A deepening economic crisis and a demoralized work force are the primary issues of concern in Henry K.H. Woo's examination of the overall direction of reform in China. Untenable reform initiatives during the 1980s which led to public disillusionment, financial chaos, and ultimately to the bloodshed in 1989, are closely scrutinized with a commitment to their remedy. Woo's recommendations for viable reform are grounded in his definition of the fundamental cultural and political framework of China and encompass a vision of China's future which challenges existing conventional tenets of developing economies.