Accidental Internationalist

Book excerpt: International business is not for the faint of heart. You have to be willing to go outside your comfort zone in many respects. Alan S. Colegrove did not start out to become an international businessman, yet his inadvertent trek into becoming a die-hard internationalist is a journey full of lessons learned and cultural interactions. So how did he get from growing up in Texas to globetrotting around the world? Accidental Internationalist follows Dr. Colegrove’s journeys and life around the world for over four decades. While conducting business in multiple countries, he gets to experience jumping into a frozen lake in Scandinavia, sandstorms in the Arabian Peninsula, and bugs the sizes of dinner plates in Southeast Asia, as well as a host of international business issues from contract negotiations to export controls to corruption. He also gets to experience many of the vast arrays of cultures provided by the world beyond the safe harbors of the United States. Travel with Dr. Colegrove as he learns to explore and enjoy the world while learning also how international business can be frustrating and complex but ultimately enjoyable and rewarding.