Customer Reviews:
All the fun, half the facts!.......1999-02-22
Schirokauer provides an excellent introduction to the history of modern (and early-modern) China and Japan. He presents the material effectively and CONCISELY, which makes it a delight for any college student to read. Additionally, nice illustrations, an exhaustive index, and an extensive, detailed list of suggestions for further reading make this text worthy of five stars. Kudos to Schirokauer for the skill with which he respectfully argues the viewpoints of both the Eastern and Western cultures during their harshest conflicts.
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Book Description
Two of the foremost American educators and healers in the Chinese medical profession demystify Chinese medicine's centuries-odl approach to health. Combining Eastern traditions with Western sensibilities in a unique blend that is relevant today, BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH opens the door to a vast storehouse of knowledge that bridges the gap between mind and body, theory and practice, professional and self-care, East and West.
Customer Reviews:
pretty good book.......2007-01-10
Good beginning and ending. Kind of lost me in the middle. A bit touchy, feelie.
A good basic Introduction to TCM.......2006-11-10
For anyone looking for a basic, easy to understand introduction to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I can highly recommend this book. It focuses mainly of the five element theory of TCM, and it manages to explain a very complex concept in clear terms. It has nice self-test chapters to help the reader figure out their own predominant elements, and also offers good advice on simple herbal supplements and dietary advise based on the patterns.
However, it is very basic. If you are looking for more in-depth information on Traditional Chinese Medicine, or if you already have a basic understanding of the five elements, The Web that Has No Weaver is probably a better book to read, since it explains not only the five elements, but also the organ networks and their associated functions and spirits in much more depth.
I usually recommend Between Heaven and Earth to people who want to gain a basic understanding and introduction into the Chinese Taoist Philosophy that is the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I think it is a great introductory text, and will make subsequent, more complexly written books much easier to understand.
The book is a mish mosh.......2006-09-06
It's too bad this book is a mish mosh and that neophytes in Chinese medicine are not going to know this. Some of the material is very standard and authentic, but a lot of it is the authors' own invention. So be careful with this. If you want the real deal, this is not the book you want. A better introduction to standard Chinese medicine is Kaptchuk's classic, The Web That Has No Weaver.
Excellent Guide to the Novice.......2005-10-04
I am a novice in the art of TCM and I do not speak or read chinese. This was an excellent guide for me in my studies in preparation to attend school for TCM and also how to get some practical benefit from my Chinese herbs. This was an Excellent Guide for the Novice.
An excellent introduction to the tenets of TCM.......2005-08-10
I recommend this book to all of my clients! With so much focus being placed on alternative therapies in health care, it staggers me that so much of the general public still thinks that acupuncture is for idiots acting as a human pincushion. While it is far from an instruction manual (which was never its intent), Between Heaven and Earth gives laypeople a simplified and elegant explanation of an ancient science. If you're looking for a definitive education in TCM, go to a university and get a degree. If you want an introduction to wellness through Chinese Medicine, read this book.
Book Description
In this widely acclaimed history of modern China, Jonathan Spence achieves a fine blend of narrative richness and efficiency. Praised as "a miracle of readability and scholarly authority," (Jonathan Mirsky) The Search for Modern China offers a matchless introduction to China's history.
Customer Reviews:
Just a great resource on China.......2007-09-19
I've read over twenty books on China, and this is one of the best resources out there. At first I was caught off guard that Spence started in the 16th or 17th century, however, it provides a lot of insight into China's development and goes into detail about China's interactions with the West and their reactions. I especially found the opium trade quite interesting and also the fact that new dynasties had to constantly reconquer parts of China. One truly begins to appreciate the difficulty in governing a country so large and diverse as China.
An Unponderous History.......2007-05-24
To truly know China, it is essential to have a grasp of its rich history. But that history is so vast and dense, it is easy to get lost. This book is an admirable guide. For a review of contempory issues, see my own book: The Coming China Wars: Where They Will Be Fought and How They Can Be Won
Great book.......2007-05-16
This is probably my favorite Chinese history book that I've read. Its easily quotable, well written, and intriguing. I found it to be clear cut and concise, but not bogged down by elevated language, or too simplistic. Its a shame books like this one are not used more in Universities.
A nice introduction.......2007-03-23
The book makes a good impression. It is an eloquently written, absorbing narrative, attentive to detail and yet broad in scope. The book nicely integrates discussion of political history with discourse on society and culture of modern China.
It is ostensibly weaker towards the end - barely a fraction of the book deals with post-1949 China. The PRC's foreign policy during the Cold War unfortunately receives scant attention; the Cultural Revolution is addressed as if in passing. Sino-US rapprochement is barely mentioned (with a questionable assertion that it was mainly a product of pressure on the part of the Chinese oil lobby).
The part on the democratic movement in China was an interesting read, but it overshadowed other important issues in the last 20-30 years of China's political and economic development.
Overall, excellent book, certainly one of the best introductions to modern history of China out there, highly recommended for new students of Chinese history as a starting point.
timely and important work.......2006-11-12
The scale of this book is vast, and the scholarly undertaking is impressive. In the modern world with Chinese influence growing all the time an understanding of Chinese history is increasingly important. A must-read!
Ian Ruxton, editor of the Diaries of Sir Ernest Satow, British Envoy in Peking 1900-06, available on amazon.com
Amazon.com
Into Thin Air is a riveting first-hand account of a catastrophic expedition up Mount Everest. In March 1996, Outside magazine sent veteran journalist and seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall. Despite the expertise of Hall and the other leaders, by the end of summit day eight people were dead. Krakauer's book is at once the story of the ill-fated adventure and an analysis of the factors leading up to its tragic end. Written within months of the events it chronicles, Into Thin Air clearly evokes the majestic Everest landscape. As the journey up the mountain progresses, Krakauer puts it in context by recalling the triumphs and perils of other Everest trips throughout history. The author's own anguish over what happened on the mountain is palpable as he leads readers to ponder timeless questions.
