Social Economy (Volume 2)

Xing Chunru / 李穆南 / Jie Baofeng / 刘心莲Liaohai Publishing House · ChinaApr 2025

Rating 2.7
Word count
74 words
Chapters
13
ISBN
9787807119937

Tags

Motivation and Growth Institutional ChangeHistorical ReappraisalLivelihoodSocial ObservationEconomic StructurePopular NarrativeCultural Change

Summary

The Chinese people's culture is one that values peace and upholds the ideal personality of the golden mean. When diverse cultures meet, it excels at integration—favoring neither bias nor grievance, prizing harmony and balance—enabling the Chinese nation to grow and thrive continuously. Chinese culture is like a sea into which a hundred rivers flow, vast and boundless. A History of Chinese Culture recounts China's extraordinary journey from prehistoric times to the present: the opening up of its territory, the formation of its ethnic groups, social evolution, economic and cultural development, and political transformation. To present this magnificent history in full, the book devotes nearly 12 million characters across 8 volumes and 185 fascicles.

Editor's review

Socio-Economics (Volume II) is a social science work co-authored by four scholars—Liu Xinlian, Jie Baofeng, Li Munan, and Xing Chunru. As the second volume of the Socio-Economics series, it continues the macro perspective of the first volume but focuses more deeply on socio-economic structures, operating mechanisms, and their specific manifestations in particular historical stages. This is not an academic monograph pursuing theoretical frontiers but rather a popular knowledge book for general readers; its value lies in systematically organizing and presenting the basic knowledge and historical context of the socio-economic field. In content, the book may cover multiple levels, from industrial economics and regional development to improvements in people's livelihood, attempting to construct a relatively complete cognitive framework of socio-economics. The authors' writing style tends toward plain narration, emphasizing the presentation of facts and data, which gives the book considerable documentary and reference value and makes it especially suitable as an introductory reader for non-economics readers to understand basic socio-economic concepts. However, readers should also recognize that the book was published relatively early, and some data and case analyses may not reflect the latest economic developments; reading should therefore be combined with critical thinking about present realities. Overall, this is a work that can help readers build a solid foundation of socio-economic knowledge, with its clear structure and comprehensive coverage as its main strengths.

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. First skim the table of contents to understand the book's knowledge framework and structure, then choose chapters of interest for deeper reading
  2. While reading, compare and reflect in connection with recent economic news and data from China and the world
  3. The book is information-dense; take notes or mark key concepts and data for later review and reference

About the publisher

Liaohai Publishing House China · Founded in 1996

Liaohai Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher known for textbooks and the collation of ancient works. Its publishing scope covers state-approved textbooks, local curriculum materials, supplementary educational books, and national and local ancient-text compilation projects, while also extending into humanities fields such as Eastern philosophy. Its catalog contains about 4,694 titles, with representative works including the multi-volume Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), and its author resources include classic writers and works such as Sima Qian and Confucius. Grounded in educational publishing and the transmission of traditional culture, the press maintains sustained investment in ancient-text collation, forming a publishing profile that balances textbooks and scholarship. Due to limited public information, its more specific publishing directions and features require further supplementation.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. 8
  10. 9
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12

FAQ

What is the relationship between this book and the previous volume, Social Economy (Volume 1)? This book is the second volume of the Social Economy series and usually forms a more complete knowledge system together with the first volume. The first volume may focus more on basic concepts, principles, and historical overview, while this volume may delve into specific economic structures, sector operations, or development practices. Readers are advised to choose the reading order based on their own knowledge base, or read both together for a more comprehensive understanding.
How academically deep is this book? Is it suitable for high school students? The book is positioned as knowledge popularization and systematic outlining rather than advanced academic discussion. Its language is relatively plain and concept explanations are fairly clear. For high school students with some general social knowledge and reading ability, it is good reading for understanding the basics of social economy, helping broaden their horizons and laying a foundation for university study in related fields.
Are the cases and data in the book outdated? Because the book was published relatively early, the specific statistics and economic cases it cites likely only extend to the time of writing. This is indeed a limitation of the book. Readers are therefore advised to focus on its theoretical framework and historical context, while obtaining the latest information on specific figures and cases through other channels and understanding the dynamic nature of economic development.

