“[E]xcellent. . . . Bardhan writes with remarkable clarity about complex issues, such as the widely varying ways that corruption can affect the economy, and the positive as well as negative legacy of the Maoist era for China in terms of its recent trajectory. . . . He also shows some welcome stylistic flair, quoting poetry to good effect in one section (how often do economists do that?).”—Jeff Wasserstrom, Forbes.com
“Pranab Bardhan’s
Awakening Giants, Feet of Clay: Assessing the Economic Rise of China and India 56676th Edition . . . succinctly summarizes the challenges facing China and India, including environmental degradation, unfavorable demographics, poor infrastructure, and social inequality–threats that the leaders of China and India understand. . . . A more contentious claim offered by Bardhan is that internal reform–not the global market–has been the key driver of both countries’ growth.”—Simon Tay, Foreign Affairs
“The strongest point in Bardhan’s study is his insightful account of the role of democracy in promoting as well as hindering economic growth.”
—Nayan Chanda, BusinessWorld
“There is abundant literature on the comparative development of India and China, but most of it explains the difference in their growth rates on the macro level on ideological grounds: slower growth rate in democratic India versus faster development in authoritarian China. In this well-written and properly documented study, Bardhan examines growth in different sectors of the economies, particularly agriculture, industry, trade, infrastructure, savings, and investment rates. . . . This volume is an important reference for advanced students and researchers interested in the economic growth of these two Asian giants.” ―
Choice
“Bardhan’s book is a good place to understand the political economy of constraints the two economies are likely to face as they march ahead.”
—Siddharth Singh, Mint
“Bardhan’s refusal to shy away from complexity I refreshing, and it is this which distinguishes his book from many others in the field. . . . Although this is a book primarily focused on economics, it is not written solely for economists. It is a concise, accessible volume which can provide a valuable resource for anyone wanting to understand better the myriad complexities surrounding the rise of China and India.”
—Louise Merrington, China Journal
“The author of this small volume is to be commended for packing so much useful information and analysis into such a short space.”
—Dwight H. Perkins, Developing Economies
“Bardhan’s book is erudite, informative, and accessible, and his scrutiny of the conventional wisdom about the past quarter century of reform in China and India is always provocative. You do not have to agree with him to be stimulated and rewarded by his insightful scholarship. This book deserves a wide audience.”―Tarun Khanna, author of Billions of Entrepreneurs: How China and India Are Reshaping Their Futures, and Yours
“Of the several books making general comparisons of the recent growth experiences of China and India, this one is the best I have read. It is full of useful data, it is a great source of information, and it contains insights that will be interesting to general readers.”
―Kaushik Basu, Cornell University
“This book is an important reference for anyone interested in growth and poverty alleviation in China and India. It makes eye-opening comparisons and offers acute insights across such wide-ranging topics as poverty and inequality, labor and anticompetitive regulations, industrial concentration in India compared to other countries, electricity in Indian agriculture, Chinese financing of roads, and Indian and Chinese business-state relations.”
―Philip Keefer, World Bank
From the Inside Flap
“Bardhan’s book is erudite, informative, and accessible, and his scrutiny of the conventional wisdom about the past quarter century of reform in China and India is always provocative. You do not have to agree with him to be stimulated and rewarded by his insightful scholarship. This book deserves a wide audience.”–Tarun Khanna, author ofBillions of Entrepreneurs: How China and India Are Reshaping Their Futures, and Yours
“Of the several books making general comparisons of the recent growth experiences of China and India, this one is the best I have read. It is full of useful data, it is a great source of information, and it contains insights that will be interesting to general readers.”–Kaushik Basu, Cornell University
“This book is an important reference for anyone interested in growth and poverty alleviation in China and India. It makes eye-opening comparisons and offers acute insights across such wide-ranging topics as poverty and inequality, labor and anticompetitive regulations, industrial concentration in India compared to other countries, electricity in Indian agriculture, Chinese financing of roads, and Indian and Chinese business-state relations.”–Philip Keefer, World Bank
From the Back Cover
“Bardhan’s book is erudite, informative, and accessible, and his scrutiny of the conventional wisdom about the past quarter century of reform in China and India is always provocative. You do not have to agree with him to be stimulated and rewarded by his insightful scholarship. This book deserves a wide audience.”–Tarun Khanna, author ofBillions of Entrepreneurs: How China and India Are Reshaping Their Futures, and Yours
“Of the several books making general comparisons of the recent growth experiences of China and India, this one is the best I have read. It is full of useful data, it is a great source of information, and it contains insights that will be interesting to general readers.”–Kaushik Basu, Cornell University
“This book is an important reference for anyone interested in growth and poverty alleviation in China and India. It makes eye-opening comparisons and offers acute insights across such wide-ranging topics as poverty and inequality, labor and anticompetitive regulations, industrial concentration in India compared to other countries, electricity in Indian agriculture, Chinese financing of roads, and Indian and Chinese business-state relations.”–Philip Keefer, World Bank
About the Author
Pranab Bardhan is professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley. His books include Scarcity, Conflicts, and Cooperation.
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