'This well argued and engaging account could not be better timed. China's recently appointed leaders have tough decisions to make. If they have the guts to listen to their own experts, Tom Miller says, the country could find itself on the cusp of a new land revolution. As this book powerfully illustrates, China needs its mesmerizing urban expansion to stay on course.' - James Miles, Beijing bureau chief, The Economist 'China's recent prodigious urbanization is complex and often misunderstood. Miller tells an engaging China story that is quite different from what has been narrated by other journalists. Broadly researched, insightful and up-to-date, the book easily stands out. It is a title those who want to understand the country cannot afford to ignore.' - Kam Wing Chan, Professor of Geography, University of Washington 'Urbanisation will be the great theme of China's trajectory over the next decade and beyond, and Tom Miller is its superb, street-wise guide. He expertly explains the economic, social and environmental consequences of China's expanding cities and shrinking villages, and above all never loses sight of the people at the heart of this transformation. In China's Urban Billion, Miller takes what could have been a dry, abstract topic and delivers a vivid and highly readable account of momentous change.' - Chris Buckley, Beijing correspondent, The New York Times
