Quick Summary
Understanding China was written by John B. Starr. The book addresses the politics, economy, history, military, and foreign policy of China. This is a guide to what it contains, who it is for, and how it accompanies his book on schools. It also mentions a couple of things that no book can do.
Introduction
Say you land in Guangzhou on Monday, then reach Lanzhou by Friday. You would feel the gap before you could name it. Regionalism is one subject in Understanding China, a book by John B. Starr, a political and education author. This guide covers what the book holds, who might want it, and where one book runs out of road.
The Credentials Behind a Political and Education Author
Talk about the simple facts first. Starr is a native of Berkeley, California. His specialty is Chinese political science, and he is an Emeritus Professor. He has also served at UC Berkeley, Yale, and Brown. His research focuses on the history, economy, and culture that inform China’s position in the world.
What It Leaves Out
Is a record such as that a good book? No. It reveals where someone has worked, but not where somebody has not worked, or whether the pages are interesting. The word Emeritus is dry, but doesn’t translate to style. So read a chapter before you buy this book or any other.
Six Subjects, One Politics and Education Writer
The site describes the book as an Overview. It includes topics of China’s politics, economy, and history. Then, it adds military, regionalism, and changes in foreign policy.
A Test Case: The Belt and Road Initiative
Nevertheless, this is too much for a single volume. Consider the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that you may have heard in news headlines. It is not due to trade alone, nor to diplomacy. It’s torn by money, ports, party ends, and local interests. If you have a book that brings those subjects together, then you have a chance at explaining it. However, a book that divides them apart does not.
Does this one achieve this? The site is supposed to give you an overview, and the pages give you a check. Get down to localism, the part that news doesn’t cover.
How to Choose Among Political and Educational Books
There are some political and educational books that will offer a tidy solution, but there are few real subjects that do. Read the book based on its size, its author, and a few pages.
Scope and Audience
Scope comes first. This book is designed to be broad, and the readers are academics and travelers. The students and scholars are the obvious choice, and the surprise is the travelers. But a trip is a better experience when you can distinguish a coastal province from an inland one.
A Quick Sampling Routine
Here is a quick routine. First, read the table of contents. Next, pick a place or topic you already know a little. If that chapter matches what you know, trust the rest more. If it does not, you saved the price of a book.
Price and Availability
Cost, though, is a bit murky. The site lists two prices, $20.99 and $12.99, but it does not say which goes with which format. The homepage also says an Amazon listing is coming soon. If price decides it for you, use the contact form before you order.
The Other Shelf: American Schools
Starr’s second book, however, changes countries and subjects. As a politics and education writer, he turns here to U.S. public schools. Public Schools, Politics and Polarization is a case-study look at how polarization shapes school governance. School boards, superintendents, teachers’ unions, state legislatures, and the federal government all appear in it.
Where the Two Books Sit
A bookstore might file him as a political education author and leave China out of the label. Type political education books into a search bar, and the school title is the likelier match. Meanwhile, the China book sits one shelf over. An author on politics and education who also writes about Beijing does not fit a label neatly. Do the two books talk to each other? Readers who finish both can say.
What One Book Cannot Do
It cannot tell you what Beijing will do next year. A book shows how a system got here, so the forecast is your job. The site makes no such claim and also cannot stand in for the news. Headlines move faster than print, so some details will be old by the time you read them. Pair the book with fresh news.
Nor can it end the debates scholars have about China. So treat any one author, Starr included, as one voice in a long argument. And it cannot make up your mind about China’s policies. That part stays with you.
Conclusion
Labels like political and education author describe a shelf, not a reading life. Plenty of readers will never need the label. They will simply open a chapter on regionalism or the military, read ten pages, and decide. Still, that is a fair way to judge it. If the answer is no, you lost an afternoon. If it is yes, though, the other chapters are waiting.
FAQs
Is it unusual for one political and education author to cover both China and American schools?
A little, yes. Starr’s first book is about Chinese political science but his second book is about American school governance. If it’s a method they share, it’s still not certain, so read a chapter from both and make your own choice.
What is the point in reading a full book about the Chinese political system when there is news about China’s politics every day?
The news is telling you what was done this week. But a book can describe the long digression of events that led to that, one that a day-to-day story cannot. The cost is speed; a book will not be as fast and will inevitably date.
What is the significance of the word Emeritus Professor in a book?
Typically, this indicates that a professor has retired but has retained the title. But it doesn’t tell you anything about the readability of the book. To do this, you must have some sample pages.
If I don’t know Chinese history before I start, will I have a problem?
The site makes no mention of background, but does state that the book discusses historical background. Well, there is history in what it offers as well. You’ll know the pace by viewing a sample chapter.
Ask the author a question about the book!
It includes a “Contact” page and states that questions about the book and academic collaboration are welcome. Then use the form there, and do not make your question too long.