Elizabeth C. Economy

For a person of the author's status, granted a bit too easily for reasons I've never ascertained, this strikes me as both late to the party and disappointing in its scholarship and analysis. Certainly, her thesis could play out entirely as described, but there are far too many unknown variables for me to feel she should relish in her confidence so readily. Overrated author, overrated book, granted title of Expert Supreme a little too cavalierly, in my opinion. I think there are many other contemporary analysts who could be accorded that title with perhaps more justification. Frankly, I have come to find myself perpetually underwhelmed by this author's recent work, this one included.… (més)

Isabel Hilton, editor of the website China Dialogue has chosen to discuss The River Runs Black by Elizabeth Economy on FiveBooks as one of the top five on her subject -China’s Environmental Crisis, saying that:


“…This is one of the earliest and best books documenting the impact of China’s industrial development on the environment... It is dramatic. I remember many years ago having to walk across a wooden bridge at Lo Wu to leave China, and all around were paddy fields and farms. And now if you go anywhere in that part of the world, apart from the fact that there are now very large cities, it is all covered with smog. And the rivers do run black. They do smell. It’s an environmental disaster.


Hong Kong, which used to be pretty clear, is now affected by the smog from Guangzhou. People just get used to it. But if I think back to how it was when I first saw it, it’s really quite extraordinary…”



The full interview is available here: http://fivebooks.com/interviews/isabel-hilton-on-chinas-environmental-crisis… (més)