Abstract

In the last three decades China has experienced the largest population movement in human history. Millions have left behind homes to find work and new opportunities in the emerging mega-cities.

Through months of sustained interpersonal contact with migrant workers and factory owners, Behzad Yaghmaian paints a unique portrait of a country experiencing the turmoil of rapid development. His close listening has produced an intimate look at the hopes, hardships, triumphs and tragedies of those behind the Chinese 'economic dragon'.

The Accidental Capitalist reveals the human reality behind China's rise to global-superpower status.
'This remarkable book paints intimate portraits of some of the faceless millions of migrant workers who have made China's economic miracle possible'
Ivan Watson, CNN Foreign Correspondent
'Like Ian Johnson's Wild Grass or Leslie Chang's Factory Girls, The Accidental Capitalist takes us to the epicenter of China's world-changing transition through a series of portraits of the men and women who make that change possible'
Professor James Millward, History, Georgetown University
'A fascinating, moving and highly readable book'
Jeff Crisp, Head, Policy Development and Evaluation Service, UNHCR
'A modern Alexis de Tocqueville'
Publishers Weekly