cover image China's Great Leap: The Beijing Games and Olympian Human Rights Challenges

China's Great Leap: The Beijing Games and Olympian Human Rights Challenges

. Seven Stories Press, $18.95 (330pp) ISBN 978-1-58322-843-2

Worden, Minky. China's Great Leap: The Beijing Games and Olympian Human Rights Challenges. Seven Stories. 2008. 336p. index. pap. POL SCI~Because of its speculative nature, this book is not recommended as an objective resource on Chinese history. However, for its timely content, it is suitable for immediate use in both academic and public libraries. Background: China's recent attempts to clean up its image for the 2008 Olympic Games have ironically led to incidents like lethal police violence against a retarded man and the demolition of Petitioner's Village, a place where Chinese citizens aired grievances with their government. This book collects essays by an international group of 24 journalists, human rights and history experts, and Chinese citizen activists, offering opinions that support or oppose the upcoming games. Kadhir Van Lohuizen even presents a photo essay. The book is divided into four parts: on China's history, human rights, pollution and business practice (together), and politics. All the authors, including editor Worden (media director, Human Rights Watch) and such contributors as Wan Deng, a leading student organizer of the Tiananmen democracy movement, contribute thoughtful suggestions about how to use the games as an opportunity for human rights reform.--April Younglove, Linfield Coll. Lib., Portland, OR.