An attentive and richly detailed study of the Chinese Internet—certainly the best book I've read on the subject. Guobin Yang does a very fine job of summarizing new developments and vividly describing a variety of online communities.

— Patricia M. Thornton, University of Oxford

Much has been written about the role the Internet has played in political campaigns and grassroots politics in America, but the real transformative power of the Internet can be seen in places like China and Iran, where authoritarian governments are faced with the irreversible power of individuals coming together online. This book gives an in-depth look at the explosion of Internet use in China and the dramatic political and cultural changes it has enabled. The ultimate instrument of individual empowerment is remaking one of the most controlling societies on earth. What Chinese leadership will be forced to recognize is that this democratic surge must be accommodated. Failure to do so will either stop economic development or result in the current regime's loss of power.

Transformations in China and transformations of communication are two of the great stories of the contemporary era. They come together in Guobin Yang's outstanding study of online activism in the People's Republic. The Internet expands activists' sense of themselves as participants in global movements, and it is used in distinctively Chinese ways. It circulates repertoires of collective action and occasions new forms of action. In this well-researched and well-written book, Yang gives the best account available of this experimentation, innovation, and social change.

— Craig Calhoun, president, Social Science Research Council, and University Professor of the Social Sciences, New York University

In today's China, who benefits more from the power of the Internet: citizen activists or state authorities? Guobin Yang comes down decisively on the side of the citizenry, seeing online activism as the revival of a Chinese revolutionary spirit that is setting the stage for the long-awaited democratic breakthrough. Although the conclusion of this richly documented study is certainly controversial, the careful research and clear reasoning are incontrovertible. Whether or not Yang's optimistic prognosis proves correct, his excellent scholarship and engaging style make for an impressive contribution to a timely debate.

— Elizabeth J. Perry, Henry Rosovsky Professor of Government, Harvard University

Much has been written about the role the Internet has played in political campaigns and grassroots politics in America, but the real transformative power of the Internet can be seen in places like China and Iran, where authoritarian governments are faced with the irreversible power of individuals coming together online. This book gives an in-depth look at the explosion of Internet use in China and the dramatic political and cultural changes it has enabled. The ultimate instrument of individual empowerment is remaking one of the most controlling societies on earth. What Chinese leadership will be forced to recognize is that this democratic surge must be accommodated. Failure to do so will either stop economic development or result in the current regime's loss of power.