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About the author

Xing Chunru Author · China

Xing Chunru is a Chinese full-time book editor about whom publicly available information is limited. He has long compiled popular series for institutions such as Liaohai Publishing House. His output is considerable, with more than 700 titles held in the collection, covering fields such as art history, science and military affairs, politics and history, language and writing, and film and television. Representative works include Chinese Martial Arts (Part II), A History of Chinese Art, A History of Chinese Science and Technology, A Course in the Art of Language, Famous Paintings and Masterpieces, and the series A Grand Garden of Chinese Cultural Knowledge. These books present specialized knowledge in an accessible style, emphasizing systematic organization and readability, and are intended for young readers and general audiences, helping to popularize and guide understanding of traditional culture, art appreciation, and language expression.

李穆南 Author

Li Munan: publicly available information is limited, and details of his life, such as nationality and dates of birth and death, are not clearly recorded. Nevertheless, the 229 works held in the library indicate a prolific compiler with wide-ranging interests. His works focus mainly on Chinese culture and history, and representative titles include Chinese Martial Arts (Volume Two), The Grand Compendium of Chinese Cultural Knowledge: Science and Military Volume, The Grand Compendium of Chinese Cultural Knowledge: Politics and History Volume, The History of Ancient Chinese Literature, The History of Contemporary Chinese Literature, Poems of Successive Dynasties, and Residential Architecture and Folk Customs (Volume One). The common categories cover culture, popular science, general biography, and history readers, showing that his writing centers on knowledge popularization and cultural dissemination. His subjects span literary history, folk customs, military science, and political history, and are mostly aimed at general readers. Overall, Li Munan's body of work is extensive and emphasizes the systematic organization of traditional Chinese culture and historical knowledge, giving him a certain accumulated presence and influence in the compilation of popular cultural reading materials.

Jie Baofeng Author · Chinese · 1976

Jie Baofeng, born in 1976 and a native of Qianguo, Jilin, is of Han ethnicity and serves as an assistant researcher. He is currently director of the Jilin Provincial Local Chronicles Museum, a member of the Standing Committee of the Jilin Provincial CPPCC, and vice chair of the Jilin Provincial Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, and has long been engaged in compiling local chronicles. He has planned and published more than ninety chronicles and gazetteers, including the Illustrated Gazetteer of the Colonial Governing Institutions of the Puppet State of Manchukuo, and has served as chief editor of numerous history and popular science series, gaining extensive experience in document organization and knowledge dissemination. His works span a wide range of subjects, including folk literature, inspirational growth, and social fiction, with 970 titles held in the collection. These include multivolume editions of traditional classics such as the Classic of Mountains and Seas and The Complete Works of Guiguzi, as well as accessible popular readings, reflecting an editorial approach that balances scholarship with readability.

刘心莲 Author

Liu Xinlian is a Chinese compiler credited with a considerable number of titles, though public information about her is limited, and her nationality, dates of birth and death, and personal background are not clearly recorded. Judging from the 182 works held in the collection, her writing focuses mainly on cultural popularization and general knowledge books, covering such subjects as Chinese martial arts, political history, science and military affairs, emperors and eunuchs of successive dynasties, imperial examination top scholars, and myths and legends. The common categories include culture, popular science, history readings, folk literature, and general biography. Representative works include Chinese Martial Arts (Volume II), The Grand View of Chinese Culture: Political and Historical Volume, The Grand View of Chinese Culture: Science and Military Volume, Emperors of Successive Dynasties, and Myths and Legends. Overall, her editorial style leans toward accessible introductions for general readers, emphasizing systematic organization and readability, making it suitable for ordinary readers seeking to understand traditional culture and historical knowledge.