This collection investigates the mechanisms and sustainability of China's economic transition from a centrally planned system to a market-oriented economy during the late twentieth century. Edited by Yiping Huang and Ross Garnaut, the volume compiles thirty influential articles from leading economists to evaluate the structural shifts, policy reforms, and developmental outcomes of the era. The contributors utilize empirical data and comparative analysis to argue that China's growth, while significant, is the result of specific institutional adjustments rather than inexplicable phenomena.

Experts recognize this volume as a foundational resource for understanding the complexities of China's reform era through a diverse range of academic viewpoints. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a comprehensive reference for students and researchers of development economics.