EDITORS' PICKS

In this week's essential reading guide, Kohler questions China's long-term growth prospects, Gottliebsen examines the coming takeover boom and Bartholomeusz explains why Optus is winning the iPhone war.

Why China won't save the world
Alan Kohler
Cast in the role of the world's economic saviour, China needs to dramatically lift domestic consumption to maintain present levels of growth. However, the nation faces two major hurdles in achieving that aim.

Ponzi colleges
Alan Kohler
Australia’s third biggest export industry, education, is in a complete shambles as a result of appalling failures of regulation and government policy.

Ripe for the bidding
Robert Gottliebsen
The word on the street is there's a takeover boom ready to erupt in Australia, with plenty of interest from both within the country and from overseas firms keen to increase their presence in Asia.

Saving Australia
Robert Gottliebsen
Higher interest rates and the banks' thirst for domestic deposits are good news for savers, but the same forces are putting the squeeze on small and medium sized businesses.

Agents of destruction remain
Stephen Bartholomeusz
The potentially destructive conflicts built into the business models of ratings agencies provide little reassurance that the agencies won't contribute to the next financial bubble despite ASIC's new rules.

Winning the iPhone war
Stephen Bartholomeusz
Optus has been rewarded for its preparedness to subsidise 3G iPhones with strong growth in revenues and subscriber numbers as smart phones change the game for our largest telcos.

Correcting the Australian dollar
Q&A by Isabelle Oderberg
The Australian dollar is overvalued by as much as 10 per cent against the US dollar, says State Street Global Markets' global macro strategy boss Michael Metcalfe.

Buy the Copenhagen rally
Giles Parkinson
Analysts at Macquarie think the market consensus is wrong on Copenhagen, and suggest investors reappraise their portfolios while there is still time.