In this update of China beyond the Headlines (2000), Jensen (East Asian languages and literatures, U. of Notre Dame) and Weston (history, U. of Colorado at Boulder) stress the need for Americans to learn more about its giant trading partner. Fourteen contributions examine political, tourism development, environmental, health, and cultural aspects of the New China, including its economic, Internet, and sexual revolutions. The book includes a chronology (from the 1949 founding of the People's Republic of China to 2012, projected completion date of its national space station); maps; and photos. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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This successor volume to China beyond the Headlines takes the reader even farther beyond the "front stage" to explore a China few Westerners have seen. The contributors argue that the great gap between what specialists understand and the general public believes has led to distorted and potentially dangerous misunderstandings of the most powerful emerging player on the global stage. Seeking to bridge that gap, a group of prominent scholars, journalists, and activists challenge readers to move past the typical images of China presented by the media and to think about the common problems shared by China and the United States. In an entirely new set of essays, they explore such critical issues as environmental degradation, nationalism, unemployment, film and literature, news reporting, the Internet, sex tourism, and the costs of the economic boom to vividly portray the complexity of life in contemporary China and how surprisingly often it speaks to the American experience.Contributions by: Bei Dao, Susan D. Blum, Timothy Cheek, Martin Fackler, John Gittings, Howard Goldblatt, Peter Hays Gries, Sandra Teresa Hyde, Lionel M. Jensen, Tong Lam, Sylvia Li-chun Lin, Jonathan Noble, Tim Oakes, David Ownby, Judith Shapiro, Timothy B. Weston, and Xiao Qiang
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