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With unprecedented access to Chinese leaders at all levels of the party and government, best-selling author David Lampton tells the insider story of Chinas political elite from their own perspectives. Based on over five hundred interviews, Following the Leader offers a rare glimpse into how the attitudes and ideas of those at the very top have evolved over the past four decades. Here Chinas rulers explain their strategies and ideas for moving the nation forward, share their reflections on matters of leadership and policy, and discuss the challenges that keep them awake at night. We learn of a China where party rulers have become progressively less dominant, bureaucracy and society have become more fragmented, and the people are becoming more powerful.
List of contents
List of Illustrations and Tables Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Evolution in the Revolution Part One. China, a Wide-Angle View 2. Governance and Leadership 3. Policy Making 4. The World Part Two. China, an Up-Close View 5. Nightmares 6. Soldiers and Civilians 7. Negotiation Chinese Style Conclusion: Driving beyond the Headlights Appendix: The Interviews and Interviewing in China Notes Index
About the author
David M. Lampton is Professor of China Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and Director of China Studies at SAIS. Former President of the National Committee on United States-China Relations, he was the inaugural winner of the Scalapino Prize (2010). His books include The Three Faces of Chinese Power: Might, Money, and Minds (2008), Same Bed, Different Dreams: Managing U.S.-China Relations, 1989-2000 (2001), and The Making of Chinese Foreign and Security Policy in the Era of Reform (2001).
Summary
Tells the story of China's political elites from their own perspectives. Based on over five hundred interviews, this title offers a rare glimpse into how the attitudes and ideas of those at the top have evolved over the decades.
Report
"The best book on contemporary China today, Following the Leader is a true insider's account of how the Chinese think about the world and how the world should think about China. A compelling and engaging read for first-time China travelers, seasoned China watchers, and anyone else interested in understanding the emergence of this global power." - Elizabeth Economy, C.V. Starr Senior Fellow and Director of Asia Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
