Barry Naughton's Book 'Required' for Serious Libraries on China
The Best Readings For Understanding China
06/09/2011
Dan Harris,
China Law Blog
About a week ago, I did a post entitled "The Five+ Best Books for Understanding China." The post was a public response to a very good friend of mine who, in turn, had a reporter friend who will soon be stationed in China. My friend wanted me to list provide him with "3-5 good books to read to understand China (contemporary but also something providing some historical perspective to current doings)...what are your favorites?"
I listed the following five:
China in the 21st Century, by Jeffrey Wasserstrom Out of Mao's Shadow: The Struggle for the Soul of a New China, by Phillip Pan Chinese Lessons: Five Classmates and the Story of the New China, by John Pomfret Postcards from Tomorrow Square: Reports from China, by James Fallows One from the following: Oracle Bones: A Journey Through Time in China, River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze, Country Driving: A Journey Through China from Farm to Factory, by Peter Hessler
I then added that if he wants to read a book on China business he should read one of two business classics: James McGregor's One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China or Tim Clissold's Mr. China: A Memoir.
We received many great comments on that post and those convinced me to develop this post.
My intention (and my hope) for this post is that it will become a forum for an ongoing discussion regarding English language books on China. My plan is to incorporate the comments to this post into this post, whenever appropriate. More than anything, I would like to see this post become a prime source for those seeking help on what they should be reading to better understand China. Though it presently mostly focuses on books, I heartily welcome suggestions on all good readings. I also welcome criticisms of what others (or I) have chosen.
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Barry Naughton is an authority on the Chinese economy, with an emphasis on issues relating to industry, trade, finance, and China's transition to a market economy. Recent research focuses on regional economic growth in the People's Republic of China and the relationship between foreign trade and investment and regional growth.
