Book Review: Transport of Delight: The Mythical Conception of Rail Transit in Los Angeles
Abstract
such as Barry Naughton (on both the city under reform and the urban work unit), Jae Ho Chung (on recipes for economic development in reform-era Chinese cities), and Jane Duckett (on entrepreneurialism in government bodies). Finally--especially given Friedmann's own perspicacious remarks about the obstacles to sustainability in China's hell- bent-on-growth pattern of development, his keen awareness of the all-too-prevalent slip between central governmental inten- tions and regulations and local-level compliance, and his acknowledgment that repression is still the likely outcome for unsanctioned social movements (p. 89)--perhaps he is a bit too sanguine about the positive changes that may be in the off- ing. For he sounds maybe unduly optimistic about the impact of various forms of opening up (p. 121) and about the political trajectory we may see China follow in the future (he notes a growing necessity for governmental responsiveness on p. 123). But these points must be taken as coming from the key- board of a longtime China specialist who is prone to be picky. All told, this is a balanced, highly well-informed, and extremely readable book that I would heartily recommend for a novice who wants a quick and insightful look at today's People's Republic.