Rating: 
Summary: good introduction to china, but a bit outdated
Review: An interesting, thorough look at what may be currently the most dynamic society in the world as it enters the 21st century. China in 2001 is a bundle of contradictions, of millenia-old tradition struggling with musty Communist ideology and the frontal barrage of the cultural influence of the West. This book is a very approachable introduction to China's society and recent history for the uninitiated. For those who are already roughly familiar with China and have spent some time there, the book is interesting for the many anecdotes involving dissidents and lower-level leaders, aspects that are nearly impossible to see were it not for the authors' constant games of cat-and-mouse with the local authorities. (For those of you who fit under this latter description, Jan Wong's "Red China Blues" is also an excellent book filled with many interesting anecdotes.) Having spent a year in Beijing along with the other thousands of American students there, these glimpses into what lies beneath the surface of the tumultuous change that you see everywhere was very interesting.I have only a few minor quibbles with the book. One is that it feels a bit too "pop" for me. The theoretical pinning of the book was pretty sparse. For instance, their theory that the current Commie regime is just like another dynasty is a bit too simplistic. But considering their intention was to reach a broad audience, that's probably a necessary concession. Another, more important quibble that cannot be faulted to the authors is that though this book was written in the mid-90's, in some respects it is already woefully outdated. Having read this book before going to China, some of things they mention I could hardly recognize. This is inevitable considering how fast some aspects of Chinese society are changing. For instance, there's an anecdote about the first modern-style shopping mall to open in Beijing in the early 90's and how uneasily the average Chinese person was beginning to cope with consumerism. By the year 2000, Beijing has since opened up many more malls and most of the city-dwellers are thoroughly fluent in the language of materialism. Overall, a very worthwhile book.
Rating:
Summary: Produce a Chinese version as early as possible!
Review: As a serious and productive translator and social researcher for many years, I want to translate this book into Chinese. Please convey my suggesion and desire to the authors. It would not be too difficult to find a local publisher here for cooperation. I have also read other writings by the same author 15 years ago... Thank you.
Rating: 
Summary: "CHINA FOR DUMMIES"? You bet!
Review: FASCINATING BOOK!!! It's the sort of book that makes you want to go there and see it for yourself. I should know because that's exactly what I did, and I can't thank both authors (husband and wife, by the way) enough!
Written during the last years of Deng Xiaoping, I don't think it has dated that much, for China is still a country most people are willingly ignorant of. Big mistake! -In the case of Mexico alone, it has dumpingly depleted our toy industry in just a few years.
Think about that! By the time the average Chinese earns one third of what his American counterpart does, China will be the world's biggest economy, not to mention a nuclear superpower hostile to the West! If this book is, as described by a reviewer below, a "CHINA FOR DUMMIES", well, we'd better read it and wise up FAST!
Rating:
Summary: Well Written and Very Informative Book
Review: Maybe it is just me but there seems to be few books written about contemporary China for the non-academic reader which makes this a wonderful book in my opinion. I will say that the authors do tend to bring up the same points in the book chapter after chapter, they are good points but one tends to tire of reading the same thing over and over again but this is a small bone to pick since overall the book is great. Mrs. Wudunn and Mr. Kristof have throughly researched China with countless interviews from peasents in the interior to high ranking members of the Communist Party. If you are all interested in contemporary China I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: fantastic
Review: So interesting, I didn't want to put it aside until I finished it!
Rating:
Summary: Insightful
Review: The authors of this book were working as journalists for the New York Times at the time of the Tiananmen Square Incident. They paint a vivid picture of a China caught between two futures. Even though there has been great progress in certain things since the Mao era, there are still many things that are terribly wrong with China. Will progress overcome corruption or vice versa? This book was published in 1994, so many recent developments (Hong Kong's intergration into China, and the spy plane incident for example) are not included. Despite the age of this book, the commentary on the Chinese government still seems to be accurate. It provides a window into the government of one of the most important countries in the world. Check it out.
Rating:
Summary: Personal Stories as well as Facts
Review: The book alternates authors by chapter: Kristof, an American journalist and his more factual approach to describing the whole of China in statistical as well as simplistic terms and WuDunn, a Chinese-American journalist (and Kristof's wife), who focuses more on the human aspect of life in modern China. These journalists spent years in China, not only reporting, but trying to understand the people behind the events and telling of incidences that otherwise may never have been told. (The real names of many of their contacts were changed.) I especially liked the description of the Teinennman Square incident, which occurred when they were there, as well as descriptions of life in the countryside (Wudunn's extended family and their history), and Beijing's unsuccessful bid for the 2000 Olympics.
Rating:
Summary: Riveting, Painful, Harsh
Review: The book was unique with the couple writing alternate chapters that give 2 views each, from a Caucasian and a third generation Chinese. This made a startling difference from other books. That perhaps was what made it such a riveting read, making it difficult to accuse the author of being biased. The contents painful for me to see the many wrong doings of people of my race, as well as the many innocent people who suffered for the wrong causes. Shattered idealism is perhaps the paramount reason for such a crumbling dynasty. The authors were a bit harsh with references to the system in certain parts but the depth of discussion balances in views made the book focused and objective. China's history is fascinating and endless. Reading the book without prior knowledge about China's history long before this modern era may do injustice to the Chinese people and their leaders. I loved the analysis and discussion, along with some strong insightful comments made by the very knowlegable authors. Nonetheless, people should not use this reportage to quickly make assumptions about China because every country, no matter how big, powerful and advanced, has skeletons in their closets.
Rating:
Summary: An easy and informative read, but a bit too negative
Review: This book is defenitly worth the time for those who would like to get a better understanding of China and cut through all the silly propoganda one is forcefed by Chinese tourist agencies and so-called scholars who never leave the comfort of their five-star hotels. Having lived in China for some time I found that many of the stories here were quite similar to those I have myself encountered (some personally, and some through Chinese and foreign friends). Some of the situations described here seem a bit extreme. However, most are reallistic accurate discussions of the kind of things that happen everyday in China. Of course, the average citizen may not suffer as badly as some of the individuals mentioned in this book but the governmental and social systems of corruption are very real and pervade most of Chinese soceity. Chinese commoners ignore them or try to work around them becuase they are impotent in terms of chaning the system. I hope this review doesn't sound like a review of a review but having lived in China and seen the things this book talks about first hand I would just like to ward off those who would criticize it as unrealistic. My one main criticism of this book is that if fails to mention many positive aspects of contemporary Chinese society. Especially for expats and students interested in China, there are many fascinating and exciting things to see, learn about and experience in China today. Also it is already a bit out of date as there have been some significant changes in China since it was written.
Rating:
Summary: mirror images of China's struggle for democracy
Review: This book is not only a perfect example of bravery and perfectionism in journalism; it is also a breathtaking and multi-faceted analysis of China's realities elaborated by two professional journalists.
As a reader interested in the struggle for democracy and transparency in the world, I have had the chance to explore the extreme and intense examples of a country's painful struggle for its future.
| 
