In terms of originality, refreshing writing style and pure punch, this book is simply great. I envision Chin-Ning Chu as sort of a cross between Deepak Chopra and Richard Marcinko (talking about personality here, not looks- as far as I know she is an attractive Chinese woman). If her philosophy is taken seriously in the Asian business world, then America is going to have some very respectable competition down the road (unlike the socialist backwater of Europe, where entrepreneurs are treated like dirt and it's still taboo to fire someone for incompetence).
Thick Face, Black Heart takes a lot of the typical self-help pap you find in 95% of other motivational books and throws it out the window. Being a motivational book, it does have its moments of sappiness, but they are few and far between in comparison to what you would expect. If you are sensitive to philosophical or theological issues, her blend of Western and Eastern thoughts on the divine might tweak you a little, but they don't play a major role in shaping what Thick Face, Black Heart is about. Like most of the good books I read, I enjoyed this one because it was so insightful. Speaking as someone who is committed to shaping my world and my perception of reality to the way I see fit, rather than passively accepting the random beliefs and limitations that were handed to me by life, this book provided some real food for thought.
I agree with a previous reviewer, who threw away his entire self-help library after reading this book. Thick Face, Black Heart nails it.
Although it may not be the thing for Americans to do to succeed in business, it may be good to know how our counterparts approach life. Where the Asian approach is one of strategy, American or western thinking is more intuitive.
It is a good introduction to eastern philosophy and doing things on a day to day basis.