In the collective pursuit for a better future: my reflection on the writing of Building for Oil

Abstract

Reflecting on the reviews for Building for Oil, the author responds by discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the book’s holistic approach. The author acknowledges the challenges of maintaining a balance among national, local and personal levels of events. Her response concludes by addressing questions of sustainability, drawing attention to the human stories within extreme situations of industrialization and modernization, and expressing gratitude for the thought-provoking questions raised by the reviewers. The author aims to engage a broader readership and provoke thoughtful consideration of the complexities surrounding the outcomes of extreme policies.

Keywords

energy politics history of industrialization and urbanization holistic approach sustainability twentieth-century China

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References

Hou

(2021), Building for Oil: Daqing and the Formation of the Chinese Socialist State, Harvard University Asia Center, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.