China Airborne: Aviation and the Future of China

Journalist Fallows, a national correspondent for the Atlantic, takes us through China’s emerging role in the aviation industry—its past, and its developing future. Despite its ample historical facts and descriptions, Fallows keeps the reader engaged by weaving personal stories and lively personalities into his depiction of the changing aerospace landscape. He tackles technical facets and political obstacles that China faces as it tries to become an aerospace power, but for Fallows, aviation is just a prime example of larger dynamics in the Chinese economy: “balance and tension.” All of this coalesces into a picture of China as a country propelling forward, “addicted to growth.” Whether readers have an interest in aviation or China’s role in the global economy, Fallows’s book makes for an intriguing read, looking at both sides of the picture: reasons for why China might succeed, as well as those for why the country might struggle. Agent: Wendy Weil Agency. (May)