Book Description
When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10, 1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. As he turned to begin his long, dangerous descent from 29,028 feet, twenty other climbers were still pushing doggedly toward the top. No one had noticed that the sky had begun to fill with clouds. Six hours later and 3,000 feet lower, in 70-knot winds and blinding snow, Krakauer collapsed in his tent, freezing, hallucinating from exhaustion and hypoxia, but safe. The following morning, he learned that six of his fellow climbers hadn't made it back to their camp and were desperately struggling for their lives. When the storm finally passed, five of them would be dead, and the sixth so horribly frostbitten that his right hand would have to be amputated.
Into Thin Air is the definitive account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest by the acclaimed journalist and author of the bestseller
Into the Wild. On assignment for
Outside Magazine to report on the growing commercialization of the mountain, Krakauer, an accomplished climber, went to the Himalayas as a client of Rob Hall, the most respected high-altitude guide in the world. A rangy, thirty-five-year-old New Zealander, Hall had summited Everest four times between 1990 and 1995 and had led thirty-nine climbers to the top. Ascending the mountain in close proximity to Hall's team was a guided expedition led by Scott Fischer, a forty-year-old American with legendary strength and drive who had climbed the peak without supplemental oxygen in 1994. But neither Hall nor Fischer survived the rogue storm that struck in May 1996.
Krakauer examines what it is about Everest that has compelled so many people -- including himself -- to throw caution to the wind, ignore the concerns of loved ones, and willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense. Written with emotional clarity and supported by his unimpeachable reporting, Krakauer's eyewitness account of what happened on the roof of the world is a singular achievement.
Into the Wild is available on audio, read by actor Campbell Scott.
Download Description
When Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mount Everest in the early afternoon of May 10, 1996, he hadn't slept in fifty-seven hours and was reeling from the brain-altering effects of oxygen depletion. As he turned to begin the perilous descent from 29,028 feet (roughly the cruising altitude of an Airbus jetliner), twenty other climbers were still pushing doggedly to the top, unaware that the sky had begun to roil with clouds.
Into Thin Air is the definitive account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest by the acclaimed Outside journalist and author of the bestselling Into the Wild. Taking the reader step-by-step from Katmandu to the mountain's deadly pinnacle, Krakauer has us shaking on the edge of our seat. Beyond the terrors of this account, however, he also peers deeply into the myth of the world's tallest mountain. What is it about Everest that has compelled so many people -- including himself -- to throw caution to the wind, ignore the concerns of loved ones, and willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense?
Written with emotional clarity and supported by unimpeachable reporting, Krakauer's eyewitness account of what happened on the roof of the world is a singular achievement.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Writer -- Just Don't Ever Go Climbing with Him.......2007-09-21
Krakauer is a superb writer, as evidenced by this compelling read. As a climber, my take-home lesson from this book is that I would never set foot on a mountain with a person as smarmy, self-serving, selfish and self-absorbed as Mr. Krakauer. In my opinion, major portions of this book are nothing more than an after-the-fact and rather flimsy justification for Krakauer's abject moral failure on Everest as a person and as a mountaineer. Krakauer made sure he looked after No. 1 -- himself. He could have helped others who later died and chose not to. He should not have compounded his moral failure on the mountain with the sin of proferring a self-serving account of why he is not such a bad fellow after all. When in the mountains, Krakauer and his ilk are the type to stay away from, and certainly never the type to trust with your life.
Amazing.......2007-09-21
This book is amazing. I knew very little about Mt Everest of even mountain climbing in general. That didn't really matter. This story is incredible. It's almost hard to believe it's true. I couldn't put the book down.
Should cure any rational person of wanting to visit this mountain.......2007-09-12
Covers the disastrous 1996 Mount Everest expedition which Krakauer covered for Outside magazine. This compelling story should cure all rational folks of any desire to climb Everest, and lends valuable insight into the character of those who set out to climb the world's highest peak.
enjoyed it.......2007-08-31
I really enjoyed this book. The story was compelling and well written. I finished it in three days because I was so engrossed.
A Survivor's Account.......2007-08-27
Another reviewer said that this book was haunting, and I definitely agree with that. It made it hard for me to sleep.
The author accounts a horrific ordeal on the mountain that would be painful to report on after the fact, let alone live through. Especially disturbing were some of the climbers' refusals to assist others on the mountain who were clearly dying there and needed emergency help.
Also reading about what happens to the human body in the cold and thin air, especially when lingering for too long, is remarkable, especially considering how some survived it despite being exposed for days.
A penitent, unforgettable account that just can't be matched by other books written about true events because the author was there, and had to survive, and deal with the pain and guilt afterward.
Book Description
Readers of WOMEN OF THE SILK never forgot the moving story of Pei, brought to work in the silk house as a young girl.Now we learn what happened to Pei, as she arrives in 1930's Hong Kong with a young orphan, Ji Shen, in her care.Soon Pei and Ji Shen find a new life in the home of Mrs. Finch, a British expatriate.But war, and the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, tear everything apart, and Pei is once again forced to make her own way, struggling to survive and to keep her extended family alive.In this dramatic story of hardship and survival, Gail Tsukiyama paints an unforgettable portrait of women fighting the forces of war and time to make a life for themselves.
Customer Reviews:
A wonderful sequel........2007-06-16
This story continues the sad but beautiful journey of Pei. A chinese silk worker. I love any story that takes you into someone's heart. This story does just that. Gail Tsukiyama is a wonderful writer.
The Language of Threads.......2007-02-07
You need to read Women of Silk first, and you will love this book. It is easy reading and Gail Tsukiyama is a wonderful story teller.
The Language of Threads: A Novel.......2006-07-12
This is a wonderful sequel to "Women of the Silk". I thoroughly enjoyed the continuing story and the characters, both the old ones and the new ones.
I think the timeline is a very interesting part of World history. I would love to see these books made into a movie.
