“History 2.0” – Three Book Reviews

Written by Frank Li

My new book “History 2.0” (Introduction to “History 2.0”) will soon be published. I hereby share the reviews by these three individuals:

1. Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, Professor of Economics, Columbia University.
2. Dr. Brad Lewis, Professor of Economics, Union College (Schenectady, NY).
3. Dr. John Lounsbury, Managing Editor, Global Economic Intersection.

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1. Jeffrey Sachs

I have long enjoyed reading Dr. Li’s online postings, and these are now collected together in this book.

I agree with much of what he writes and disagree with much of it too. Yet I greatly appreciate his honest search for truth, his ability to draw on the wisdom of both his native country and adopted country, and his efforts to help Americans better understand China. His efforts at understanding are especially important today given the many ignorant, mistaken, and dangerous views about China held in American society.

Read this book with an open mind. You will learn and enjoy!

2. Brad Lewis

I reviewed Dr. Li’s previous three books and enjoyed his novel approaches. This is by far the best, both in content and in style, and very comprehensive. His unique perspective of America and China comes from his unique life experiences. For example, his understanding and interpretation of the American Revolution is both original in thinking about American views, and profoundly different from what is often taught in American schools. The book becomes even more interesting when he compares it with the Chinese Communist Revolution—and the somewhat surprising result after Mao.

Three hints may whet your appetite to read it. (1) His view that Hamilton had a much more functional view of what government needed to do than Jefferson is one some economists have finally discovered (and I regularly teach): it’s ironic that it took a musical for most Americans to take notice at all. (2) It should not be our aim to be an empire. (3) As a Professor in Economics, I found his listing and analysis of three best economists, one each for the last three centuries, uniquely outstanding and interesting.

Few would agree with some of his points, especially given the polarization of our politics and frequent fears of China. But you should read the book, as it is uniquely different but scholarly, with fresh ideas worth considering.

3. John Lounsbury

Dr. Li has written a unique summary of how the history of the world has brought us to an inflection point in societal development. He brings a unique perspective that few can match: University degrees in three countries (China, Japan, and the U.S.A.), corporate employment as an engineer in the U.S. and Europe, and a successful entrepreneurial business in the U.S. for the past 15 years.

He is a naturalized American citizen who loves the U.S. and has thoughtfully developed ideas about how to stop its decline. He personally was affected by Mao’s Cultural Revolution (his father was purged and the family thrust into extreme poverty). His father later rose again in the CCP only to be pushed aside once more for having ideas ahead of his time.

He knows the dark sides of both the leading governance models in the world today, as well as the bright sides of both, and brings that knowledge to bear in this must-read book.

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