April 2023 MBR The Economic Studies Shelf

The Economic Studies Shelf

The Evolution of China's Anti-Poverty Strategies
William N. Brown, PhD
Springer
www.springer.com
9789811972805, $59.99 Hardcover/$49.99 Paper

https://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Chinas-Anti-Poverty-Strategies-Changing/dp/9811972834

The Evolution of China's Anti-Poverty Strategies: Cases of 20 Chinese Changing Lives reveals a program replete with new examples of how China's population has overcome poverty. It is highly recommended reading for social issues students interested in alternative anti-poverty strategies that have proven successful in the real world.

The book is based on Dr. Brown's personal travels through China from 1988 onwards, when he moved there to study Chinese. It follows family travels around Southeast China, where he observed rural and urban poor Chinese that were not only optimistic about their future, but active participants who embraced the Chinese Dream as part of their daily lives.

How did China achieve what many Western nations grapple with? They didn't rely on economic development to end poverty, but instead educated and provided even the remotest communities with the infrastructure and education to encourage citizens to participate in and build their own anti-poverty programs.

In 2019, Dr. Brown again embarked on a journey around China to chart what had actually changed in 25 years of idealistic effort. What he saw proved that even the remotest of areas benefitted by the wide reach of China's anti-poverty program. The power of this story lies in Dr. Brown's personal observations, conversations, and interactions with ordinary people affected by seven decades of conscious anti-poverty efforts. He found that the entire country had progressed much more rapidly than he would have thought, the people were optimistic about their national programs and personal lives, and restoration efforts that took place not just economically but in farming and ecosystem revision via community involvement were far more effective than the typical government approach of trickling down wealth or bequeathing aid for the poor.

The result is an eye-opening survey, on many levels. For students of Chinese history and culture, The Evolution of China's Anti-Poverty Strategies provides the personal insights, interviews, and touches missing from more scholarly debates about China's people and policies. For those interested in the social issues of various nations and China in particular, The Evolution of China's Anti-Poverty Strategies provides a blueprint of entrepreneurial efforts that demonstrates how prosperity may be encouraged at all levels of society. These case histories should ideally be part of any library interested not just in China, but the social effort of overcoming poverty and empowering people at all economic levels. The Evolution of China's Anti-Poverty Strategies should also be part of book clubs and groups discussing anti-poverty issues and strategies beyond the typical Western experience and focus.

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