China Rises

by John Farndon

'China Rises' gives a fascinating insight into the country's politics, economy, social organisation, culture and relationship with other nations. This detailed analysis of the country shows how it will develop in the future, and the dramatic effect it will have on the rest of the world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Economics, China

240 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

About the author

John Farndon is an internationally known author, as well as a playwright, composer and songwriter, whose work has been performed at such theatres as the Donmar and Almeida in London and the Salisbury Playhouse and selected for showcases, such as Beyond the Gate.

He has written hundreds of books, which have sold millions of copies around the world in most major languages and include many best-sellers, such as the award-winning Do Not Open, which received rave reviews in the USA and became a cult-hit as well as featuring on the New York Times and Washington Post best-seller lists. In earlier years, he wrote mostly for children, and has been shortlisted a record four times for the junior Science Book prize. Books such as How Science Works and How the Earth Works each sold over a million copies worldwide. But recently he has written much more for adults.

Many of his books focus on popular science, and in particular earth science, nature, and environmental issues. His Practical Encyclopedia of Rocks and Mineral is widely used as a reference work by geologists, while The Atlas of Oceans, his big book on endangered life in the oceans for Yale in the USA (A&C Black in the UK and Australian Geographic in Australia), garnered glowing reports prepublication from major figures such as the Cousteaus, Carl Safina, Nancy Knowlton and Harm de Blij.

But he has covered a wide range of topics, from contemporary China to the food market. The history of ideas and intellectual curiosity is a particular speciality.

In 2010, his book for Icon Do You Think You're Clever? was a best-seller, reaching the top 20 on Amazon and the top 10 in South Africa and Turkey, and was shortlisted for the Society of Authors Education Award. The follow-up The World’s Greatest Idea was selected as one of the top 50 Wish List books of the year in South Africa.

He has been interviewed extensively on radio and TV stations around the world, and conducted talks, demonstrations and displays at many events, from the Brighton Science Festival to the Oxford Literary Festival.

Reviews

[Hashem Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start for someone who wants an intro about China. The book covers a lot of aspects including history, politics, education, culture and others. Although a bit outdated -2007- it still gives a good idea about how China flourished in the last 20 years. I liked that the book is unbiased and covers lots of ground at high level. The last section of the book has a good summary of Chinese history, geography and culture. This would be a great reference to investigate further on specific subjects.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I felt that my knowledge of China was rather unsystematic. 'China Rises' is very much an introductory textbook about China, which made the tone strange to me. Patronising as it sounds, I'd mostly forgotten how bitty and intermittently informal textbooks sometimes are. There were also a number of little errors that got on my nerves, because I am an utter pedant. (For example, 2 metres does not equal 3.5 feet.) That said, quickly reading this book was enlightening. For example, it explained the history of Taiwan and Hong Kong very usefully, as well as the basic administrative structures of China's government.

It is important to note, however, that this book was published in 2007. The world has changed considerably since then, in China as much as anywhere. The pollution problems noted in 'China Rises' have become more and more prominent, especially in relation to horrific smogs afflicting Beijing. Economic growth has slowed somewhat, in part due to the financial crisis in the US and Europe. Everything in the book is still relevant, though. It strikes me as a handy basic reference for China's history, economy, and social trends. Although it's probably weakest on the latter.

I seem to recall that 'China Shakes the World' by James Kynge is more in depth, although I read it ages ago. My favourite book about China, though, is the first that I read about the country and which had a huge emotional impact on me. That was 'Wild Swans' by Jung Chang, which I cannot recommend highly enough.

[Cristina Stirbu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very equilibrated and realistic approach. Even if Farndon never says this, it's obvious that Chinese people are hard-working, tenacious, and resilient, as they could have succeeded through all their history to overcome all the difficulties and tragedies. A good lesson for everyone of us, to work, be patient and have hope for the future.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great primer, even if it's a bit dated now. I have a much better understanding now of Chinese policies, problems and potential.

[Thandokwakhe · Rating 5 out of 5]

China is becoming a focal point of the world for many reasons, yet China remains a close book to many because of the language, the political system, the culture and the geographical location of the country. John has written a good boob that flows nicely and gives readers a comprehensive and yet succinct description China in terms of history, environmental issues, politics, economics, international relations, and mordern era China.

[Cristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

o carte care nu vorbeste doar despre statistici, intre in viata cotidiana al chinezilor