The Language of Threads: A Novel.......2005-07-07
This was a less than stellar sequal to The Women of the Silk but it did finish the story of Pei to some extent. I found the historical aspect of the novel the most interesting and the story of the women the least believable
Better than the first!.......2004-03-18
Although "Women of the Silk" was one of the best books Gail Tsukiyama wrote, I would have to say that her sequel was more appealing than the first. Pei is once again on her own, having to leave the silk factory, and has an orphan named Ji Shen. Pei lost her best friend Jin, who left them a job in Hong Kong. Pei had many jobs while the Japanese stormed into China, destroying homes and villages. Pei managed to survive the bombings and having to lose so many friends, including the orphan Ji Shen. Pei's will to survive and living life to the fullest was what made this book so inspiring.
Book Description
This set of two 60-minute audio cassettes for A New Text for Modern China (an updated and revised version of A Chinese Text for a Changing China) contains essays and vocabulary lists recorded by native speakers of Chinese. In this third-year course for college and adult learners of Chinese as a second language, elements of a language instruction book and an up-to-date cultural reader are combined into an innovative whole. Each of the five units in the textbook begins with an original essay on topics relevant to everyday life and contemporary issues in China. Each essay is accompanied by three related newspaper or magazine articles from Chinese publications. The reading material is followed by lists of new vocabulary, stock phrases, grammatical explanations and exercises to reinforce language learning. Material is in traditional and simplified characters with pinyin. Grammar explanations are in English.
Product Description
The Rise of Modern China
Customer Reviews:
Definitive work to the rise of China as a superpower.......2007-02-20
This is the definitive work by Prof. C.Y. Hsu of the University of Californai, Santa Barbara.
It is a highly acclaimed history book which tells the rise of modern China which begins with her occupation by the alien power - the Manchus - from the border of north China and rules the country with an iron grip from 1644 to 1912.
The Manchus were an alien, warlike race which had an eye for China (just like the barbaric Japs in 1935) for a while, and according to Prof. Hsu and his marvellous research, the appropriate time came sooner than expected which altered the future course of China and eventually led it to become a world power a century later.
The Manchus enticed the Ming Dynasty General Wu San Kwei who was then guarding the walls at San Hai Kwan Pass (Mountain and Sea Pass) which effectively blocked the entrance of these warlike aliens to which the weaken Ming Dynasty couldn't well resist. Then internal political turmoil caused the last Ming Emperor to commit suicide and the rise of the rebel Li Zhi Cheng which looted and subsequently occupied Peking. Fatefully, Li abducted the mistress named Chen Yuan Yuan of Gen. Wu which compelled him to open the massive wall-gate and allowed the Manchus to enter Peking to chastise the rebel who was eventually captured and beheaded after many battles.
Then the Manchus began to establish their Manchu or Ch'ing Dynasty from 1644-1912 with ten succeeding emperors and one notorious empress named Tzi Hsi.
China, weakened by internal unrest and revolts and external pressure from the foreign powers - notably Great Britain, France, Imperial Japan, Germany, Italy, Germany, Russia and etc., almost brought the country to total ruin, division and a multiple foreign colony. China was forced to signed many unequeal treaties after she was militarily defeated which included the tranforming of Hong Kong into a British colony in losing two Opium Wars. With the country politically and militarily divided and huge areas curved out by foreign powers, the educated people along with the farmers rose up to try to overthrow the decadent Manchus. Then came the devasting and most barbaric war of conquest by the Imperial "bungsai" troops which climaxed in the so-called Rape of Nanking, whereby some 300,000 innocent and unarmed Chinese civilians were tortured, robbed, raped and summarily executed in cold blood by the contesting samurai swords. Iris Chang told this holocaust in her acclaimed book called THE RAPE OF NANKING (It is also sold by amazon.com too).
Eventually, after many local rebellions against the alien Manchus, Dr. Sun Yat Sen succeeded in overthrowing them and formed the Republic of China and eventually the founding of the People's Republic of China by Mao and Co.
Then in the 1970s, the Chinese people were proud to witness the entry of China into the United Stations and occupied a seat in the U.N. Security Council. China then started diplomatic releations with its once arch-enemy, the United States after the historical state visit of President Nixon. (The Chinese still consider Nixon as their friend today!)
Today, the rise of China as both an economic and military power owes its origin to the resolve of the innovative and determined Chinese people led first by Dr. Sun Yat Sen (Father of the Chinese Revolution) to Deng Xiaoping (Father of the Chinese Economy), which brought China to become a peaceful and superpower power - respected and feared by both friends and foes alike.
Prof. Hsu's thousand page long history book, well-researched and written in an understable language should be in the homes of all English educated Chinese people and those foreigners who are friends of China.
So please go for this highly recommended and worthy history book if you, the reader, has been to China and marvel at its seven thousand years of history, culture, civilization, inventions, battles and peace and rise to become a peaceful superpower of today. Cheers & thanks.
I wish every Chinese could read this book!.......2006-07-17
Having grown up in mainland China, having read most of the Chinese history books available, and having steeped with all comtemporary arts and media propaganda as well as serious scholar works, I thought that I have a full grasp of the modern Chinese history until I read this book half through, of which I bought the fifth edition several years ago but collecting dust on the book shelf. I could not help to wait the finish of my reading of the whole book but to write this. So far, this is a book I read with such fascination better than reading any book in my life, including those page turner best seller fictions. Originally I picked up to read this book as some kind of obligation to read those books I bought but never opened, following my successes with those Hemingway and Mark Twain, and pessimistically planned to spend the rest of July to finish it, and this was only three days ago and I'm already half through. When I read this book for the past few days, I cannot help to notice the connections between the events in the past and those events more recently. For example, Kang You-Wei's reform and four modernization; Tai Ping Tiang Guo and the lang reform of the 50's; the list goes on. Overall, I highly recommend anyone, especially those of us oversee Chinese from mainland China, to read this book. I will be anxious to know whether any attempt has been made to translate this book into Chinese so that every Chinese could read it. Not knowing the difference between the fifth and the sixth edition, I would offer a suggestion to consider for the seventh edition: to add a list of Chinese for those names used in the text, since it's very hard to remember all the names in the out dated old spelling, in addition to correspond each with the correct Chinese name.
