Awakening Giants, Feet of Clay: Assessing the Economic Rise of China and India
"[E]xcellent. . . . Bardhan writes with remarkable clarity about complex issues, such as the widely varying ways that corruption can affect the economy, and the positive as well as negative legacy of the Maoist era for China in terms of its recent trajectory. . . . He also shows some welcome stylistic flair, quoting poetry to good effect in one section (how often do economists do that?)."--Jeff Wasserstrom,Forbes.com"Pranab Bardhan'sAwakening Giants, Feet of Clay: Assessing the Economic Rise of China and India. . . succinctly summarizes the challenges facing China and India, including environmental degradation, unfavorable demographics, poor infrastructure, and social inequality--threats that the leaders of China and India understand. . . . A more contentious claim offered by Bardhan is that internal reform--not the global market--has been the key driver of both countries' growth."--Simon Tay,Foreign Affairs"The strongest point in Bardhan's study is his insightful account of the role of democracy in promoting as well as hindering economic growth."--Nayan Chanda,BusinessWorld"There is abundant literature on the comparative development of India and China, but most of it explains the difference in their growth rates on the macro level on ideological grounds: slower growth rate in democratic India versus faster development in authoritarian China. In this well-written and properly documented study, Bardhan examines growth in different sectors of the economies, particularly agriculture, industry, trade, infrastructure, savings, and investment rates. . . . This volume is an important reference for advanced students and researchers interested in the economic growth of these two Asian giants."--Choice"Bardhan's book is a good place to understand the political economy of constraints the two economies are likely to face as they march ahead."--Siddharth Singh,Mint"Bardhan's refusal to shy away from complexity I refreshing, and it is this which distinguishes his book from many others in the field. . . . Although this is a book primarily focused on economics, it is not written solely for economists. It is a concise, accessible volume which can provide a valuable resource for anyone wanting to understand better the myriad complexities surrounding the rise of China and India."--Louise Merrington,China Journal"The author of this small volume is to be commended for packing so much useful information and analysis into such a short space."--Dwight H. Perkins,Developing Economies