Comments on: Salt http://www.froginawell.net/china/2007/09/salt/ The China History Group Blog Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:35:30 -0800 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Jonathan Dresner http://www.froginawell.net/china/2007/09/salt/comment-page-1/#comment-67586 Jonathan Dresner Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:19:22 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/china/2007/09/salt/#comment-67586 Alan, I already use Soulstealers (also Struve's collection and Cohen's Boxer book), but the point about economic/commercial history is one that bothers me, in terms of my own teaching. I don't slight it, in my own mind, but my sources are fairly strongly focused on intellectual, political, social history. Alan,

I already use Soulstealers (also Struve’s collection and Cohen’s Boxer book), but the point about economic/commercial history is one that bothers me, in terms of my own teaching. I don’t slight it, in my own mind, but my sources are fairly strongly focused on intellectual, political, social history.

]]> By: Lane J. Harris http://www.froginawell.net/china/2007/09/salt/comment-page-1/#comment-67565 Lane J. Harris Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:01:37 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/china/2007/09/salt/#comment-67565 I absolutely agree, Zelin's is a fantastic book that should be read by everyone in the field. Salt, as we all know, was one of the most important commodities in imperial China and has been partially covered by other China scholars, i.e. Man Bun Kwan's The Salt Merchants of Tianjin (2001) and S.A.M. Adshead's The Modernization of the Salt Industry (1970) (discussing the American-run Salt Gabelle in the Republican era). But Zelin's book, besides being the best of the three, has relevance beyond the industry itself as it details the evolution of innovative Chinese business practices providing a great model of business history that simultaneously disproves many of Alfred Chandler's arguments about general business history. I absolutely agree, Zelin’s is a fantastic book that should be read by everyone in the field. Salt, as we all know, was one of the most important commodities in imperial China and has been partially covered by other China scholars, i.e. Man Bun Kwan’s The Salt Merchants of Tianjin (2001) and S.A.M. Adshead’s The Modernization of the Salt Industry (1970) (discussing the American-run Salt Gabelle in the Republican era). But Zelin’s book, besides being the best of the three, has relevance beyond the industry itself as it details the evolution of innovative Chinese business practices providing a great model of business history that simultaneously disproves many of Alfred Chandler’s arguments about general business history.

]]> By: Alan Baumler http://www.froginawell.net/china/2007/09/salt/comment-page-1/#comment-67551 Alan Baumler Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:22:13 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/china/2007/09/salt/#comment-67551 Johnathan, Not sure it would work all that well for undergrads. It is a little complex, and seems to assume a lot of knowledge about the state of the field. I tend to use Soulstealers, for a pure Qing book but maybe one of the Manchu books would be better? Maybe I will do a post on this. Johnathan,

Not sure it would work all that well for undergrads. It is a little complex, and seems to assume a lot of knowledge about the state of the field. I tend to use Soulstealers, for a pure Qing book but maybe one of the Manchu books would be better? Maybe I will do a post on this.

]]> By: Jonathan Dresner http://www.froginawell.net/china/2007/09/salt/comment-page-1/#comment-67519 Jonathan Dresner Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:13:16 +0000 http://www.froginawell.net/china/2007/09/salt/#comment-67519 Is this book suitable for undergrads? I'm in the middle of my Qing course now, but I'm always looking for new stuff.... Is this book suitable for undergrads? I’m in the middle of my Qing course now, but I’m always looking for new stuff….

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