Postcards from Tomorrow Square: Reports from China

by: James Fallows

Published by: Vintage Books

Reviewed by Beth Cummings

James Fallows, prolific journalist for “The Atlantic Monthly,” lived and wrote from China from the summer of 2006 through the summer of 2008. He and his wife lived in Shanghai and Beijing and traveled to several other parts of the country. The essays in Postcards from Tomorrow Square were written while they were there and were originally published in the magazine. Tomorrow Square happened to be the name of building where they lived in Shanghai.

This is an intriguing book. Fallows has an enviable grasp on China’s role in the world’s economy and is able to explain it in ways that make sense even to those who may not share his expertise. He does equally well with cultural issues – particularly in showing where truth and perception tend to contradict each other. Because he also spent time living and working in Japan and other Asian countries, he is able to point out similarities and differences that may not be apparent to most Americans.

In various chapters the book deals with the effects the Chinese boom economy, the preparations for last summer’s Olympic games, the role Chinese business plays in the American banking and investment companies – including the probable affects of Chinese ownership of millions of U.S. Treasury bonds, and the attempts to modernize some portions of the vast western portions of the country. Fallows takes pains to let the reader understand as much as possible the Chinese point of view about these issues as well as points that would be very useful for the U.S. government to take notice of.

In some ways it is a frightening book, in that there are so many areas fraught with potential for disaster that don’t seem to make their way onto the public radar with any regularity. It may just be that I was unaware of some of the issues discussed, but I was left with the feeling that many in the U.S. government are not paying appropriate attention either.

It’s an eye-opening account and well worth reading.

Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in China, economics or international politics.