A classic- indispensable!.......2006-05-06
I recently took a course on the history of modern China in university, which covered the era spanning from the late Qing to 21st century. Initially I was rather daunted by the size and thickness of this book, but I ended up reading this book 3 times by the end of the course because it was so readable. Immanuel Hsu's analysis is clear and obviously up to par. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is taking a similar course. If you're keen to understand China particularly in the light of current affairs, you need to know about its recent history as well. There is no better place to start than with "The Rise of China" by Immanuel Hsu.
Excellent work by one of the best scholars of Modern Chinese History.......2005-10-28
This is the best single-volume history of Modern China that you could own. It covers the history of China from the Ch'ing (Qing) dynasty to the emergence of China as a global superpower at the beginning of the 21st century. Scholarly, yet immensely readable. This work will remain a lasting memorial to Professor Hsü, a preeminent scholar of Modern Chinese History, whom I had the great privilege to know.
Fantastic history book on modern Chinese history.......2004-11-24
It is quite a long book but well worth it! This book begins with the Ch'ing dynasty and traces the course of China's history up through Deng's reforms. China's history is particulary difficult because it requires drawing on the events of so many other countries. A historian of this subject must be able to survey the histories of these countries in order to relate them to events in China. The author does an amazing job of delivering a solid history that is a good read.
Customer Reviews:
Where's the climax?.......2006-04-12
This book succeeds in illustrating the effects of political conflict on a teenage girl who is constantly fighting her contradictory beliefs. She has passion for Communism to win, but her moral beliefs sometimes intervene. The actions she must take for the land-reform to work are often too violent or cruel for what she is capable of doing, but at the same time, she knows that this is what she is required to do in order to be the "correct" cadre and leader. The traditional values of the villagers are a major obstacle that she must overcome for Communism to take place. These traditions are well depicted in the novel through the conservative villagers who are still doubtful about the reform. This leads to the theme of "tradition versus change". The story continually revolves around this conflict, especially in terms of women inferiority. For example, the rape of Little Jade and Tu's belief that a wife who cannot bear sons is a burden, both result in major political issues in the small village of Longxiang. This tradition interrupts the Communist ideal, and once again, confuses many people including Ling-Ling. This is because everyone still possesses their traditional beliefs and finds it hard to ignore them. Another conflict in this novel is "justice versus revenge". While the people know that when a problem occurs it is best to put things right the calm way, their hot-headedness overtakes their emotions and their goals of seeking justice is replaced by revenge. This feeling of revenge often leads to more trouble, and the whole process is repeated again.
Our experience reading this novel was more negative than positive. We felt that it was an unnecessary experience overall. Although we did learn about the land-reform which actually took place, we could have done this through a different source, perhaps a history class. Besides, we were not entirely sure if this novel was historically correct in some parts. Many characters were underdeveloped and from time to time, we faced huge holes in the plot, leaving us confused. We must admit, though, that many heated discussions took place because of this book. However, this was most probably because of the unclear issues that we were determined to solve with our own reasoning. The debates were extremely interesting, but as mentioned previously, there was a void since we were almost never able to figure out an answer.
The novel's literary strengths include the fast pace and clever dialogue. Most phrases are short and straightforward, so it is clear and easy to comprehend. The tone of each character suits the situation well, enhancing the tension, the fear, or the gaiety. Another aspect that helps create the atmosphere is the use of symbolism. The appropriate use of the symbols strongly supports the real-life situation because of their clearly parallel connection. An example of symbolism is Ling-Ling's dreams. Her dream of drowning in water represents the suffocation she is feeling in the village. She is not content with her miserable life in the poor village and she feels that she cannot express her thoughts and emotions freely. Speaking of connection, we realized that there were many foreshadowing of future events, especially of the unfortunate ones. This is supposed to add onto the excitement of the incidents because when the foreshadowing comes true, the impact is larger than when an event happens out of the blue. The build up is what makes the outcome all the more surprising and prominent. However, this book did not make good use of the upsurge. At the final point, the incident seemed to dissolve and nothing dramatic happened, deceiving the expectations of the readers.
Another literary weakness of this novel is the unnecessarily large amount of description. Although the effective symbolism and foreshadowing may be included, some paragraphs drag on and on, boring the readers. Some details are truly unneeded for the story to be interesting. In fact, less descriptive passages sometimes intrigue us to read on. Another literary weakness is the characterization. Some parts of the story abruptly ended without any development in the characters such as Bob Lu, who abruptly did not show up anymore after Ling-Ling left Shanghai. His character is left hanging in mid-air, worsening the already opened void in the plot.
Overall, we give this book 2.5 stars because we thought that this book wasn't so bad that we couldn't read it, but it wasn't a good read. It is definitely a book to read in class, where you are required to study it; not something you would snuggle up with in front of the fireplace.
Waiting and waiting: for a climax, a resolution and an epilogue. .......2006-04-12
This autobiographical novel by Yuan-Tsung Chen is a portrayal of the author's experience as a young Communist cadre who participated in the Land Reforms during the mid 1940's. The book is written from the perspective of a 17 year-old teenager, Ling Ling who is eager to be a part of the new political, social and cultural change at that time.
Since the novel is written by a female author with a female protagonist, a large portion of the book focuses on the status and role of women in society. The first two chapters show how the Shanghai aristocracy and bourgeoisie women enjoy a more western lifestyle as socialites who frequent fancy parties and gatherings. They are also educated in western schools even if their ultimate social goal is to secure their status through a well-connected marriage. The protagonist, Ling Ling, also happens to be a girl from the Shanghai elite but her ambitious activist friend, Ma Li shows how women were starting to become more active in political activities because of the spread of Communist ideas. However, the status of women in the rural village of Longxiang is a stark contrast to the privileged lives of Shanghai women. Since the village is virtually a place where women are oppressed by a Confucian society, virgin brides whose husband has died or wives who repeatedly give birth to daughters are seen as women of bad luck while underprivileged and vulnerable women are sexually exploited. However, a young female activist, Xiu Ying, shows the hope of gender equality by running for the elections and becoming elected as a new village leader.
