From Reform to Revolution: The Demise of Communism in China and the Soviet Union

by Minxin Pei

The demise of communism in the former Soviet Union and the massive political and economic changes in China are the stunning transformations of our century. Two central questions are emerging: Why did different communist systems experience different patterns of transition? Why did partial reforms in the Soviet Union and China turn into revolutions?

Genres: China, History, Political Science

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 1998

About the author

Minxin Pei is a political scientist and the director of the Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies at Claremont McKenna College. Prior to this position, he was a senior associate in the China Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and was a professor at Princeton University from 1992 to 1998. He holds a B.A. in English from Shanghai International Studies University, an MFA in Creative Writing from University of Pittsburgh and an M.A. and PhD in political science from Harvard University. He is an expert in Sino-American relations.