Product Description
Geotechnical and Geophysical Site Characterization collects the papers presented at the Third International Conference on Site Characterization (ISC’3) that took place in Taipei from April 1-4, 2008. The subjects covered include new developments in mechanical in-situ testing and interpretation techniques, statistical analysis of test data, geo-environmental site characterization, soil sampling methods, multi-dimensional geophysical imaging techniques, residual/unsaturated soil characterization, and case histories that involve major construction projects or disaster investigations. Over 200 papers, twelve keynote lectures and the third Mitchell lecture were presented at the conference. Geotechnical and Geophysical Site Characterization provides a wealth of valuable information for practicing engineers as well as researchers worldwide. ... Read more

Product Description

This is the first explanation and evaluation of Taiwan’s defence forces and infrastructure. It examines not only Taiwan’s armed forces, but also its Ministry of National Defence, personnel issues, and civil-military relations.

Customer Reviews (1)

Taiwan's Military Prowess Laid Bare
In Taiwan's Security: History and Prospects, US Navy veteran Bernard Cole (unrelated to this reviewer) offers an unusually in-depth assessment of the many facets of Taiwan's defense establishment. While many publications have approached the subject from a quantitative perspective - how many tanks, aircraft, missiles and men Beijing would be capable of deploying against Taiwan in a symmetrical warfare scenario - Cole's book bores deep into Taiwanese society and highlights a series of social and institutional factors that would influence the outcome of a war with China.

Laying out the foundations to his argument, Cole contends that Taiwan's strategic positioning can be broken down into four phases - civil war; the 1949 to 1972 period of focusing on retaking China; the 1973 to 1990 transition from an offensive strategy to a defensive one; and the post-1991 emphasis on all-out defense. Parallel to these has been tutelage by the US, which while fearing that Chiang Kai-shek's () military adventurism in the 1950s risked sucking Washington into a war with China, nevertheless made great contributions to the modernization of the Taiwanese military.

Following his brief though sufficient historical overview, Cole then turns to the Chinese threat to Taiwan, one that has exploded in recent years with a leap in Beijing's modernization of its forces and renewed confidence in the place it occupies on the geopolitical map. Although, in Cole's view, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) continues to be dominated by army officers, a recent shift toward the PLA Air Force (PLAAF), accompanied by the acquisition and indigenous development of fourth-generation aircraft, increases the possibility of a military attack against Taiwan. The introduction of Russian-made Su-27s and Su-30s in the PLAAF also means that for the first time in years China could pose a serious challenge to Taiwan's F-16s and Mirage 2000s over the control of airspace across the Strait, although the proficiency of Chinese pilots remains in doubt.

The modernization of the PLA Navy also means that the balance of naval power in the Taiwan Strait is now in Beijing's favor. Cole argues that given Taiwan's geographical situation, mine warfare represents an especially serious threat to its economy and one it is ill-prepared and ill-equipped to deal with. China is also actively seeking aircraft carriers and mid-air refueling platforms, which would provide the PLAAF with the ability to attack Taiwan in an enveloping fashion rather than from a single direction.

In the past decade, Beijing has also markedly increased the number of DF-11 and DF-15 missiles it has deployed against Taiwan, which in his New Year speech President Chen Shui-bian () said now amounted to more than 1,300. Formidable though this threat may be, Cole argues, Taiwan's ballistic-missile defense systems, complemented by the ongoing relocation and hardening of high-value targets, could make it likelier that a missile attack against Taiwan would not be devastating. However, he notes that China has actively pursued the development of cruise missiles, which are much more difficult to intercept.

Cole follows his exposition of the PLA threat with a thorough, cubicle-by-cubicle look at the Taiwanese military establishment, dissecting one organization after another and explaining their roles and challenges, all the while emphasizing the need for greater cooperation and integration between the services. While this section is unlikely to appeal to the general reader, it nevertheless symbolizes Taiwan's openness to discuss these matters with researchers like Cole - something that would be unimaginable on the PRC side - and willingness to learn and improve.

Where Cole's book really stands out from other publications is in its analysis of the impact democratization, civilianization of the military and the attempt to achieve an all-volunteer service have had on Taiwan's military preparedness and ability to defend itself. Likening the Democratic Progressive Party administration's commendable, albeit daunting, attempt to create a professional defense bureaucracy to the US implemention of the Defense Reorganization Act of 1947 and the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 simultaneously, Cole nevertheless identifies deficiencies in the process: a lack of funding and the failure, so far, to attract enough volunteers. Compulsory service, now at 12 months, is also far too short, in Cole's assessment, to provide soldiers with the training they need to operate in a 21st-century military. There is little doubt that democracy imposes an additional burden on national defense, as seen for example in the battle over the special arms acquisition budget and overall defense spending - something the authoritarian regime in Beijing does not have to contend with - versus other national concerns such as development and the environment.

Throughout his book, Cole also touches on a shift in Taiwan's posture from one of "passive defense" to "active defense," wherein Taipei's strategy would be to present Beijing with a credible deterrent and take the battle away from Taiwan and into China. Although this remains controversial, Taiwan's development of offensive weapons such as the Hsiung Feng III, the Hsiung Feng IIE and Tien Kung III, as well as "blackout" bombs, represents a step in that direction and recognition on Taiwan's part that purely defensive action against an overwhelming adversary might not be feasible. Aside from obvious military targets in the PRC identified by Cole, such as missile batteries and command centers, China's current fuel shortage and how this would affect its ability to sustain an attack on Taiwan should inspire Taipei to look at the possibility of targeting fuel depots there.

