Fallows lived in China starting in 2007 and watched the nation ride the boom years upward, much as he had in Japan in the 1980's. His essays for The Atlantic magazine from that time are published here, back to back in the order that they were written to give the reader a sense of what the reader a sense of who were the early winners and losers on the roller coaster going uphill.
Fallows is neither simple in his approach to the rising giant, nor is he in awe of it. He addresses some of the things that Americans fear about China, that it has a stranglehold on us because of the percentage of our debt that it holds and that it will permanently outpace us with it's rapid modernization. The quality of the economics lessons that he preaches I cannot comment on, but he breaks down the amount of each product that is made in China actually stays in China and that is reassuring. He also gives some opinions on how we should get this all better than we do, because if we miss the boat on China we are going to be very sorry. He thinks that the fact that we educate the youth of China, that they come here to go to college is good for us and good for China. He thinks that we need to loosen our immigration policies considerable in order to continue to attract the new wave of talent to solve the new wave of problems is our best hope to surging forward in the future.
I read the book because I wanted some perspectives and things to think about as I embark on my first journey there, so that I go not just with what the guide book says but with thoughts from experienced travelers and thinkers. That part of the plan was very much a success.
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