Why Not Learn More About China? Book Review

We sure hear a lot about China in the news, and it’s going to continue to be that way from here on out. The Chinese have a rich history, and there is a lot to learn. The future of his nation will be bright, and yes there are still growing pains to deal with there, but sooner or later it will be the most powerful nation on Earth, as the United States takes a backseat and second place to this growing and dominate force. Let me recommend a very good history book on this topic for you;

“China – A New History” by John King Fairbank (1994)

In the mid 90s the old guard or good ole’ boy network did not want Beijing flooded with modern Western or European pop culture, but things were changing, and China’s economy was growing. They were still well behind the West. This book on how China got to that point is a book everyone should read as this future Super Power emerges to rule the World.

This book is in three parts. The first lets the reader understand that the Western World is so much different than in China, from the lay of the land, culture, history, religions, way of life, density of people and the demographics of that population. The first part also tells of China’s ancient history; dynasties, Great Wall, treasure fleet, and Confucianism.

The second part takes the reader from the 1600s through 1911 and then to 1957. There is an abundance of history to learn. The author also explains the population growth, and which periods contained explosive population surges, as well as how the country worked to limit their population growth. In this part is also information on how the government grew, bureaucracy, and expansion of modern agriculture.

The third part is about “The Great Leap Forward” under Mao (?), along with Mao’s last decade. It’s very important to understand the rich history of China, to better comprehend the culture, changes and why things are the way they are. From this the reader can take more recent history from which he might be familiar with, along with hopefully a trip to China to get a better picture. So, I recommend that you read this book first before your visit.

Why Not Learn More About China? Book Review