Kevin O'Brien

Rightful Resistance in Rural China

"To the study of resistance, this superb book, is akin to the discovery of a major ‘new species.’ ‘Rightful resistance’ may well be the most significant form of popular protest in quasi-authoritarian systems. This closely-reasoned, broadly comparative and innovative book will inspire many new research programs in its wake."
- James C. Scott, Yale University

"This slim volume is a little gem. After spending more than a decade researching rural protest in post-reform China, O'Brien and Li have masterfully synthesized their collaborative work in this elegantly written book. While providing substantive new material from recent surveys and interviews, as well as from research by various Chinese scholars, this book is first of all a theoretical contribution to the literature on social protest. As such, it should attract the attention of scholars both within and beyond the China field. . . In conclusion, the book defines rightful resistance with utmost clarity and rigour. The size of the volume is deceptive: this is a theoretical book, never overburdened with empirical evidence. But nonetheless there is evidence, succinctly recalled where necessary. The same holds for the innovative theoretical advances. Thoroughly familiar with the literature on popular protest, the authors succinctly mention relevant works, wasting no space on secondary digressions. This closely reasoned, clearly argued book is eminently suitable for teaching adoption in the fields of Chinese studies and political science."
- Lucien Bianco, China Quarterly

"The book is a pleasure to read. Practically every step of the argument is solidly support by empirical data – either the author’s own interviews or material from a huge bulk of Chinese and Western scholarly literature on rural China – and practically every observation is interpreted in light of the general social science literature on popular movements, protest, resistance etc. and then used to question, expand, and revise general concepts and perceptions. In this sense, the book shows how the study of China can contribute social science theory, rather than just testing whether general concepts fit or do not fit the Chinese case. It is lucidly written, and will certainly be a landmark for future debates about Chinese rural politics.”
- Stig Thogersen, Copenhagen Journal of Asian Studies

Engaging the Law in China

Engaging the Law in China is conspicuously eclectic, appealing to diverse audiences. Authors from various fields (political science, sociology, and law) use diverse methodologies (participant-observation, in-depth interviews, and archival studies) to pursue their topics. The extensive use of anecdotal materials and the minimal use of jargon make the book highly readable, even for the general public. It is particularly informative for students and scholars interested in the complex interaction between law and society, and how such interaction unfolds in a society distinct from Western legal institutions.”
- Song Yang, Law and Society Review

“In recent years ‘edited volumes’ have been out of favor with many academic as well as commercial publishers. I have never understood the bias against them. Often the product of stimulating conferences, if thoughtfully organized and edited their diversity of approach to a central theme can bring gratifying illumination. Surely this is the case with Engaging the Law in China. Those who want to know whether contemporary China has a legal system and how it functions might well start with this slender volume. This is no dry dissection of the huge number of laws promulgated by the People’s Republic of China during the past quarter century.”
- Jerome Cohen, Far Eastern Economic Review

Reform Without Liberalization

"...a perceptive and suggestive book....If democracy is ever to come to China, people can look back to this book as the first to tell what changes had to come to produce a real legislature."
- Lucian Pye, China Quarterly

"...a most thorough and comprehensive examination of mainland China's National People's Congress. As such, his work fills a void in the study of Chinese politics, and I suspect that it will stand as the definitive study of China's NPC for many years to come. Moreover, this book's appeal will not be limited only to those who study China. It should prove useful both to students of comparative politics and to those who study legislative behavior. In sum, O'Brien has completed a significant work which is worthy of considerable attention."
- Dennis Hickey, Social Science Quarterly

"In fact, this is the best account on the subject by far. It should be recommended to all who are interested in contemporary Chinese politics."
- Young-tsu Wong, The Historian