Broken Earth

While the author lived in China in 1979 through 1980, the book covers life in China from late in Mao's era until 1982. He primarily talks about life in rural southern China, but he also was able to interact with some city Chinese and learn a bit about the conditions in other parts of China. This book is a well-written behind-the-propaganda look into the culture. The book covers village life and work, the bureaucracy, corruption and crime, unemployment, restrictions on daily life, the education system, the Youth who grew up during the Cultural Revolution, marriage, the role of men and women, forced birth control, the political campaigns, and more. While we do get to see slices of rural life, this book is more a historical view of the political policies and how they affected the Chinese alive at the time the author lived there. The book was very informative without being dry. In fact, I probably would have read the book through in one sitting if I hadn't had to take a break after every chapter or two so I could process everything I'd just learned. Anyone who thinks the textbook version of communism or socialism looks appealing should read this book to learn the pitfalls of how socialism works out in reality. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in socialism in general or in communist China. [...]

While I received this book as a second-hand gift consequent to a library sale, I enthusiastically recommend its purchase to anyone interested in China and day to day life events. Mr. Mosher provides detailed descriptions of villagers in southern China in the early 1980's. Through his writings, one is able to visualize events of daily life which may be far different than the images noted during a tourist visit to China. His comments are thoughtful and sometimes provocative. I yearned to learn more. Detailed narratives are provided from villagers reguarding some of the more controversial aspects of rural life in China in the 1980's (ie. birth control, the one-child policy etc.).

This book is simply one of the best books about China ever written. Professor Mosher actually lived in a farm village in the southern Chinese province of Kwangtung for several years before writing this book summing up his research (he is fluent in Cantonese). The result is elegantly written, sharply observant and richly compassionate towards the good, simple country folk he lived among. Thanks to Prof. Mosher's heretical conclusion (based partly on the testimony of his village correspondents themselves) that life for the Chinese peasant was actually better before their so-called "liberation" by the Communists, Prof. Mosher is now persona non grata in mainland China, but that hasn't stopped him from continuing to be the most insightful commentator on Chinese life--especially the lives of ordinary Chinese--in the West today. An absolutely essential book for those interested in contemporary China!