The iconic bottle on the cover needs no introduction: People in over 100 countries instantly recognize the teardrop-shaped bottle with the little red cap and know that it identifies one of the world's favorite condiments-Kikkoman soy sauce. However most people know nothing of the fascinating story behind the company that has been making it in the same way for over 300 years.

The Magic Seasoning: A Global Search for Flavor is much more than a book about the world's most popular condiment. It is the story of a family-owned business that grew into a global company yet never lost the core values that underpinned its success for generations.

The story spans four centuries and six continents. In modern times there is unexpected drama as the young scion of this ancient line concludes that the survival of his family's business will require gambling everything on a daring venture that almost no one understands or approves of. If he is wrong the company that his ancestors built may disappear. If he is right the little food business may grow into a global giant with offices around the world and a product that adorns kitchen tables from Manhattan to Manila and everywhere in between.

The tale of Kikkoman's worldwide success is more than a story about a seasoning that has become an integral part of global cuisine. It is also the story of a warm principled family-oriented style of business that has transformed communities around the world.

David W. Russell is a bilingual executive consultant specializing in Japanese business. After working for a major Japanese securities company for five years he joined the Nihon Keizai (Nikkei) and Toyo Keizai business news groups. Leveraging personal contacts he had developed with the CEOs of dozens of top corporations he opened his own advisory company in Tokyo in 2000. Over the past two decades he has authored 15 books on Japanese business won several writing awards (including "Best Business and Management Book of the Year" in the U.S.) and taught at Japanese universities. Now based in New York City Russell still travels to Tokyo often lecturing (in Japanese) at business seminars and consulting for both foreign and Japanese clients.

Reach him at: d.russell@2021communications.com