazon Alexa and listen to the Podcast If you have a minute, please leave me an honest rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. It will help the visibility and the ranking of this culture podcast on iTunes immensely! A BIG THANK YOU! Enjoy this FREE culture podcast! Music: Song title - Bensound.com More Ways of Listening: Get a Taste of How Chris Presents, Watch his TEDx Talk   Name Email Address Phone Number Message 15 + 11 = Send