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The Accidental Capitalist: A People's Story of the New China [Paperback]

Behzad Yaghmaian (Author)
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Book Description

Publication Date: 8 Mar 2012 | ISBN-10: 0745332307 | ISBN-13: 978-0745332307
In the last three decades China has experienced the largest population movement in human history. Millions have left behind homes to find work and new opportunities in the emerging mega-cities.

Through months of sustained interpersonal contact with migrant workers and factory owners, Behzad Yaghmaian paints a unique portrait of a country experiencing the turmoil of rapid development. His close listening has produced an intimate look at the hopes, hardships, triumphs and tragedies of those behind the Chinese 'economic dragon'.

The Accidental Capitalist reveals the human reality behind China's rise to global-superpower status. Yaghmaian articulates the collective narrative of a people which will resonate with anyone living under capitalism and provide valuable material to students and scholars.

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Behzad Yaghmaian
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Review

This remarkable book paints intimate portraits of some of the faceless millions of migrant workers who have made China's economic miracle possible. Through their stories of hope and heartbreak, Yaghmaian takes readers beyond the statistics to show the revolutionary changes of the last generation. (Ivan Watson, CNN Foreign Correspondent )

A new account of China's epic transformation, told through the personal biographies of men and women working in factories and construction sites. A fascinating, moving and highly readable book. (Jeff Crisp, Head, Policy Development and Evaluation Service, UNHCR )

Like Ian Johnson's Wild Grass or Leslie Chang's Factory Girls, The Accidental Capitalist takes us to the epicenter of China's world-changing transition through a series of portraits of the men and women who make that change possible. Living among them, Yaghmaian trains his political economist's eye on China's throes of export-led commercial expansion ... He vividly conveys his acquaintances' sense of excitement and even optimism. (Professor James Millward, History, Georgetown University )

A modern Alexis de Tocqueville, the author lived among his subjects in Shenzen, ‘the heartbeat of the rising China,’ while scouring the metropolis for stories. (Publishers Weekly )

About the Author

Behzad Yaghmaian is Professor of Political Economy at Ramapo College, New Jersey. He has taught in the United States, Iran and Turkey. He is author of Embracing the Infidel: Stories of Muslim Migrants on the Journey West, and Social Change in Iran: An Eyewitness Account of Dissent, Defiance, and Movements for Rights.
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Amazon.com: 4.7 out of 5 stars  3 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The Human Face of Capitalism 15 Jun 2012
By Jillian T. Weiss - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Professor Yaghmaian's book, The Accidental Capitalist: A People's Story of the New China, is redolent with the flavors coming from the small fire in the hut, the odors wafting from the industrial center, the human faces filled with triumph, despair and the cares of daily living. His background as a political economist brings a perspective on the grand scale, but calibrated to the stories of the people he met on his travels. The more one reads, the more one realizes the connection between "them" and "us." The Western myth of the "mysterious Orient" fades away to reveal people, much like you and me, living through an awkward resurgence of capitalism, trying to do their best to create a decent life for themselves and their families, in a country where authorities rule with an iron grip that is slowly loosening, but which may tighten again at any time without warning. A fascinating read.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Behzad Yaghmaian struck again with his new book The Accidental Capitalist 8 April 2012
By Mauricette - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Behzad Yaghmaian struck again with his new book The Accidental Capitalist. At a time when the media forcefully reports on the inhumane practices in China's factories, Yaghmaian takes the reader into the homes, minds, and hearts of those who power this industrial engine. The life stories of these men and women shed light on the economic forces that push them to act the way they do. Yaghmaian's insightful work turns the labeling of the Chinese entrepreneur as the abusive businessman and the worker as his victim into an oversimplified account of a multilayered reality. This tour de force is conveyed in a very simple language and through stories that I guarantee will make the reader smile and sad. A MUST READ!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Portrait in Motion 17 May 2012
By Topcat3 - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a very interesting portrait of a nation moving forward. It is sad to see the struggle of the people Behzad met, but it emphasizes that fact that the individual is not paramount in China. While our own capitalistic existence appears very different, I do feel we are very similar, because nowadays we find many people struggling just to put food on the table and survive.
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