Difficult Choices

Reviews / Votes

Once again, Richard Bush somehow manages to tell a detailed, nuanced story without ever losing sight of the big picture. In Difficult Choices, Bush calls attention to one of the most urgent problems facing Taiwan: how to reconcile the yearnings of a democratic nation with the exigencies of a state facing a truly existential threat. Bush probes the dilemma from all directions?economics, institutions, demographics, and more. It is a hard message to hear, but illuminating the challenge is the first step toward addressing it."- Shelley Rigger, Brown Professor of Political Science, Davidson College;

"Bush, an authority on all things Taiwan, presents a detailed and comprehensive account of Taiwan's transformation from a dictatorship to a wealthy democracy that needs to balance security and prosperity amidst a growing external threat."- Syaru Shirley Lin, Foreign Affairs;

"In Difficult Choices: Taiwan's Quest for Security and the Good Life, Bush asks whether Taiwan will be able to simultaneously ensure its security and preserve its hard-won economic and societal gains, or whether the two will become increasingly incompatible. Bush comes at this question from multiple angles with nuance and authority, addressing cross-Strait relations, Taiwan's domestic challenges, and Taiwanese views on critical strategic and economic issues."- David Sacks, Asia Unbound blog;

"In Difficult Choices, Richard Bush highlights the existential dilemmas facing Taiwan's people and the challenges its political system has in reconciling them. Foremost among these challenges is its complicated relationship with the People's Republic of China. In this careful, well-researched, and highly original analysis, Difficult Choices examines many of the most pressing political issues facing Taiwan and provides a warning about the future if these issues aren't dealt with effectively."- Kharis Templeman, research fellow, Hoover Institution;

"We are approaching the time when Taiwan is going to be a global flash point again, with extremely serious ramifications, and serious measures are required to be prepared for it. In Difficult Choices, Richard Bush presents a clear, comprehensive, and accessible primer on contemporary Taiwan, with particular focus on the relationship with China and the challenges it represents to security and governance."- Jonathan Sullivan, associate professor, University of Nottingham