Tiger Head, Snake Tails
Jonathan Fenby
Tiger Head, Snake Tails
With its expanding economy (already the second largest in the world), its population of more than 1.3 billion, its place at the core of the G20, its $2.4 trillion in foreign exchange reserves, its trade surplus, its nuclear weapons and modernising military forces, its permanent seat on the UN Security Council and its ability to dispense cash without conditions to poor countries in return for the raw materials it gobbles up, China will become steadily more important in the world. It will not collapse. It is not the great exercise in smoke and mirrors depicted by some writers or a giant Ponzi scheme as posited by hedge fund bears. But neither will it rule the world for reasons that lie in its inner complexity, and complexes. In this book, Jonathan Fenby examines the myriad features of today's China.
4.3 out of 5 based on 3 reviews
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Omniscore:
|
| Classification |
Non-fiction |
| Genre |
Society, Politics & Philosophy |
| Format |
Hardback |
| Pages |
432 |
| RRP |
£20.00 |
| Date of Publication |
March 2012 |
| ISBN |
978-1847373939 |
| Publisher |
Simon & Schuster |
| |
With its expanding economy (already the second largest in the world), its population of more than 1.3 billion, its place at the core of the G20, its $2.4 trillion in foreign exchange reserves, its trade surplus, its nuclear weapons and modernising military forces, its permanent seat on the UN Security Council and its ability to dispense cash without conditions to poor countries in return for the raw materials it gobbles up, China will become steadily more important in the world. It will not collapse. It is not the great exercise in smoke and mirrors depicted by some writers or a giant Ponzi scheme as posited by hedge fund bears. But neither will it rule the world for reasons that lie in its inner complexity, and complexes. In this book, Jonathan Fenby examines the myriad features of today's China.
Reviews
The Financial Times
Chris Patten
“… he is an outstanding journalist who has already written a first-class modern history of the country, and his latest book provides an excellent introduction to the problems confronting its people as they embark on the transition to the fifth generation of leadership since the Communist takeover in 1949 ... Fenby provides a balanced account of the record on both sides of the ledger.”
30/03/2012
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The Guardian
Julia Lovell
“There is a risk that a book summarising such a monumental story might get bogged down in dry, statistical detail. Fenby avoids this through lively, first-person reportage and vivid vignettes … No single book could ever describe the full complexity of contemporary China, and Fenby has made tough but judicious decisions about what to leave out. Perhaps the most regrettable omission, though, is the neglect of Chinese culture ... But as a one-stop guide to political and economic realities in China today, Tiger Head, Snake Tails is fast-moving, informed and illuminating.”
07/04/2012
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The Sunday Times
Michael Sheridan
“… a snapshot of where the nation is today and a quick-fire analysis of what’s next. Any businessman heading for China will find the book a great briefing. Fenby deploys facts in a shock-and-awe approach that leaves one reeling from superlatives … Fenby’s Chinese readers will not like his balanced views on Tibet.”
01/04/2012
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