Asian Review of Books reviews China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know
The difficulty with “China books”, of which there are an increasing number, is that they are usually single-idea or single-theme, or rather daunting, relatively dense tomes. China in the 21st Century is neither: the back cover describes it as “a cogent primer”, a accurate description which encapsulates the book’s philosophy. It is not just an introduction, easily consumed in one sitting between classes or while waiting for a connection to Beijing; it also provides the background for events in the news, a refresher for those who already have some background or experience in the country and a book one can dip into later when one wants to remind oneself “Why hasn’t Mao been repudiated by China’s current leaders?”
Although one can imagine scholars taking issue with the idea of condensing Confucius’s life and times into a dozen pages, Wasserstrom’s practical take is that “to understand today’s China, it is crucial to know something about its past,” but that he is “determined to avoid a wearying and confusing march through all the dynasties.” The result is a book anyone — whether student, businessperson or policymaker — can actually read, absorb and retain.
