The indisputable relevance of dam construction to understanding present-day China and its economy, environment, and society makes Bryan Tilt's new book, Dams and Development in China, an easy one to pick up. It also is hard to put down. Not only is this efficient volume usefully packed with a wide array of compelling data, some surprising survey results, and a remarkably navigable mapping of government policy processes and decision-making models, it also manages to indulge in some lovely scenery descriptions and offer some hope that there are some signs of improvement. This book will be of interest to anyone curious about contemporary China or global environmental studies. Although it assumes a fair amount of knowledge and is geared toward scholars, it is accessible enough for use in a college classroom.
As an anthropologist, Tilt focuses on human and social questions associated with dam development. This book, however, is not...