Evan A. Feigenbaum

Feigenbaum's theme is essentially this; how does one do cutting-edge work in technology and science in a country with a weak base in such endeavors and an overbearing government? The answer in the PRC was to establish a protected organizational reservation which depended on the recognition that some endeavors, such as strategic weaponry, really were above politics. From there, Feigenbaum examines the evolution of these managerial structures in tandem with the concept of "technonationalism;" the Chinese aspiration of displaying national virtue by the production of home-grown technology. The ultimate problems include that relatively few endeavors seem to be amenable to this approach, that few of the positive spin-offs expected occured, and that this still doesn't solve the problem of an overbearing and strangling bureaucratic system. The further irony is that Beijing's security endeavors require an even deeper engagement with a global system that really isn't trusted, no matter that the economic treadmill requires the PRC to run faster and faster just to stay in place. This book is probably of most value to area specialists and to students of managerial science; less so to individuals more interested in narrow military strategy.… (mer)