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The Writing on the Wall: China and the West in the 21st Century
 
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The Writing on the Wall: China and the West in the 21st Century (Hardcover)

by Will Hutton (Author)
2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 448 pages
  • Publisher: Little, Brown (18 Jan 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0316730181
  • ISBN-13: 978-0316730181
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16 x 4.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 284,050 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Review

'Hutton's most provocatively enjoyable work to date' Martin Vander Weyer, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'A typically contrarian verdict on the tiger economy of the middle kingdom' Robert McCrum, OBSERVER Books to Watch in 2007 'Pertinent and provocative' HERALD 'A very informative, wide-ranging and readable study of the threat that China poses to itself and to the rest of the world' IRISH TIMES 'A thoughtful and useful corrective to the gushing praise of the uncritical sinofans' Howard Davies, MANAGEMENT TODAY 'There is much to be learned by reading The Writing on the Wall. Hutton is right to rub the noses of starry-eyed Western governments and investors in the formidable difficulties China faces' GUARDIAN 'Compelling ... this is a good book' OBSERVER 'The case he lays out is stark and well argued ... this book makes uncomfortable reading in Beijing - and for the rest of us whose fate is now bound up with the gamble that they can pull it off' NEW STATESMAN 'A lively and informative read ... engaging, like a robust conversation with a super-enthusiast' IRISH INDEPENDENT 'Will Hutton's ability to articulate contemporary anxieties border on genius." This remark, cited on the dust-cover of his latest book must be true: I wrote it. The Writing on the Wall is a superb demonstration of my thesis ... Hutton takes on the most important political and economic story of our time. He has also produced a thought-provoking, wide-ranging and largely correct analysis' Martin Wolf, FINANCIAL TIMES 'I read it with amazement - and I have been paying attention to China since 1955 - and profit ... [this] is good thinking and Hutton, a journalist who writes persuasive plain English, makes his case, at some - necessary - length' SPECTATOR 'Hutton adeptly brings a massive - and significant - question down to size' RTE 'Hutton is surgical in his arguments' MAGILL 'Important ... A necessary and enlightening analysis' WATERSTONES BOOKS QUARTERLY 'Hutton certainly knows his economics and any reader can profit from what he has to say' INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE 'A big, booming book bristling with combination punches' INDEPENDENT


Robert McCrum, Observer Books for 2007

'A typically contrarian verdict on the tiger economy of the middle
kingdom'
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The Writing on the Wall: China and the West in the 21st Century
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Customer Reviews

18 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
2.9 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Good in parts but rambling, 8 Jan 2008
I wanted to read this book to understand more about the phenomenal rise of China and the effect this might have on the West, the UK and my family. I teach Chinese students, use Chinese products (who doesn't?) and eat Chinese food but I'm encouraged by our media to fear and mistrust China. This book goes part of the way to helping me understand what's going on but it was a hard slog to get to the end because it is so rambling. Having nearly given up half-way through, I'm glad I did not because when Hutton finally gets into his stride he is very good. However, the chapters I enjoyed were not really about China, dealing as they do with the US budget deficit, the polarisation of US politics, the global environmental crisis, the importance of our Enlightenment heritage and the still disastrous effect of the UK class system. All good stuff, but not directly relevant to China. The early chapters on China should be much more clearly written and more focused and I would have welcomed some case studies to illustrate some of the points being made. Chinese history and the Chinese socio-political environment seem to be so far removed from my experience as a westerner that the rather dry history lesson presented by Will Hutton is not helpful. As a non-economist I still feel bamboozled by some of the arguments in the book about the interlocking effects of the values of the renminbi vs. the dollar and euro, the levels of western debt and investment in China etc. A few diagrams might have helped here. I hope Hutton is correct when he argues that we need not fear China and that the West needs to find ways to engage constructively to our mutual benefit. Let's hope our politicians are able to show some leadership in this respect.
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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the first enlightening books on China!, 24 Jan 2007
"China cannot thoroughly be understood from either a Western or a Chinese viewpoint. To grasp its nature requires an orbital, historical view of both the West and China," says Wei Wang, author of the best-selling business title The China Executive.

Indeed, because of the same approach Will Hutton has adopted, The Writing on the Wall is one of the first truly enlightening books on China.

Particularly admiring is the author's "ambition...[to] help tilt the balance towards international collaboration, contribute to a reappraisal of the so-called China threat and a recognition of the situation as an opportunity..." He also rightly warns: "[China] requires our understanding and engagement - not our enmity and suspicion, which could culminate in self-defeatingly creating the very crisis we fear."

Because of China's increasing impact on the world, anybody who cares about global peace and prosperity should read this book. And unlike many other books on China that are meant to terrify you, this book will enlighten you!
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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Misleading Title, 7 Jun 2007
This is an interesting and informative book, I agree with many of Will Hutton's conclusions. However, I'd only give this book one star for the simple reason that it doesn't do what it says on the tin.

China is not the heart of the book, Hutton spends several chapters talking about growing US protectionism, growing US earnings inequality, global warming, third world corruption, and many other topics that interest him personally. Indeed he's more animated and compelling on these topics than he is on China. So, a book that's well worth reading, but a book with a misleading title.
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