Every one who visits the offices of his fellow business men has doubtless unconsciously formed the habit of judging a man, more or less, by the reference books which he keeps on his desk. No one expects to find a young library in the business office, but he does jock for a certain number of essential ready reference books.
The writer has visited most of Shanghai's business offices, and has been interested in noting the different books to be found there. Almost invariably one book has stamped itself upon the retina of his consciousness. Perhaps the shape and colour of the book had something to do with it. It is the bright red '"North-China Desk Hong List," which seems to be as ubiquitous in Shanghai as street pedlars, or complaints about the trams.
This book has had_ a long and honourable lineage and an examination of the latest arrival in the family shows it to be as "well bred" as its forebears. The July 1922 Supplement gives the latest and most reliable information regarding the "Hongs" of Shanghai—their names, addresses, nature of business, agencies' represented by the firms, as well as names of directors, managers and__staft. There is also a very useful Who's Who appended which shows, at a glance, the firms with which the principal residents are connected.
The book is well bound in cloth, neat in appearance, convenient in
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.