An economic downturn usually is a time to go back to school. But you don't need to attend an expensive MBA program to gain new knowledge and skills. Plastics News China Blog is introducing its brand new series of Chinese business and culture advice. And it's free!

Since most how-to-do-business-in-China books are written by Westerners with an outsider's perspective, I'm going to take a new approach. I plan to review the existing literature and add my own take from an insider's point of view.

I am going to start with a recently released DVD set "On the frontlines: Doing Business in China," presented by The Atlantic. China veteran James Fallows played the editorial supervisor and co-host, while New York Times business columnist Joe Nocera provided commentary at the end of each program.

I chose this DVD set because it's up-to-date and the video and audio really brings out the cultural nuances vividly, compared to print.

Do you know why Dominos failed in China but Pizza Hut scored huge success? Have you ever wondered exactly how China evolved over the past century and what that says about your Chinese business partner? I can't wait to share the answers with you.