One Child
The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment
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One Child
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Narrated by:
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Janet Song
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By:
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Mei Fong
About this listen
When Communist Party leaders adopted the one-child policy in 1980, they hoped curbing birthrates would help lift China's poorest and increase the country's global stature. But at what cost? Now, as China closes the book on the policy after more than three decades, it faces a population grown too old and too male, with a vastly diminished supply of young workers.
Mei Fong has spent years documenting the policy's repercussions on every sector of Chinese society. In One Child, she explores its true human impact, traveling across China to meet the people who live with its consequences. Their stories reveal a dystopian reality: unauthorized second children ignored by the state, only children supporting aging parents and grandparents on their own, villages teeming with ineligible bachelors, and an ungoverned adoption market stretching across the globe. Fong tackles questions that have major implications for China's future: whether its "Little Emperor" cohort will make for an entitled or risk-averse generation; how China will manage to support itself when one in every four people is over 65 years old; and, above all, how much the one-child policy may end up hindering China's growth.
©2016 Mei Fong (P)2016 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
What listeners say about One Child
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jennifer Marie Lewington
- 19-03-19
memorable and thought provoking
Memorable and thought provoking. A thorough insight into the one child policy. I would recommend this book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 28-06-23
Recommend
Wonderful story not only of China’s one child policy but of the many “why’s” of the new China both socially and economically.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mrs.
- 22-02-16
Insightful research of China's One Child Policy
Where does One Child rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Unexpected. Interesting research based writing, investigating the sources and impact of what was an inhumane policy - more in terms of its execution (literally) than its ideals. Very different listen so not possible to rank it.
What was one of the most memorable moments of One Child?
Some of the descriptions of people's experiences (men as well as women) are harrowing but overall one has a good sense of a carefully investigated history into the power of the Chinese state over the fertility of its people (women), and its continuing impact today. Not comfortable and very hard to imagine what it must have been like to be a woman subjected to the strictures of this regime. Raises interesting questions about whether this policy to reduce population has actually had the desired outcome, and how a reduced population looks after an ageing one. The spectre of 'designer' babies becomes a reality to the burgeoning wealthy classes of China, while the poor remain disadvantaged.
Did the narration match the pace of the story?
Yes, it was factual and not really a story in the usual sense. Fairly detached reading but not a problem as the facts and accounts were startling and needed no embellishment.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
It is not a long book so it was easy to do so and was surprisingly compelling.
Any additional comments?
I don't think this was what I expected but I found it very interesting and am glad I listened to it. It most certainly gives much to think about.
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