Understanding China: A Guide to China's Economy, History, and Political Culture

by John Bryan Starr

In this succinct, modest, and refreshingly forthright book--now revised and updated for the new century--Starr introduces to the uninitiated reader the background, basic data, and issues at stake in China's crisis-ridden present and future.

The death of Deng Xioaping in February 1997, revelations about Chinese influence in our election campaigns, and Chinese eagerness to acquire advanced American technology, are only some of the developments that show how urgently we need to know and understand China better than we do. In this revised edition of his essential book, Starr focuses his shrewd attention on them all. He furnishes additional material on China's relations with Taiwan and Tibet, the transfer of Hong Kong to Chinese rule, China's nuclear weapons program, and its environmental and human rights records.

Genres: China, History, Nonfiction, Politics, Asia, Economics, Political Science

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Kaleb Wulf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I understand now.

I think in America we have a pretty simplified view of China (shocker) as this massive, powerful force that can do anything it wants with a centralized party-state. This book does a good job of detailing the internal problems that China faces in the coming years. Believe it or not, but China does face internal gridlock like America does, albeit with a uniquely different character. American gridlock looks "horizontal" between institutions that serve as checks on each other, where China's gridlock is "vertical". The central committee cannot command immediate and widespread control of the country when there are difference of opinions among regional party orgs and the top figures. A lot of this is demonstrated by the frought negotiations surrounding the construction of the Three Gorges Dam (google it) and I think a current case in point is zero-covid restrictions across the current regions. The common pattern most scholars seem to identify is when problems begin to be coordinated BETWEEN provinces that the party will respond to pushback. I think some key things I pulled out of this reading is the diversity of economy that China has to manage (private enterprise, state-owned enterprise, rural land-sharing, joint state-private business, etc) and the resource challenge that they are in for (almost a reverse of the US, net wheat importer, net manufactured goods exporter, 30% arable land compared to the US's 70%).

Anyway, good luck with all that, sure it'll turn out okay

[Michael Gerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for those with scarcely any knowledge of China and also a useful supplement for those who do, Prof Starr gives a concise yet updated and relevant brief of China's geography, ethnic diversity, economics, the environment, and political culture. He also dispels some of the myths about China being propagated by mass media.

[James Dunphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up because I a) have a love of history and b) have a love of Asian cultures. It took be a little over a year to finish this between school and other lighter endeavors, but I'm glad I did. Fantastic understanding of a complicated country. I would recommend this is anyone who is either interested in foreign countries, or ANY business student looking to get into the world of international business. Starr helped me on both accords with this book. I have it annotated and will be going back to it (hopefully) time and time again in the future. Great stuff. I want to dive more deeper into Chinese history/philosophy

[Stephen Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to understanding the history of and current issues relating to China.

Being that it is an "introduction" type book my only criticism is that Mr Starr forgets that people outside of America do read his books as well as this book is one hundred percent targeted to an American readership with his 'like us in America.." type statements. Very irritating but not something that can not be ignored.

As a first read on China I can highly recommend it.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous book for anyone wanting to understand that large and complex country. I recommend it highly.

[Saeed · Rating 3 out of 5]

A must-read if you want a quick primer on China's political, social and economical landscape

[Mike DeClue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This felt like a very broad stroke of the different aspects of China, primarily focused around politics and economy.
He gave an excellent overview of China's geography in the early chapters and a brief history lesson as well to help explain the different regions of China.
The focus on Taiwan near the end of the book gave me a greater understanding of how the conflict between them started and the state it is still in.
Overall the book gave me a much greater understanding of that big landmass on the east side of the world that everyone always refers to fearfully when spoken of.
It was a very dry read and very academic at times, but I appreciate what the author provided if not always the style it was delivered.
Most importantly the book shows that much like any other large industrialized country, the people are the ones that suffer under repressive regimes.

Edit: keep in mind this is only current to 2009, a supplemental read on something current for the last decade or so would be great if anyone has recommendations.

[V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starr is unlikely to write an updated version of this book any time soon (though I hope he does), but even today, his chapters are excellent introductions to the host of issues that is China and its relationship to the world. Ranging very broadly over these issues, Starr writes eloquently about some rather technical details, and overall, its a very readable account.

In his summation, I thought this point is still accurate in describing China: "As we have seen, China's foreign policy decisions are driven by a desire to enhance the respect that other nations show for China - to gain face - and by an equally strong desire to avoid situations in which the strength and competence of China and its political leaders are publicly called into question."

The Chinese need for "face" will trip it up time and time again, costing lives, causing suffering, and ultimately, to what end?

