The Labors of Sisyphus: The Economic Development of Communist China

Almost a half century has passed since the inception of the People's Republic of China. In that time a charismatic leader has ruled and died, leaving a wake of destruction in his quest to transform China. Today, China fluctuates between tradition and modernity, ideology and pragmatism, between an antiquated collectivist ethic and a new spirit of individualism. It is a country precariously suspended between past and future. The Labors of Sisyphus is a long overdue reassessment of the meaning and purpose of the Chinese communist revolution. Chang discusses the thought of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, reform and its dilemmas, regionalism in greater China and autonomous areas, and nationalism. She also examines China's immediate present and uncertain future. Her pathbreaking work will be of interest to scholars of international economics and politics, sinologists, and historians.