This new promotion of a woman into a political position also presents the theme of Tradition vs. Change. When Ling Ling first arrives to Longxiang with her fellow cadres Malvolio Cheng and Wang Sha, the elders, especially the men, are reluctant to change their ideas. The bold presence of an adolescent girl like Ling Ling also surprises them because it completely clashes with their Confucian ideal of the low status of women. Throughout the book, the villagers are challenged with new changes such as the meeting where all villagers, men and women are brought together to discuss the land reforms as equals. Gradually as the story progresses, the men feel more uncomfortable about the new role of women and an example of this is when Xiu Ying's father attempts to force her into an arranged marriage after her election. The villagers also feel some conflict when they are made to raid the houses of the landlords but after the repudiation of the first landlord, a new generation of young activists emerges as it steps out to seize power for its own. Their rash and reproachful attitude towards the landlords shows a definite break from the traditional feudalist society.
Another theme that was significant was "the wheel of history" which Ling Ling describes in Chapter 13, as something that moves against the will of the individuals, involving them without discrimination. Although the land reforms seem to end successfully in the last chapter after the repudiation of the "evil" landlords, signs of new corruption are already evident from the previous chapters where the young activists treat Landlord Chi and his farmer spy very brutally. Even Ling Ling acts in response to her emotions on the spur of the moment, flinging out profane words, while setting a bad example of a leader for the newly elected authorities. The action and violence shows how the former corruption of the feudalist society is already manifesting itself in the new communist society.
Even though the book might be suitable for a history class as a primary source (despite it's historical inaccuracy), the majority of the chapters which were basically empty or void of depth which made it tiring to apply literary criticism. In addition to that, many of the characters were underdeveloped, including the protagonist and it was felt that the author wasn't very inquisitive and analytical of her past experiences in the book. The lack of self-evaluation was so critical that it almost felt as if she had written the book one week after her return from Longxiang. The last chapter also left us readers hanging on the edge because we had no idea as to what the author's stance was; did she feel that the land reforms were successful or did she think that it was futile? It would be most favorable if at least she added in a short epilogue about her life after the land reforms.
However, one must admit that the first chapter was intriguing enough to keep the reader reading the whole book while expecting the important and significant climax.
Contradiction's Village........2006-04-12
The experience of reading this novel, The Dragon's Village, is a complex one. It is truly a unique story about Communist China, told from an interesting perspective, though because of its ambiguous genre and structure, the reader is left wondering if the story is for Communism or against, fiction or factual, introspective or blatant, intellectually stimulating or written to please the mass audience. Its themes revolve around those that have been stated time and time again in novels that describe a communist dictatorship: that the upper-class cannot adapt to the lower-class' standards without putting up a fight or assuming authority/paternal roles, and that one who has indulged in a luxurious life cannot easily give it up, no matter how circumstances may change. Further, the novel explores different characters' diverging reactions to Communism, and derives its ultimate theme, that a communist state cannot realistically ever function, from those characters' opinions.
The novel's strengths are its unique point of view, way in which events are told which leave an impact on the reader, and the use of archetypes that make it a strong literary piece. Because the novel is `autobiographical', the reader is enthralled by the events that are `true' within the novel, while the courses of action that some characters take build upon the intertwining relationships the narrator develops during her stay in the village. Archetypes are generally not apparent, though the meaning of names (Ling-ling = bells; perhaps she was the one that awoke the villagers to see the new Communist way) and characters (Broken Shoe is the `socially unacceptable woman'/antagonist that all novels must have) subtly portray their importance.
The novel's weakness is its structure. The format of the story is not very clear and there is no apparent climax - the novel presets itself as a collection of interesting stories that share common characters, and the fact that each chapter has a separate title instead of being numbered seems to support this point. The genre of the book is also confusing - it is stated as fiction and autobiographical: "This story is fiction, but it is true." (Forward The Dragons Village) However, the notion of an "autobiographical novel" seems to be a contradiction in itself. Further, what does the author mean by this quote? Since the novel is fiction, one expects the story to have a significant climax. The book would be more entertaining as a fiction novel if it were manipulated into a simple structure. Perhaps the author attempted to include too many incidents and details in one novel. The chapters are dull and tedious to read, while there seems to be no relevance in many characters that appear throughout the novel. Many of the characters are underdeveloped, which subtract from the narrator's personality that unfolds as the novel goes on. Each theme the author presents in the book has the potential to develop, yet however many themes this book touches, it only goes into to superficial detail and never gets anywhere near as deep as a reader would hope for.
Altogether, the story is interesting yet dull, structured yet ambiguous, reflective yet superficial, and a contradiction to itself as in its stated genre of "autobiographical novel".
Really an Autobiography?.......2006-04-12
The Dragon's Village written by Yuan-Tsung Chen was the story of a girl's self-discovery during the Chinese Revolution. In the novel, she struggles to find her purpose in life and what she can contribute to the new communist country. Through her journey, the reader discovers a distinct conflict between the traditional way of life and the way the newly formed government tries to create. The reader can see the struggle between the conservatives and the reformers making readers curious to find out which side will prevail.
While reading the novel the reader finds easy to connect and empathize with the protagonist. The reader is able to vicariously live the revolution through the main character, Ling Ling. The novel was written in such a way that any reader could enjoy and understand it. Chen delivers an interesting storyline with good imagery and elaborate description.
However, Chen's efforts to make good imageries fail because they often made the novel seem repetitive and random. At times, characters and ideas seem to pop up at random with no clear connection to the rest of the novel, such as the role of the Soprano and the character Dai Shi. For instance, both the Soprano and Dai Shi appear at the beginning of the novel only to disappear without mention and then reappear again at the end of the novel. Even once the characters are reintroduced in the novel, they serve no purpose in furthering the plot.
The novel dragged on slow and needlessly sometimes, but it was interesting to follow Ling Ling's development throughout the novel. Also, it was more engaging to us as readers for we felt connected to the novel thanks to the view of a young teenage female protagonist. This provided the only motivation to finish the novel in hopes of finding out what happens to our heroine. It brings light to the Chinese Revolution, a topic not often discussed in such detail.
