Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of ChinaDeng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China
Score Modern
What it's about
Perhaps no one in the 20th century had a greater long-term impact on world history than Deng Xiaoping, who led China's opening to the world and its economic transformation. Harvard scholar Ezra Vogel tells his life and the story of how modern China was made.
Why it's worth reading
It was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist and won the Lionel Gelber Prize. It's the definitive biography of Deng.
You'll love it if you liked
Mao's Great Famine
Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China
The Passage of PowerGood to know
It's very long and detailed. Some critics feel it is too sympathetic to Deng on Tiananmen.
By the numbers
- Readers86 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics21 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller2 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz1 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #178 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #624 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1182 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China worth reading?
Yes. It was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist and won the Lionel Gelber Prize. It ranks #1,182 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 71.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China about?
Perhaps no one in the 20th century had a greater long-term impact on world history than Deng Xiaoping, who led China's opening to the world and its economic transformation. Harvard scholar Ezra Vogel tells his life and the story of how modern China was made.
How long does it take to read Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China?
About 23 hours (928 pages), or about 7 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China?
If you liked it, try Mao's Great Famine by Frank Dikötter, Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China by Evan Osnos or The Passage of Power by Robert A. Caro.