Mao's War against Nature: Politics and the Environment in Revolutionary China (Studies in Environment and History)

New
Paperback
2001
$30.19

Judith Shapiro, in clear and compelling prose, relates the great, untold story of the devastating impact of Chinese politics on China's environment during the Mao years. Maoist China provides an example of extreme human interference in the natural world in an era in which human relationships were also unusually distorted. Under Mao, the traditional Chinese ideal of 'harmony between heaven and humans' was abrogated in favor of Mao's insistence that 'People Will Conquer Nature'. Mao and the Chinese Communist Party's 'war' to bend the physical world to human will often had disastrous consequences both for human beings and the natural environment. Mao's War Against Nature argues that the abuse of people and the abuse of nature are often linked. Shapiro's account, told in part through the voices of average Chinese citizens and officials who lived through and participated in some of the destructive campaigns, is both eye-opening and heartbreaking.

Synopsis

Judith Shapiro, in clear and compelling prose, relates the great, untold story of the devastating impact of Chinese politics on China's environment during the Mao years. Maoist China provides an example of extreme human interference in the natural world in an era in which human relationships were also unusually distorted. Under Mao, the traditional Chinese ideal of 'harmony between heaven and humans' was abrogated in favor of Mao's insistence that 'People Will Conquer Nature'. Mao and the Chinese Communist Party's 'war' to bend the physical world to human will often had disastrous consequences both for human beings and the natural environment. Mao's War Against Nature argues that the abuse of people and the abuse of nature are often linked. Shapiro's account, told in part through the voices of average Chinese citizens and officials who lived through and participated in some of the destructive campaigns, is both eye-opening and heartbreaking.

$30.19

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 332
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 05 Mar 2001
ISBN 10: 0521786800
ISBN 13: 9780521786805
Book Overview: This book tells the story of environmental destruction and human suffering during the Mao years.

Media Reviews

'Shapiro's well-written book ... tells a shocking story that needs to be told.' Crispin Tickell, Nature
'Shapiro is a gifted storyteller, and the book is a fascinating read ... a must-read for anyone interested in understanding not only all that the Chinese people have endured in their recent past but also how those turbulent times shape the current environment and future possibilities.' Elizabeth Economy, www.washingtonpost.com
'Both for readers interested in China's past and for those concerned about its future, the story Shapiro tells is a valuable account of Mao's regime - one of the last century's most tragic episodes.' Natural History
'... this illuminating book makes an important contribution to assessing the enormous damage done between the Communist takeover in 1949 and Mao's death in 1976. Shapiro is excellent at putting Mao's thought in its historical and cultural context.' China Review
Shapiro is a gifted storyteller, and the book is a fascinating read...a must-read for anyone interested in understanding not only all that the Chinese people have endured in their recent past but also how those turbulent times shape the current environment and future possiblities. WWW.WASHINGTONPOST.COM
We knew that Mao traumatized the psyche of his nation. Now, thanks to Judith Shapiro's meticulous research and fine writing, Westerners can realize just how badly he traumatized its landscape and resources. I've never read a better argument for openness in decision-making. An utterly fascinating book. Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature and Maybe One
This important volume offers food for thought for those concerned about China's environmental past and future and the broader connections between humans and nature. American Historical Review
Dr. Shapiro's well-researched book records the disastrous degradation of China's natural environment during the era of Mao Zedong. The traditional teaching that men must live in harmony with nature was declared backward and counter-revolutionary. Scholars and experts who opposed his policy were persecuted. As a result, damage to China's environment will take generations to recover. This book provides a timely warning, and an encouragement to the enlightened few who have realized the seriousness of the situation. Nien Cheng, author of Life and Death in Shanghai
We knew that Mao traumatized the psyche of his nation. Now, thanks to Judith Shapiro's meticulous research and fine writing, Westerners can realize just how badly he traumatized its landscape and resources. I've never read a better argument for openness in decision-making. An utterly fascinating book. Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature and Maybe One
The case studies are informative and well done. American Political Science Review
In an illuminating and absorbing account, Judith Shapiro reveals how Mao's policies resulted in such massive environmental degradation that it clouds China's future despite current conservation efforts. Even today, countries often seem to subscribe to Mao's dictum, 'Man Must Conquer Nature.' China's mistakes offer important lessons for everyone, as this timely book so lucidly describes. George B. Schaller, Wildlife Conservation Society; author of The Last Panda
well-written...It tells a shocking story that needs to be told, but ends on a note of hope. Nature
This book represents the first Western-language work to elucidate the environmental problems of the Mao era. Mao's War Against Nature will become the classic book on this topic and is essential reading for anyone interested in the Chinese environment or the legacy of the Mao era. The discussions of Ma Yinchu and Huang Wanli are unique and provide excellent case studies of the problems intellectuals encountered during those years. Richard Louis Edmonds, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London; author of Patterns of China's Lost Harmony
engaging...compelling Dow Jones News Service