For personal reading, this novel might offer one an interesting new perspective on a journey during a critical time in history, however, as an educational tool, the effectiveness of this novel is questionable. If one is interested in historical fiction, this novel would be enjoyable to read, however, if one is looking for a research materials or more concrete account of this time, this is not the novel one would want to read.
A great read... though Chinese names can be confusing.......2005-12-20
The Dragon's Village is an autobiographical novel that portrays the psychological contention of a seventeen year old girl set against a chaotic era in Chinese history- an era of Communist land reforms. The theme expresses the writer's perspective on the conflict between political and personal realities and political and personal ideals. Prior to the turning point, the main character, Ling-ling is torn between traditional Chinese values and her communist ideals. The novel focuses on how political and social reforms can force one to change internally, however the novel also succeeds in depicting oppressive Chinese traditional values such as the static subordinate status of women despite the communist revolution.
The book tells the story of Ling-ling, a seventeen-year-old, Chinese girl of bourgeois origin who joins a revolutionary work team and travels to a secluded village to spread the reform movement. Fueled by idealism and determination, Ling-ling goes to the Dragon's village (dragons being a symbol or mystery, the extraordinary, and strength in Chinese mythology) only to be obstructed by landlords and villagers who fear them. She finds the village and villagers to be indeed mysterious. In effect, Ling-ling feels her goal to find herself and her niche in life is being blocked by traditional Chinese patriarchal values and the corruption that results from it; exactly what makes her leave Shanghai in the first place.
The conflict is introduced early in the novel when Ling-ling, expressing her distress with the traditional role she is expected to play, leaves to join a reform team. Towards the turning point, Ling-ling begins to notice that neither the traditional society she comes from nor communism truly defines who she is. During the rising action, Ling-ling questions herself several times whether she belongs to the village or not. At the turning point, she is faced with a choice: to her aunt, who will still accept her at this point, or press ahead. While pondering over this and reflecting on her past, Ling-ling notices that the KMT and the Communist are "all the same people"; one is not better than the other. Upon realizing this, she burns the old pages of her diary to burn away the idealistic past and move into a new level of self awareness of her own inner complexities and the complexities of ideologies. She realizes that there needs to be a balance of reality and aspirations.
The main theme of the story is embodied in two sentences in the novel: "Every one of us- peasants, work teams, and landlords alike- was caught in the wheel of history. Immense forces beyond our control were moving us forward, but at the same time molding and remolding all our hopes regardless of who and what we were." Oppressed people rise up, albeit not without opposition and obstacles, freed but then tied down again by the elite group of the next regime- that is the cycle of history. But regardless of who or what one is, in each turn of the "wheel", values are forced to be redefined; in this novel communism forces traditional values to be redefined. This is reinforced in the climax when Tu's doings are discovered. Tu, a communist, is discovered to have been working with Landlord Chi- the main opposition of the reform team and Ling-ling accordingly. Just as the imperial day and the KMT days, corruption is being spread in society.
Of the many issues embedded in the novel, it effectively illustrates a concern that is often overlooked in China. Gender equality remains something that is intangible in China until the introduction of communism. Women have been inferior to men in Chinese society for so long that it is not an idea easily destroyed. There is an underlying sense of male resistance to allow women to be equals early in the communist revolution. There is a rift between ideals and reality in enforcing Communist ideas; equality turns out to be a subjective matter. Ling-ling notes that it is the hard realities of life that scare women back into marriage. In the Dragon's village men are apathetic to the women's plight. At then end of the novel, Tu a leading village Communist is found out to have murdered his stepdaughter after raping her. Women are seen to be objects and men are allowed to treat women in virtually any way they want. The reluctance of men to vote for Xiu-Ying and her father's resistance to allow her to run for election is also a depiction of inequality. However, she does win a position. This is perhaps pointing to a new time for women's rights. Nonetheless, communist ideas of equality are hard to enforce, even in the party itself, because the traditional patriarchal ideas are ingrained deeply into Chinese society.
The last words of the novel are "Da Niang, come. Come and get your land. It's time." This restates the theme- history is cyclical. Now the table has turned and it is the peasants turn to prosper. These words are said at the end by a wiser and some what more mature Ling-ling who learns the political reality of the difficulty of enforcing communist ideas and her personal reality that she is a construct of traditions and communism and not one or the other. In some ways, the initial idealism Ling-ling holds undercuts her success in the reform movement in the Dragon's Village because it is not who she really is. She makes real progress personally and politically when she abandons her romantic view of reform (along with her infatuation with Wang Sha) and her complete disapproval for traditions. Near the end of the book she says, "I don't like any superstitions, old or new." Ling-ling realizes that the new government is not any better then the KMT. History is cyclical- nothing is new.
Book Description
The Great Divergence brings new insight to one of the classic questions of history: Why did sustained industrial growth begin in Northwest Europe, despite surprising similarities between advanced areas of Europe and East Asia? As Ken Pomeranz shows, as recently as 1750, parallels between these two parts of the world were very high in life expectancy, consumption, product and factor markets, and the strategies of households. Perhaps most surprisingly, Pomeranz demonstrates that the Chinese and Japanese cores were no worse off ecologically than Western Europe. Core areas throughout the eighteenth-century Old World faced comparable local shortages of land-intensive products, shortages that were only partly resolved by trade.
Pomeranz argues that Europe's nineteenth-century divergence from the Old World owes much to the fortunate location of coal, which substituted for timber. This made Europe's failure to use its land intensively much less of a problem, while allowing growth in energy-intensive industries. Another crucial difference that he notes has to do with trade. Fortuitous global conjunctures made the Americas a greater source of needed primary products for Europe than any Asian periphery. This allowed Northwest Europe to grow dramatically in population, specialize further in manufactures, and remove labor from the land, using increased imports rather than maximizing yields. Together, coal and the New World allowed Europe to grow along resource-intensive, labor-saving paths.
Meanwhile, Asia hit a cul-de-sac. Although the East Asian hinterlands boomed after 1750, both in population and in manufacturing, this growth prevented these peripheral regions from exporting vital resources to the cloth-producing Yangzi Delta. As a result, growth in the core of East Asia's economy essentially stopped, and what growth did exist was forced along labor-intensive, resource-saving paths--paths Europe could have been forced down, too, had it not been for favorable resource stocks from underground and overseas.
