Thefocusofthisbookisthose15yearsofsuccessfulruralindustrializationinChina,froml980to1995.IseektoexplainwhysomeregionsinruralChinaachievedindustrialization,whileotherregionsdidnot.ChapterThreediscussesthecommuneandbrigadeenterprises(CBEs)precedingthetownshipandvillageenterprises(TVEs).ChapterSevenaddressesprivatizationreformofTVEs,which,startingfromthelate-20thcenturyandcomingtoanendatthebeginningofthe21stcentury,terminatedcollectiveTVEsintheirtraditionalsense.Thisbook,therefore,studiestheentirehistoryofruralcollectiveindustry,whichbytheyearof2003,whentheChineseeditionofthisbookwaspublished,hadlastedforhalfacentury.
Yet,thisbookisnotabookonhistoryNorisitaneconomicsbookontheruralindustrialeconomyThisisabookonpoliticalsaence,whichseekstounderstandChina'sruraleconomyfromapoliticalpointofview,andtounderstandtheChinesepoliticalmiracle.