Tiger Head, Snake Tails: China Today, How It Got There and Where It Is Heading - Hardcover

But despite the endless stream of soothsayers, there has been no single book that pulls together the whole of the China story, linking its very disparate elements to present a coherent portrait that explains what China is and why it matters so much. In this compelling and lucid account based on years of research and first-hand experience, rooted in on-the-ground reporting, interviews, observations, analysis of data and a viewpoint that sees the country from the inside out, Jonathan Fenby links the myriad features of today's rapidly evolving China. "Fast-moving, informed, and illuminating" (The Guardian), Tiger Head, Snake Tails brilliantly demonstrates that the binary approach so often applied to China -- the country is either good or bad, set to reach the stars or collapse in chaos -- often boils down to the prejudices of its authors. By seeing China as a whole -- especially its history and involvement with the West -- and connecting the dots, Jonathan Fenby intelligently looks into its future, both internally and in its impact on the rest of the world.