Dan Wang, a China-based reporter for many years, writes an insightful book about his impressions of the Chinese economy and political system in Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future. The premise is that China's economy and political system are run by engineers, who are the key filter for understanding their leaders’ actions and behavior in addressing problems. In contrast, the US is driven by lawyers who are not builders and doers but activists who want to stop and control the economy and politics through the legal and regulatory system. On the surface, this dichotomy seems simplistic, yet Wang makes a strong case that this is an effective characterization. He does spend most of his time using the engineering framework to explain China, the center of the book, and his contrast with the US is not as well developed, yet I found this may be a good way of thinking about actions within China.
This is a short, very personal book, so do not expect deep analysis. Yet the presentation is compelling, and for those who want another perspective on the Chinese economy, it is a good read.
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