We thought it would be appropriate, since the Chinese New Year is just around the corner, to talk about the best books to understand Chinese culture. There are many excellent books covering China’s history, politics, society, and culture. For the scope of this particular list, we have chosen to focus on a portion of the books that have been published in English, but there are many written and/or published in various other languages. We hope you find one that piques your curiosity!
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You are reading: Books about modern china
1. Forgotten Ally: World War II China, 1937-1945
by mitter frog
World War II was instrumental in shaping China’s worldview. Historian and author Rana Mitter uncovers China’s past of resistance, invasion, destruction, and political intrigue. Mitter’s approach is to provide a real understanding of China’s wartime experience that has previously been largely unwritten. This book is an indispensable guide to modern China and its relationship with the West. With good reason, it has been named book of the year by both the economist and the financial times.
2. let 100 voices speak: how the internet is transforming china and changing everything
by liz carter
Internet and social networks are changing the global landscape in a viral way. Although known for having a highly censored society, especially when it comes to resistance against the official communist party, China has more than 560 million active internet users, more than twice the number of the United States. liz carter shows how the internet in china is spawning a congregation of activists, everyday people, and cultural pioneers on an unprecedented scale.
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3. in china
by henry kissinger
Former US Secretary of State Kissinger is recognized for his role in US-China relations during the Nixon administration. In his book “On China,” he examines China from a foreign policy perspective: how they have approached diplomacy, strategy, and negotiation throughout their history. The book is told through Kissinger’s own brand of realpolitik (German for “practical politics”), and the final chapter reflects on the consequences for the global balance of power in the 21st century.
4. the Chinese economy: what everyone should know
by arturo r. kroeber
This election is a concise introduction to the most amazing economic growth story of the last three decades. From Mao-era economic mismanagement to becoming the world’s second-largest economy, China’s growth has lifted 700 million people out of poverty. meanwhile they have also created a monumental environmental disaster with cities covered in smog and carbon emissions which are one of the main causes of climate change. This book covers everything you need to know about how China works, where it’s coming from, and where it’s going.
5. Chinese in ten words
by yu hua
This essay collection by contemporary Chinese author Yu Hua accentuates the spread of graduate unemployment, social complexities and political corruption alongside China’s rapid change into a modernized nation. framing the book, are the following ten different phrases and concepts, commonly found in the Chinese vernacular: people (人民), leader (领袖), reading (阅读), writing (写作), lu xun (鲁迅), revolution (革命) , disparity (差距), grassroots (草根), copycat (山寨) and bamboozle (忽悠).
6. oracle bones
by peter hessler
“oracle bones” is a book that explores the human side of china’s transformation. explores the growing connections to the western world through the lives of a handful of ordinary people. Hessler presents a well-researched history of China along with beautiful descriptions of modern China. He will leave this book with a greater appreciation for China as a whole and for its hard-working people.
7. wishing lanterns: young lives in new china
by alec ash
Youth are the main drivers of change in the future of any country. alec ash, a journalist living in beijing, explores this group by featuring six ordinary han chinese youth. these millennials are dislocated from their country’s tumultuous past and caught between tradition and modernity. Following individual lives, “Wishing Lanterns” reveals China’s future conflicts and challenges, dreams and wishes.
8. chinese pop culture! media, arts and lifestyle
by kevin latham
China’s liberation from Maoist austerity has produced an explosion in popular culture. Latham delves into the roots of Chinese pop culture back to the early days of the 20th century and the Cultural Revolution. analyzes the mass media (print media, cinema and movies, and modern technology) at the same time that it discloses the increase in consumption and consumerism. Being published in 2007, this work may miss out on some of the more contemporary forms of popular culture, however it presents the emerging culture of a country that will inevitably become increasingly influential in the coming years.
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