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honnari_hannya's review
4.0
An interesting and insightful overview of China's surveillance state. I appreciated Strittmatter's thoroughness with regard to the scope of history—especially with a nation like China. The largest pitfall in a book with this subject matter is an overly aggressive focus on technology, which this book still managed to cover very well, but it also did an excellent job in explaining the various ways in which China's apparatus of control is exercised through education, propaganda, social credit/trust, etc. and various means of "soft power" that all impose self-surveillance a la Foucault's Discipline and Punish.
My few contentions with this book are: 1. I do wish we had heard a little more from the various pro-democracy Sino-sphere countries that are fighting the good fight. We did get a bit of background on Taiwan and Hong Kong, but not nearly enough on both how they managed to establish and maintain their sovereignty against China's surveillance state. 2. I think Strittmatter veered a little too hard on the "Western Saviorism" toward the end for my tastes, especially with regard to the "spirit" of intellectual freedom that is to be found in the West. I don't know that I necessarily agree with all the conclusions that he drew there.
Overall, enjoyed this read. This offered good insights on current sociopolitical relationships between China and the West (mostly the U.S. but also Europe in general), as well as interesting ideas about the likely developments of surveillance technology and techniques in the near (and very terrifying) future.
My few contentions with this book are: 1. I do wish we had heard a little more from the various pro-democracy Sino-sphere countries that are fighting the good fight. We did get a bit of background on Taiwan and Hong Kong, but not nearly enough on both how they managed to establish and maintain their sovereignty against China's surveillance state. 2. I think Strittmatter veered a little too hard on the "Western Saviorism" toward the end for my tastes, especially with regard to the "spirit" of intellectual freedom that is to be found in the West. I don't know that I necessarily agree with all the conclusions that he drew there.
Overall, enjoyed this read. This offered good insights on current sociopolitical relationships between China and the West (mostly the U.S. but also Europe in general), as well as interesting ideas about the likely developments of surveillance technology and techniques in the near (and very terrifying) future.
simplestyle's review against another edition
5.0
A comprehensive look at the modern Chinese Communist Party, its atrocities, tactics, and growing global influence.
lostmacaroon's review
5.0
Excellent book, very informative and the author does a great job of mixing in Chinese history, literature and philosophy along contemporary topics. Only critique is that the title is tad misleading, it seems a lot of the book focuses on china’s authoritarian systems rather than solely or perhaps even mostly on surveillance.
miszapp's review against another edition
5.0
Great read. Very well thought. Written by the author who knows subject very well and took time to complete thorough research. Subject is so extremities interesting on many levels. One thing is technology advancement, where it can get us, and start are the reasons for directions it's taking. We can read it as book about China and Xi Jinping leadership, politics that wants to secure power remains in the same place. We can read it as introduction to Black Mirror alike story. Technology can serve and protect but it for sure can be tool of oppression. 21st century must read.