{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.019538188277087035, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 5.155737704918033, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Observing the Changing Vietnamese Economy

In making the transition from a centrally planned state to a market oriented trading economy, Vietnam has become one of the world's most interesting countries. However, the complexity of this change, combined with the speed at which it is occurring, makes it difficult to appreciate just where Vietnam is. These three books approach the subject matter from three viewpoints. Nicholas Nugent's book is a macro political and economic commentary. At the micro level Michael DiGregario's paper is a technical analysis of the recycling industry in Hanoi. The monograph edited by Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet provides a concise and contemporary overview of the political situation, labour relations, environmental development and the formulation of a modern commercial legal code. Nicholas Nugent is a BBC World Service journalist. His book Vietnam, The Second Revolution reads much like a script for the analytical programmes that BBC radio does so well. In the first three chapters he presents a concise history of Vietnam. While he could not detail all the parallels that link the past to the present, he fails to explain what is, arguably, the most important lesson of Vietnamese history ? how deeply ingrained the Vietnamese need for self determination is and why over two millennia, they have continually resisted subjugation at tremendous cost. Nugent adopts a neutral stance, explaining issues and relationships ? with the Chinese, French and Americans ? from the Vietnamese perspective rather than the more common approach of explaining what others were trying to do for, or lamentably to, them. He blends some folklore, the Vietnamese version of Cinderella, and numerous reminiscences with the radio script approach evident, but the text no less diminished for that. The book then becomes an analysis of the key issues confronting Vietnamese development, then on to an explanation of doi moi (renovation) economics. He then deviates to devote a chapter recounting in an anecdotal style the experiences of the New Vietnamese Capitalists. Nugent addresses the inherent conflict between the Northern and Southern Vietnamese. Unfortunately he does not purse it and drifts into a travelogue starting with Hanoi's