Book reviews

Deng: A Political Biography
Benjamin Yang Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
Benjamin Yang Books
New book search
Benjamin Yang Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Deng: A Political Biography
"    Deng Xiaoping was a cunning politician who came to power through his ability to accurately appraise Mao Zedong's state of mind. Deng was becoming disillusioned with Mao's policies, and when he became China's absolute ruler in 1978, he embraced post-Mao reforms. Unfortunately, Deng lacked the kind of hands-on control that was necessary to follow through on his economic modernization program.
    Deng possessed a reformist drive, but he was also a ruthless dictator who launched a massive purge that sent almost one million people to labor camps, and execution, on the grounds that they were "rightist sympathizers". Deng was drawn to power, but he did not have any real political convictions other than holding on to power. "

Nathaniel Ford, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Deng: A Political Biography
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Political/social rights fight Yes
Plotlet: - communists!!!! - suffering under communism
Period of greatest activity? - 1950+

Subject of Biography
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - politician/elected ruler
Age: - long lived adults
Biography of famous person? Yes
Ethnicity - Chinese
Nationality - Chinese
How sensitive is this person? - hard edged
Intelligence - Smarter than most other people
Physique - average physique

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 6 ()
Asia/Pacific Yes
Asian country: - China
Century: - 1960's-1970's

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Commentary on society? Yes
Commentary on - capitalism
Writer's slant towards subject: - neutral
Story of entire life, or part? - story of set of events during life
If this is a kid's book: - Age 16-Adult
Pictures/Illustrations? - A lot 11-15 B&W
How much dialogue in bio? - significantly more descript than dialog
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 51%-75% of book
How much is philosophy rather than life story? - 0-25% of book
Most similar books to Deng: A Political Biography
Wild Swans by Jung Chang
The Twelve Little Cakes by Dominika Dery
Heading South, Looking North by Ariel Dorfman
Shut Up He Explained: The Memoir of a Blacklisted Kid by Kate Lardner
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama


Click here for more information about this book


Benjamin Yang Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Nathaniel Ford  

SCHOLARS:


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Biography books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal story?

Big Business story?

Disaster Story

Ethnic/regional/gender

Family, hate

Family, ill

Family, love

Food

Job/profession/poverty story

Kids growing up/acting up?

Life in an institution

Outdoors story

Pal/friendship story

Phys disability/mental struggle?

Political/social rights fight

Road trip

Romance

Royalty bio

Sports story

Taboo Sex Story?

War/Spying



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Funny Videos
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
George W. Bush 8:20:38 PM
Robert Segarra 1:49:56 PM
Karen Armstrong 10:51:40 AM
Slavomir Rawicz 6:40:45 PM
Anonymous 1:39:52 PM
Deric Longden 9:20:02 AM
Suzanne Weyn 6:24:19 PM
Colin Forbes 12:23:54 PM
John Christopher 5:12:45 AM
Tom Clancy 2:19:45 AM
Margaret Peterson Haddix 5:36:55 PM
Nikolai Tolstoy 7:46:16 AM
J.K. Rowling 11:40:22 PM
Jack Higgins 4:54:08 PM
Eloise Jarvis McGraw 12:51:17 PM
Jane Rubino 1:21:00 PM
Lori Wick 2:11:45 AM
Betty Mahmoody 5:57:33 PM
Patricia Cornwell 2:48:17 PM
Andrew Clements 9:13:44 PM

Silicon Valley
More message boards