About the Book
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“Come on children, finish your supper. Imagine those children less fortunate in China, who are starving to death. You should be glad you all you have to do is take out the trash!”
The stereotypes of poor farm workers guiding water buffalos through rice paddies and peasants scavenging crowded city streets remain ingrained in the minds of Americans. “Made in China” is everywhere we look and on everything we purchase, yet Western preconceptions of China show how Americans and Europeans fundamentally misunderstand China and its youth. If the youth in China are so poor, then why are they a major target of Western companies? If so much seems to be made and invested in China, then wouldn’t the resourceful, highly educated Chinese youth eventually become wealthier? Can these supposedly “poor children” eventually become the leaders of the global economy in the next 10-20 years?
By the year 2020, China is expected to become the second largest economy in the world, developing into a vast consumer market with a sizeable middle class. On every newsstand sits a magazine issue on China fever. Yet even after The Reform Era in China, little is known about China’s Generation Y, consisting of approximately 200 million young individuals born between 1980 and 1989.
Michael Stanat went to explore new territory in China, ultimately realizing the significance of the generation. Adding not only extensive research to the book, Stanat also brings unseen insight to understanding Gen Y. China’s Generation Y follows the youth on their unprecedented journey from a young generation in a communistic country to one entrenched in an emerging global capitalist, consumerist market. How really different are they? Will China’s youth rebel against their parents and culture’s values, quickly adopting western products and lifestyle? Where will they plan to purchase cars, clothing, food and literature? Do they share the same political values as their parents? What problems will they face, and will they be as docile in the future? China’s Generation Y: Understanding the Future Leaders of the World’s Next Superpowerprovides us with the insight to learn about a so-far silent generation and grow familiar with it.
The book is unique in that it is the first book written on China’s Generation Y and one of the few well-written non-fiction books written by a teenager. The book is based on extensive research sponsored by SIS International Research, New York and assisted by CBC Market Research, Shanghai. Fun, fast, and captivating, China's Generation Y is the ultimate guide that Westerners will need to be able to work with the leaders of the future.
Critical Acclaim
"Stanat’s work is a laudable contribution, as it provides a comprehensive study on China’s Generation Y, ranging from its socio-political consequences to the generational gap and the economic factors that ensue. This research builds a more nuanced and objective understanding of this generation."
— Eva H. Shi, former editor-in-chief, Harvard Asia Pacific Review
"Michael Stanat has probably seen more of the world in his short life than most adults ever will. His combination of facts and impressions of China and its youth make for a quick and fascinating read that will help you prepare for the inevitable upheaval that has already begun."
— Ira Schloss, director of corporate planning, Thomas Publishing Co.
"As someone who lived and worked in China for several years [as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in Beijing], I was struck by how closely Michael Stanat’s accounts resonated with my own observations and experiences."
— Christopher J. Fry, president, Strategic Management Solutions Group
"For American companies who want to capitalize on the purchasing power of China’s Gen Y, this book is a must-read. The author clearly dispels the myths of Gen Y in China, so Americans beware: China’s youth today will propel its nation to be a global economic giant tomorrow."
— Lee-En Chung, president, Ivy Ventures.
"Michael Stanat combines a thorough appreciation of the political and economic background to China's Generation Y with a deep personal understanding of this new generation."
— Joachim E. Seydel, President, Rosslyn Research International, London
“Michael has captured China Gen Y's zest for technology, entrepreneurship and capitalism. Similar to the teenagers, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Internet in China are working out their true value and identity under strict regulations and heavy censorship. The 21st century will provide us with a truly globalized financial industry, in which China's Generation Y will play an important role. Special kudos to Stanat for bringing to light this generation and its future potential in world markets.”
— June Klein, CEO Technology & Marketing Ventures, Inc., and Author, Evolution Of Trading: How Technology and Governance are Changing Finance in the 21st Century.
Table of Contents
Preface
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Prologue
1. Introduction
2. Gen Y under Communism
3. Lifestyles of a Generation
4. Chinese Society and the Individual
5. Living Environment
6. Dreams and Development
7. Gen Y’s Inherited Economy
8. Purchasing Power and Wants
9. A Promising Future
China's Generation Y Book Information
China's Generation Y: Understanding the Future Leaders of the World's Next Superpower
By Michael Stanat Publisher: Homa & Sekey Books. Release: September 2005
ISBN 1931907250, 6 x 9, Hardcover, xviii, 222 pp., $24.95
ISBN 1931907323, 6 x 9, Paperback, xviii, 222 pp., $17.95
Major Distribution Channels: Baker and Taylor Books Ingram Book Company