Summary and Reviews of One Child by Mei Fong

Prologue

In the midst of the Cold War, China's rocket scientists came up with an ambitious plan that had nothing to do with missiles, or space exploration, or weaponry of any kind.

It concerned babies.

On September 25, 1980, China's Communist Party unveiled this plan through an open letter that asked members to voluntarily limit their family size to one child. The request was, in truth, an order.

Thus began the one-child policy, the world's most radical social experiment, which continues to irrevocably shape how one in six people in this world are born, live, and die.

Like crash dieting, the one-child policy was begun for reasons that had merit. China's leadership argued the policy was a necessary step in its Herculean efforts to lift a population the size of the United States' from abject poverty. But like crash dieting, the one-child policy employed radical means and aimed for quick results, causing a rash of negative side effects.

The excesses of the one-child ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. What makes this book distinctive?
2. This book is made up of stories of many people feeling the effects of the one-child policy, from parents made childless by the death of their only child, to bachelor villages, to people who courageously opposed the policy, and the rocket scientists who drew it up. Was there a specific story that had left an impression, good or bad? Share the story and its effect.
3. Did your earlier opinions about the one-child policy change after reading this book? Where there aspects of the policy that you were not aware of, prior to reading the book?
4. After reading the book, has your interest been piqued about the subject matter? If so, would you consider reading more on the topic in the future?
5. Did the author ...