[Jay Mawicke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book pretty fast, a little out of date at this point but I enjoyed it, helped me understand the decision making of modern Chinese leaders and the major challenges they deal with. Thought it covered a lot of relevant subjects and gave me a good picture of how China really had that 10% annual growth for so long. Enjoyed and recommend to anyone who wants to dig a bit deeper into modern China. Definitely much deeper than a simple “introduction”, I liked how it largely ignored early history and focused truly on China NOW.

[Steve Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Understanding China is an incredible book for anybody learning to understand about the China itself or the mindset of the people. The book provides incredible insight on how the government operates and establishes a series of events that explain why the country is what it is today. The book does a great job of limiting bias and using its middle ground to express how the people of china feel about different things through citing polls. If you are wanting to gain a new perspective on China I highly encourage you to read this book.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very solid current events book for 1997, but parts read more like historical artifact today. Some of the insights are still valid, and it is interesting to see what the late 90's consensus got right and wrong in terms of subsequent events.
But I need to stop buying secondhand geopol books that are twenty years out of date.

[Chris Leuchtenburg · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was identified on a list of ten books to read in preparation for a trip to China. Unfortunately, written in 1997, it is hopelessly out of date. China is changing so fast, the issues discussed in the book seem quaint.

[Jacob Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe should be 4 stars, but it did take me 4 years to finish.

China is fascinating. I loved living and visiting China. There is so much to explore and understand and this book (though extremely dense) is a good starting point to understand the institutions functioning there.

[Bryce Pinder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Focuses more on the current state of China rather than how China got there, so not quite as interesting as I was hoping for. Also a little outdated at this point.

[Kyle Lindholm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly well written and thorough, I only wish there was a 4th edition. 10 years is a mighty large gap to be learning about China in regards to current events.

[Miraj Khan]

I'm currently researching Chinese culture. I think this book will give me much more information.

[Luis Gil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Qué gracioso cuando el autor (escribiendo en el año 2000) predice que el Partido-Estado chino caerá próximamente. Xi Jinping begs to differ.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because I was taking a trip to China. I started reading before I left, but after the first two chapters, it was getting boring, so I put it aside. When I returned, I picked it up and finished it, and it really started to make sense to me. I understood the information in the book and I enjoyed relating what I saw to what I read. I think that it is a clear and fairly unbiased assessment of China today. Starr discusses history, geography, economy and politics. He makes sharp observations and is adept in relating the past to the present. I quote from the last chapter of the book: "There are lessons to be learned from our century and a half of dealing with China, lest we repeat our past mistakes. First, despite the increasing veneer of Westernization, China's culture is still based on premises very different from our own. Second, we should bear in mind that although we tried very hard to change China after our image, we have never succeeded in doing so. A final point: we need to be less passionate and more neutral about the American relationship with China....China is neither the utopia we thought it was...in the 1970's nor the ...evil place we sometimes think of its being today. If you want to learn about the ancient and very important country, I strongly recommend this book.

[Camila · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Bryan Starr makes an excellent analysis of the situation in current China taking into account historical, economical and political background. His deep knowledge and study of the topic are irrefutable. However, if you are not an expert in the fields of economics and politics, the writing is extremely dense, figure-loaded and with too much unnecessary information. Also, as a traveler to China, for example, you would expect to get some insight into certain interesting aspects of the Chinese culture, analyzed from the same perspective as the one the author uses. The 3rd version includes a preface in which the constant comparison with the US is justified (as a legend on a map, rather than a straightforward comparison.) However, there are still some statements that let you know that the book is written from a very clear Western perspective, and leave you wondering on the flip side argument. Overall, however, amazing research and good insight on the current situation of this fast-growing economic power.

[Fmartija · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this comprehensive overview of China, John Bryan Starr explores the challenges facing modern China as it moves to become and remain a major player on the world stage. Some challenges are due to its geography with its allocation of natural resources, some challenges are internal with its political structure, urban/rural discrepancies, and minority populations, and some challenges are external with the push/pull relationships with its partners in the economic community, and its quest for sources of energy. In short, China is a very complex nation and there is no one characteristic that makes China what it is.

Much like other reviews, it would have been good to provide cited sources and external references. I view this book as almost a 'starting point' for anyone wishing to learn more about China. The various challenges addressed within could easily be individually explored further in their own manuscripts, if desired.

