TRADE IS NOT A FOUR-LETTER WORD is written by Fred P. Hochberg who has been involved with business and education his entire life: first, leading Lillian Vernon and more recently as President of the Export-Import Bank (2009-2017). In this new text, Hochberg entertainingly explores "How Six Everyday Products Make the Case for Trade." Noting that "even your copy of this book was very likely assembled using products and processes procured from as many as a half dozen countries," Hochberg first summarizes 300 years of American trade, provides an analysis of the objectives and politics related to NAFTA, and outlines eight myths (e.g., tariffs are paid by foreigners) associated with trade.

After that background, he offers a chapter on each of those six products: the taco salad, the Honda Odyssey, the banana, the iPhone, a college degree, and The Game of Thrones. These are filled with fascinating facts such as "the State Department estimates that almost 300 current or former world leaders have studied at American institutions," taking advantage of what he says is arguably the most important export produced by the United States. Hochberg is clearly a proponent of trade and globalization, noting "were it not for a free flow of trade between countries, life in America would be substantially less interesting. Just as our palates have been broadened by imported cuisines from all over the world ... our leisure time has been broadened by imported culture as well." He provides numerous and varied examples to support his position, plus includes source notes and a helpful index. TRADE IS NOT A FOUR-LETTER WORD received a starred review from Library Journal and was described by Kirkus as a "rousing, well-argued defense of global trade in a time of isolationist entrenchment." Look for it on our shelves.

Enlightening. Read This Book Before Voting. In this book, the most recent former Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States of America - the person who led the organization prior to the current Acting President - explains what trade is and why it is good for America in a mostly objective fashion. In his recommendations for future action, particularly in the last couple of chapters, he gets a bit blatantly partisan and thus lost a star (and arguably could have lost another one - it gets that blatant at times). But beyond that particular part of the book this is a genuinely amazing and even shocking look at just how prevalent trade is in the modern American marketplace and just how much so many of our various - and not always obvious - systems and towns rely on it. For example, apparently 100% of US Penicillin - the main base component of all antibiotics I am personally aware of - comes from... China. Pretty well the entire US higher education system is dependent upon... foreign students paying full tuition. And despite being a "Chinese product", the Apple iPhone is only... 8% Chinese. So take the recommendations for future action with at least a fair amount of salt, but read the dang book - you need to know the basics here so that you can no longer be manipulated on this issue. Very much recommended.

This book publishes in January 2020 and I am writing this review on December 16, 2019. Obviously this is an Advance Review Copy. And while I hate having to say this because I treat *all* book reviews exactly the same, just so no one gets in trouble with any agencies let us be clear that this review is both freely given and my own uncoerced thoughts on the book.