City Traces cover

City Traces

Rating 3.0
Word count
74K words
Chapters
18
ISBN
9787566822000

Tags

Summary

This book is a class history and, at the same time, a history of market-oriented reform and opening up. Taking the growth history of the 1990 cohort of economics and management students at Lanzhou University as a microcosm, it traces the 40-year trajectory of marketization through fragmented facts. The 1990 economics and management students were born before reform and opening up, entered primary school at its outset, attended secondary school in the mid-1980s, studied at university in the 1990s, and built their careers in the 21st century—making them a veritable "reform and opening up 1.0 generation." The arc of this generation's lives is the arc of marketization; the shifts in their individual trajectories are the micro-shifts of the market's trajectory.

Editor's review

Published by Jinan University Press, Market Traces is an economics work of theoretical depth and real-world concern by Professor Liu Jinshan, grounded in his long observation of the market economy and China's economic practice since reform and opening up. Rather than a mere catalogue of economic phenomena, the book seeks the inner logic and historical trajectory of market operation—hence the title, which evokes the traces and paths the market leaves behind. A scholar in economics, Professor Liu combines academic rigor with readable narrative, offering readers a distinctive lens on China's economic transformation.

In terms of content, the book lucidly examines the interplay of market mechanisms, the role of government, and corporate behavior, with particular attention to how institutional change shapes economic performance. It does not settle for surface interpretation but strives to uncover the economic principles and historical causes beneath phenomena—an illuminating approach for readers who wish to move beyond news-style reporting and truly understand the underlying logic of China's economy. Reading it is like following an experienced guide to re-examine the economic environment we inhabit, where seemingly ordinary market phenomena take on deeper theoretical meaning.

The reading experience is reflective: the book invites readers to think alongside it rather than passively accept conclusions. Its value lies not only in conveying specific economic knowledge but in modeling a way of observing and analyzing the economic world. In an era of rapid change, cultivating such thinking—one that sees through appearances—may matter more than acquiring particular conclusions.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • General readers with a keen interest in economic principles and the history of China's economic development
  • Students and faculty in economics, management, and related social sciences, as supplementary reading
  • Policy researchers and market analysts seeking a theoretical framework to explain real-world problems
  • Readers who enjoy reflective reading and want to build systematic understanding rather than quick-fix knowledge

Not a good fit for

  • Casual readers seeking light stories or novel-like narrative
  • Pragmatists expecting immediate investment advice or concrete business techniques

Reading tips

  1. Begin with the preface and table of contents to grasp the book's central questions and overall structure, then work through the chapters.
  2. While reading, compare the text with economic phenomena or historical events you have observed to deepen understanding.
  3. If a theoretical section feels dense, set it aside for now, grasp the core arguments and cases first, then return to it.

About the publisher

Jinan University Press China · Founded in 1989

Jinan University Press is a comprehensive university press known for publishing in language and writing, history and culture, and medicine. Judging from the 2,481 titles in the database, its publishing focuses on language and writing research, the compilation of unearthed documents, Chinese culture and Eastern philosophy, traditional Chinese medicine, and grassroots medical standards. Representative books include the Chinese Dictionary (Second Edition), the series on the collected interpretation and modern translation of Warring States documents from the Language Services Series and the series on the language of unearthed documents, Chinese Cultural Psychology (6th Edition), Illustrated Compendium of Traditional Chinese Medicine Processing Techniques, and Construction and Technical Standards for Standardized Bronchoscopy Rooms in Primary-Level Pediatrics. In terms of authors, scholars such as Zhu Cheng, Zhang Yujin, Wang Fengyan, Zheng Hong, Cao Hui and Ma Zhiguo form its author base in language and documents, cultural psychology, and traditional Chinese medicine. In terms of publishing characteristics, the press emphasizes the collected interpretation and modern translation of unearthed documents and language service research, while also systematically organizing cultural psychology and medical techniques. Public information on specific matters such as overseas Chinese-language education is limited and is therefore not elaborated here.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 再回首
  3. 一 朦胧力量
  4. 二 春天故事
  5. 三 走向四方
  6. 四 直面现实
  7. 五 心理分野
  8. 六 健康为来
  9. 看远方
  10. 附录
  11. 附录一 经济学好有力量——记暨南大学经济学院副院长刘金山
  12. 附录二 致学生:你来,故我在
  13. 附录三 你不是一个人在战斗
  14. 附录四 合约的力量:花生曾是奢侈品
  15. 附录五 合约设计:司机不再欺生客
  16. 附录六 窗下再无小儿闹
  17. 附录七 90经管大事记
  18. 参考文献

FAQ

Is this book an academic monograph or a popular work?
It falls between the two. The author presents scholarly ideas in relatively accessible language, but the core content has theoretical depth and demands some concentration and reflection. It can be regarded as a serious economics book written for non-specialist readers.
Is the content out of date?
The book focuses on the fundamental logic of the market economy and the historical trajectory of China's economic transition—foundational, principle-level content with considerable durability. Its analytical framework remains a useful reference for understanding current and future economic phenomena.
Can I understand it without a background in economics?
The author avoids complex mathematical models and obscure jargon wherever possible. Readers with a high school education or above and a curiosity about social and economic phenomena can, with patient reading, grasp its main arguments and line of reasoning.

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About the author

刘金山 Author

Liu Jinshan is a Chinese author whose works span finance and economics, social culture, management, and popular science. Public information about him is limited, and his biographical details remain incomplete. Eleven of his works are held in the collection, covering a wide range of subjects: popular economics titles such as Fun with Economic History and Economics Makes Life Better, as well as books focused on real-world observation and regional development research, including Changes in Consumer Behavior Patterns (1949–2019), A Research Report on the Competitiveness of China's Intelligent Manufacturing Industry, and The Micro Foundations of Globalization and National Strategy Interaction (Research on the Development of the Guangzhou Development District). He has also written textbooks such as Optimization and Advanced Macroeconomics and Probability Theory and Mathematical Statistics, along with economics-related works such as Born Toward the Market and the Jinan Economics Series. Overall, his writing balances academic substance with readability, linking economic issues to social change, and is suitable for readers interested in economic realities and popular social science.

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