Download Description
The Great Divergence brings new insight to one of the classic questions of history: Why did sustained industrial growth begin in Northwest Europe, despite surprising similarities between advanced areas of Europe and East Asia? As Ken Pomeranz shows, as recently as 1750, parallels between these two parts of the world were very high in life expectancy, consumption, product and factor markets, and the strategies of households. Perhaps most surprisingly, Pomeranz demonstrates that the Chinese and Japanese cores were no worse off ecologically than Western Europe. Core areas throughout the eighteenth-century Old World faced comparable local shortages of land-intensive products, shortages that were only partly resolved by trade. Pomeranz argues that Europe's nineteenth-century divergence from the Old World owes much to the fortunate location of coal, which substituted for timber. This made Europe's failure to use its land intensively much less of a problem, while allowing growth in energy-intensive industries. Another crucial difference that he notes has to do with trade. Fortuitous global conjunctures made the Americas a greater source of needed primary products for Europe than any Asian periphery. This allowed Northwest Europe to grow dramatically in population, specialize further in manufactures, and remove labor from the land, using increased imports rather than maximizing yields. Together, coal and the New World allowed Europe to grow along resource-intensive, labor-saving paths. Meanwhile, Asia hit a cul-de-sac. Although the East Asian hinterlands boomed after 1750, both in population and in manufacturing, this growth prevented these peripheral regions from exporting vital resources to the cloth-producing Yangzi Delta.
Customer Reviews:
Powerful data and arguments.......2007-04-26
Kenneth Pomeranz's The Great Divergence reinforces some arguments of Frank's ReOrient and reformulates some others. Like Frank, Pomeranz argues that European economy was not unusually different from or superior to the economies of China and Japan until the 19th century. Like Frank, Pomeranz also argues that the critical factors that made possible the rise of Europe were external rather than internal factors. However, unlike Frank who explained the rise of the West in the 19th century through "the fall of Asia" in the previous century, Pomeranz attributes the nineteenth-century divergence between the European economy and the Asian economies to Europe's coal and New World's land that jointly relived the ecological constraints of the nineteenth-century Europeans.
Explaining Pre-Divergence Similarities:
Pomeranz starts his book with comparisons of European and Asian economies in 16th through 18th centuries. A difference in Pomeranz's approach is that he prefers to compare "regions" rather than countries. He argues that such places as Yangzi Delta, The Kanto plain, Britain, the Netherlands, and Gujarat, shared some crucial features with each other, which they did not share with the rest of the world or subcontinent around them. Thus, he prefers to compare these special areas directly rather than within the larger "arbitrary" continental units (p. 8).
Pomeranz first demonstrates that there were no significant differences between England, China, and Japan in terms of average standards of life. Average life expectancy and calorie intake were at comparable levels in all three countries. In the same vein, the European had no superiority to Asians with respect to technology and mining. China was ahead of Europe in physical science, mathematics, and maternal and infant health. Europe's irrigation technology also lagged behind China, India, and Japan. Even as late as first half of the 19th century, Indian iron was reported to be superior to English iron (pp. 44-6). If Europe had any real technological edge in the 18th century, it was not in tools or machines, but in "instruments" such as clocks, watches, telescopes, and eyeglasses (p. 67).
Pomeranz then tries to show that differences in terms of labor and land markets in Europe and China in 16th through 18th centuries were significant and did not always favor Europe so that they would be a viable explanation for the later divergence. Indeed, overall China was closer to market economy than was most of Europe, including most of "western" Europe. Much of Western Europe's farmland was harder to buy and sell than that of China. In Yangzi Valley, for example, close to half of land was rented (p. 72-3). This was also similar in labor market. Labor was not less free in China than in Europe (pp. 80-1). Thus, Pomeranz concludes that Europe's factor markets for land and labor "seem no closer to Smithian ideas of freedom and efficiency than do those of China, and perhaps a good deal less so," (p. 107).
Part II of The Great Divergence deals with the less-analyzed issue of consumption. Pomeranz takes issue with Sombart and some others' argument that Europe a produced a unique "consumer society" that provided a demand base for industrial revolution. Pomeranz challenges the "consumer society" argument on two grounds. On the one side, he demonstrates that the rise in the European consumption of such luxury goods as tea, sugar, and tobacco was very incremental until the 19th century. He therefore asserts that imagining an irreversible "birth of a consumer society" before 1850 may be seriously misleading (p. 119). On the other side, he demonstrates that consumption of these everyday luxury goods were at comparable levels in China and Japan. The consumption of durable luxuries (furniture, pictures, china, books, jewelry, etc.) was not significantly different in these three regions either (pp. 130-1). Thus, Europe did not have any type of "consumer society" advantage vis-à-vis China and Japan that would give her a head start in the competition to rise. I should also note that European figures as to consumption of luxury goods refute the arguments on "European" miracle as well. Pomeranz demonstrates that, if anything, it was a British, and to lesser extent Dutch, revolution and not a European one until 1850 (pp. 119).
To sum up the first part, Pomeranz demonstrates that Europe was not exceptionally different from China or Japan in terms of production, market regulation, or the consumption of luxury goods. Given this similarity of internal factors, Pomeranz turns to external linkages to explain the nineteenth-century divergence.
Explaining the Divergence:
A weakness in Andre Gunder Frank's book was that he could not adequately account for the "rise of the West" in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Frank's argument was that Asian economies were altogether facing a Kondratieff B-cycle in the first half of the 18th century and this allowed Europe to finally outdo the Asians. He therefore asserts that "the fall of Asia" preceded European political and military intervention in Asian nations (ReOrient, pp. 266-8). Pomeranz finds this argument impressionistic and discards it on the grounds that population growth and ecological effects that were argued to make China "fall" were present in Europe as well. Thus, he asserts, "if Europe was not yet in crisis, then in all likelihood China was not either," (p. 12).
Pomeranz argues that the primary problem that both European and Asian nations were facing by 18th century were the ecological constraints that resulted from increasing population and scarce land. Therefore, the real and long-lasting solution would necessitate land-saving innovations rather than labor-saving ones.