[Shea Mastison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is truly a fantastic snapshot of China from the late '90s. John Bryan Starr takes his immense familiarity with Chinese social structure, the Communist Party state, and the Peoples' Liberation Army and ties in their various influences and aspirations to paint one of the most complete pictures of China that I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

Inevitably, China will be (and is already) a major player on the global political scene. Taking that as fact drives the us toward comprehending the necessity of understanding their society and how our similarities and differences can be used to maintain a global peace of mutual benefit. Alongside India and the European Union we're looking at the possibility of a quadrangular balance of global power within the next three or four decades.

I highly recommend this book; the only thing I can say negatively is that it's a bit dated being nearly 20 years old.

[Adam Rosenbaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before and during my recent 3 week vacation to China, I familiarized myself with China's history, culture, economics and socio-politics. It was well worth reading this well-thought out presentation of everything Chinese. It jived very well with what I found to be true, especially from the viewpoint of our Chinese friend as he escorted us around the country. Everything in China is huge and mostly modern. Having recently read "Why Nations Fail" it was interesting to see China via the framework of "extractive" vs "inclusive" societies. Where in the US we value freedom and rights above everything else, in China, it's the obligation to your family, and then the family obligation to the state that is held in the highest regard. I see great potential in the country and also great challenges as they strive to increase their power and quality of living in a political system that excludes millions of people.

You don't have to go to China to find this worth your time.

[Patrick McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Bryan Starr’s Understanding China is a good general introduction to modern China. He looks at the country from a variety of perspectives: political, cultural, diplomatic, environmental, economic, and so on. It is a well-informed and well-researched book; Starr is a professor of Chinese history at Yale University as well. He ends the book by speculating potential futures for China; he seems to be a bit of a doomsayer predicting a collapse of the system. Admittedly China has huge problems with a widening wealth gap between rural people and city dwellers, massive environmental problems, and so on, but it seems to stagger on. And there hasn’t been a collapse in the years since the book has been written. It was a good book to start discussions about China and it’s role in world politics.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good read, although it gets a little too pedantic in parts and the tone can be overly scholarly. It does provide a good overview of the challenges to China's form of governance- which Starr perfectly summarizes as 'Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics'. He is unsparing in his criticism of Deng's reaction to the Tiananmen protests, but is also even-handed in charting the course for China's future economic growth and increase in personal liberty post-Mao. The section on the relationship between the party and the state is particularly illuminating- but where's the diagram that succintly shows how the government actually works?

[Arthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

A utilitarian resource which provides a statistical and sociological framework for understanding modern China.

I came away with an improved understanding of the general direction of China going into the 21st century.

However, given the highly statistical and demographic focus of the book, the 1997 version is simply too outdated to recommend, given that there is a 2010 edition available.

I have not read the 3rd Edition. Based on the quality structure of the 1997 edition, I would recommend the 2010 version. However, do NOT pick up a used copy of the 1997 edition - it is simply too statistically outdated.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bone dry, no-nonsense approach to describing the People's Republic. He takes a structural approach, emphasizing that the current state of Chinese politics and economy are very much the result of history, with particular emphasis on recent history (i.e. China since Mau). I think I would get a lot more out of this book if I had a better sense of the Who's and What's of Chinese history, particularly 20th Century, but for providing a baseline understanding of the current state of play, it's a great place to start. Would be great for any introductory university course on China.

[Averill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book should have been named "hating on china" lol. The author handles china as you would an enemy. I felt as if I was in a C.I.A. Briefing on the subject of china. The only thing I understand now after reading this dry work, is China has flaws. As a student of mandarin I picked this book up hoping to read a complete spectrum of good and bad. Well, all I got was the bad. I didn't give this book a bad rating because it's written well, and it's very informative. I just had something else in mind when I think of "understanding china".

[Rick Zhu · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is perfect for people that are curious about China. This book was broken up into sections about culture, history, and the structure of its society. The great thing about this book was that the sections were not so in-depth as to overwhelm the readers. I personally was looking for a more narrow explanation behind it's culture, history and the structure of its society, which was why I did not thoroughly enjoy this book.

[Daniel Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dispassionate and wide-ranging primer on contemporary China. It sometimes suffers from textbook-itis (which makes sense, because it grew out of the author's Yale classes on Chinese politics and economics), which is to say that it doesn't make the most compelling read, but I found it extremely helpful as a big picture overview of this fast-developing country. There are plenty of other nations that I would love to see get the treatment that Starr affords China here.

[Ardra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this 4 stars only because of my own ignorance in not having read other books to compare it to. It may be worthy of 5. The book covers a brief history, cultural philosophies, geography, current political issues, environmental, ethnic, relations with other countries, and more. Written and organized well.