Reprint from Competitiveness in International Food Markets, 1994.

Income inequalities between urban and rural areas remain high in China, but the gap has begun to narrow. Peasant incomes have increased dramatically since the post-Mao reforms. Rural areas have new power, but this is a consequence not a cause of the reforms. The improvement in rural conditions reflects a change in the central state's development strategy and ideology, and the local response to incentives embedded in China's reforms.

The case study approach is always a refreshing antidote to the frequently superficial approach of a narrative textbook. This is particularly the case in an area as complex as the study of Asia. In an increasingly interdisciplinary world, Asia: Case Studies in the Social Sciences could be an invaluable supplement to a teacher well versed in the general principles but needing the depth and perspective of specialized knowledge of particular topics. I recommend this approach for both college instructors and for advanced study at the pre-collegiate level.