As such, industrial revolution was a cause of later European rise than result of previous European exceptionality.
A Conclusion:
When compared with Frank's ReOrient, Pomeranz's The Great Divergence is more robust and convincing in two respects. First, it does not have a "Sinocentrism" bias and argues that the pre-1800 world was "a polycentric world with no dominant center," (p. 4). Second, it tries to explain the rise of Europe in the 19th century with substantive factors rather than mysterious Kondratieff cycles. In that respect, The Great Divergence is a nice remedy to the gaps and problems in ReOrient. However, I think that Pomeranz's downplaying the importance of profits that European made through colonialism is misleading. In evaluating the role of colonial profit-extraction in Europe's rise, one should take into account its impact on the continuation and spread of industrial revolution as well as on industrial revolution itself. Even if the spark of the industrial revolution could be lighted without the profits made in the New World, the fire of industrial revolution would not have survived a couple decades if it were not for the colonial resources and markets.
povocative and meticulously researched!.......2006-05-25
The strengths: Very provocative, aiming straight at conventional wisdom, be it euro-centric or world-system ones. Solid research behind the comparative study of Europe, China, and to a lesser extend, Japan. Pomeranz gives out hard evidence in life-expectacy, birth rates, market condition, ecological stress etc., hightlighting striking similarites between these socities in the 18th century.
Some readers may have problem with his conclusion that industrialization went ahead only because Europe got lucky in the convenient location of coal and the readily available resourses of the new world. However, just because these are paramount factors does not mean that they are all it needed. Put another way, had China got the same good fortune, it does not necessarily follow that China would industrilize, nor has Pomeranz argued this way.
Weaknesses: The writing is BAD, very convoluted. However, the most important failure is that Pomeranz treats these societies as though they were static. He failed to take into consideration their difference in the RATE of change. The fact that Europe was playing a catch up to Asia through-out the middle ages, and achieved par in pre-modern time, had to imply a quicker pulse. Europe's gradual opening of the mind (reformation ,renaissance), was roughly concurrent with China's gradual closing (the advent of neo-confucianism, ossification of the civil examination system). It's hard to believe that this change of fortune had no long-lasting impact on the underlying dynamics of the societes. Culture does matter, it's just been given a bad name by the likes of Huntington and Landes:)
Europe Got Lucky.......2006-02-13
Pomeranz advances the thesis that Europe's rise to world power (instead of a potentially similar but not historically realized rise by China, Japan, or India) was not caused by any internal social advantage possessed by western Europe-at least not principally caused. Pomeranz uses extensive research to demonstrate that western Europe, China, and Japan were not fundamentally different societies at the beginning of the modern era. The author maintains that Europe had the good fortune of having the land and mineral resources of the New World available at the right time, along with the conveniently-located coal resources of England; and it is this collection of fortuitous advantages that enabled Europe to propel itself into industrial revolution and world power.
The premise of the book is promising. The meat of the book can be a bit difficult to chew. The author compares the human, energy, land, and other resources of Europe and China in great detail to make his case. The sheer volume of facts and figures can make the going slow. Still, it's worth reading all of what the author has to say.
Overall, the argument is compelling. All three societies (western Europe, China, and Japan) were faced with populations that had more-or-less come in line with the carrying capacities of their lands based on the level of technology of the day. Additional agricultural productivity could only have come with additional inputs of labor into the existing stock of land. This is essentially what happened in China. Western Europe, led by England, went the way of labor-saving techniques and technologies that would not have been practicable without access to the additional agricultural potential and mineral wealth of the New World. Other factors, such as financial institutions and internal competition fade in importance before the simple math of carrying capacity.
The Great Divergence is quality reading. One does not have to agree with everything contained in the book to absorb the basic point: Europe got lucky. Be prepared to wade through an appropriately generous supply of facts and figures to back Pomeranz's claim.
nonsense.......2005-12-05
In "The Great Divergence", Kenneth Pomeranz presents an exhaustive investigation of the minutest differences and similarities in development of China and Western Europe. His claim, and stated objective, is to show that Europe's emergence as a preeminent power was the result of privileged access to overseas colonies, exploitation of non-Europeans, and a fortunate `geographic accident' of the location of coal in England. However, considering China's significant, and much earlier, developments in science, technology, and shipping, not to mention their huge deposits of coal, and its use some 600 years before the Europeans to make iron, it's difficult to understand Pomeranz's rationalization of those claims and ultimately the whole point of his book.
His specialty and interests clearly lie in China. In this book he attempts to shed a somewhat biased benevolent light on China by explaining the violent circumstances that led to the industrial revolution in Europe, and why it didn't happen in China. He presents a comparative analysis in such close, tortuous, detail that he becomes myopic in drawing his conclusions. His joy and skill clearly lie in analysis, rather than synthesis, and in the process, and among the ensuing debris, he loses a view of the whole as processes of nation building rather than competing sets of historical data. The outcome notwithstanding, he consistently paints each step in the process of growth in Europe and its colonies as a violent and ugly stepsister to a more sophisticated, benign version taking place in China. All of which may be true, but he discounts the effects of institutions, capital markets, capital accumulation, and regulatory competition in Europe as having marginal effect on the difference in outcome between the two areas because in his opinion what was happening in Europe was so similar to what was going on in China. He states that "European science, technology, and philosophical inclinations alone do not seem an adequate explanation, and alleged differences in economic institutions seem largely irrelevant".
Regulatory competition in Europe, for Pomeranz, equates to military competition. Although it could be argued from a more objective perspective that military research and development regularly spins off technological advances applicable in commercial areas, Pomeranz claims that in Europe `the net effect of warfare on technological innovation is likely to have been negative'. Clearly not true, but his argument about it possibly killing off other inventors was kind of funny. The development of institutions and property rights arising from this competition for him equals only the purchases of position, interference of guild control, and the granting monopoly privileges. He claims that all served to keep prices high, limit the extent of markets, and restrict output. The most positive function of `military' competition seen by Pomeranz is in the overseas 
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