Customer Reviews: Read 43 more reviews...
 Surprisingly scholarly and a must for anyone concerned about America's greatest potential military threat. August 10, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
China has over one billion people and the largest military in the world. Now in a newly revised and significantly expanded edition, "The Coming China Wars" is a discussion of what many politically savvy Americans fear, something that may or may not be inevitable - war with China. Explaining the root problems of growing conflicts between the United States and China, yet with the optimistic message that there is still hope for civility and friendship between the two, "The Coming China Wars" is surprisingly scholarly and a must for anyone concerned about America's greatest potential military threat.
 lack of factual evidence and in-depth analysis August 6, 2008
In trying to find out whether this book is worth purchasing, I read the excerpt provided here. I did not have to finish it to find that there are already two major faults in this work: 1) lack of factual evidence (such as statistics); and 2) lack of well-rounded analysis on the causes of the social conditions in China as mentioned by the author.
For example, the first chapter details the depression of the modern Chinese labor force. While it gives a graphic description of how the employers take advantage of the workers, the author does NOT for a second consider that most of the employers are foreigners (from other place of Asia such as Taiwan, Japan, and Europe and the US). So, who is responsible for the depression? Globally everyone who wants to profit from cheap labor! The author, however, fails to mention this, happily misleading the readers to think that the Chinese are mistreating its own people; this is NOT the whole picture. And certainly, quotes cut out from random articles here and there to create a mosaic of sob stories is just overly sentimental to be objectively analytical.
 worth buying May 28, 2008
Slower delivery, but great condition. Appreciate the quality. This book is informative of today's China business, trade, public policies, etc.
Fast notes on big issues. March 29, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
The author, Peter Navarro, is a professor of business at UC Irvine. His book "the Coming China Wars" is written like a business textbook, clear, concise, and to the point. Each chapter focuses on a particular issue (e.g. counterfeit goods, water projects, illicit drug production etc.) and how, if unresolved, civil disorder, has or could result.
The breadth of issues addressed Navarro addresses is amazing, yet the author's provides sufficient detail that almost any reader will learn something new. At time, the phrases such as the "china price" and "factory floor to the world" are a little overworked, but this is a very minor flaw.
Some readers might find the title "the coming wars (plural) . . " misleading. Howvever, the author, very early in his book states he does not mean a shooting war (though this is still possible over Taiwan). The "wars" he writes about are political, not military.
Navarro makes some suggestions about how China (and other nations) can avoid these "wars" but after laying out his case "for war" so forcefully, these suggestions seem weak.
Still, a very good, if business style, read.
politics aside - this book makes you think March 14, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
Try to look past the author's political bias and you'll find that it really is an in-depth analysis. It is very very well researched. Regardless of how we feel about the country, facts are facts.
This book should be read by everyone who wishes to understand China's challenges as it is about to enter and lead the modern world. The country is obviously quite complex and I imagine there will be plenty of info here that even most Chinese readers will find novel, surprising (and in some cases disturbing).
This book should be read as a compilation of challenges facing China (even though its difficult to do with the author's negative tone).
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