In the end, Cole argues, Taiwan must decide how much capital and human resources it is willing to invest in its defenses, which sends a message to its allies about how serious it is about protecting its hard-earned democracy. Although the US remains a committed ally, its responsibilities elsewhere mean that a speedy US intervention in the Taiwan Strait should not be taken for granted. Building a capability to hold the line for 15 days - Taipei's current strategy - therefore might not be enough.

(Originally published in the Taipei Times, Jan. 13, 2008, page 18.) ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! La République de Chine, couramment désignée sous le nom de Taïwan (autrefois Formose), est l'État d'Asie de l'Est qui contrôle et gouverne l'île de Taïwan et d'autres îles avoisinantes. À la fin de la guerre civile chinoise, le 1er octobre 1949, la République populaire de Chine est proclamée à Pékin suite à la victoire des communistes sur les nationalistes chinois. ... Read more

Product Description
Contains 70 maps and a detailed food section. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Still A Handy Tool For an Ex-Pat
Although I have been living in Taiwan for nearly 16 months, I still take LP Taiwan Guide along for weekend trips, and even jaunts to nearby cities, regardless of how many times I've visited.

The information is vast, for major urban areas as well as more out of the way locales. Also, the brief Chinese/English dictionary at the end of the book proves an invaluable tool.Even with a rudimentary knowledge of Chinese, simply pointing to Mandrin characters saves time and a lot of headaches.

LP Taiwan is a must for brief vistors as well as long term residents.

Love foodcourts?
I have to begin by admitting that I love to hate the tone of some Lonely Planet guides--an edition for Japan from the early 1990s distinguished itself by one of author's disdain for touring Japan!

That being said, Robert Storey's take on Taiwan (where I've been living for the past year or so) is remarkable for its general laziness.Many examples have been noted in other online reviews, but it's worth mentioning some of them again: the overwhelming focus on "ex-pat" hangouts, the author's love of foodcourts located next to train stations, and the compulsive need to mention that we can find McDonald's, Starbucks, Subway, and so on in Taiwan's major urban centers.

What's left behind in all this is the astonishing beauty of parts of Taiwan, the compexity of its history and its social formations, and the genuine warmth of its people.

To Lonely Planet: please find someone who actually cares about this place to research and write an edition that Taiwan and its visitors deserve!

Lacks even the most essential practical information
Taiwan being one of the few Asian countries I have not yet been to, I bought this book for advance planning.
It has already failed even before leaving home!
When trying to estimate travel costs by looking for long-distance bus fares, I could hardly believe they were not given! In the "Getting There & Away" section after each town/destination, it was merely mentioned that buses do run there (surprise, surprise!), but no information on how long they take and how much they cost.
That is exactly the kind of practical information people usually buy Lonely Planet guides for, and I don't think I have ever seen another LP guide that didn't have them...
The 2 stars were given as it does give information about major sights, but given how poorly-researched the practical information is, I would be surprised if the rest was accurate.
This may just be the worst LP guide of all.

May not be as bad as the other reviewers suggest.
I just spent about 6 days in Taipei, and I brought this book with me.Yes, most of the sights mentioned in the book are pretty tourist oriented, but that may be because there is not much else to see (in Taipei, at least).My relatives, who live in Taipei, laughed when I mentioned some of the sights listed in the book.But when I asked them for other recommendations on what to see, they really didn't have any suggestions.Also, I think the section on conduct and behavior is absolutely dead on.The author isn't exaggerating when he says that there is a long sequence of insisting and refusing when exchanging gifts or doing something of that nature.I have witnessed countless times my parents (who are from Taiwan) and my aunt/uncle argue for literally 10 minutes about who should pay for a dinner bill.

I give the book only four stars, though, because it doesn't really tell you how to get to various places.It wasn't a problem for me, because I had relatives take me to the various sights.But if I had been on my own, then I would have had a lot more difficulty.In addition, it is now 2004, so this book, which was published in 2001, may be starting to get out of date.Looking at older editions of the book, it appears that Lonely Planet Taiwan gets updated only once every 3 years.

Disappointing
I never imagined that Lonely Planet Taiwan could be so bad, but it indeed is. For instance, maps in the book are useless, and the Taipei metro direction is unclear and useless. And I cannot understand why the author says " For sth really special you can try Haagen Daz."

I didn;t belive the previous reviews, and now I learned how bad it is.

If you need more information, lots of Taiwanese websites provide very useful information. You can just go to Taiwanese consular office website and find the links. ... Read more

Product Description
Chiang Ching-kuo, son and political heir of GeneralissimoChiang Kai-shek, was born in 1910, when Chinese women, nearly allilliterate, hobbled about on bound feet and men wore pigtails assymbols of subservience to the Manchu Dynasty.In his youth Ching-kuowas a Communist and a Trotskyite, and he lived twelve years inRussia.He died in 1988 as the leader of Taiwan, a Chinese societywith a flourishing consumer economy and a budding but already wild,woolly, and open democracy.He was an actor in many of the events ofthe last century that shaped the history of China's struggles andachievements in the modern era:the surge of nationalism among Chineseyouth, the grand appeal of Marxism-Leninism, the terrible battleagainst fascist Japan, and the long, destructive civil war between theNationalists and the Communists.In 1949, he fled to Taiwan with hisfather and two million Nationalists.He led the brutal suppression ofdissent on the island and was a major player in the cold, sometimeshot war between Communist China and America.By reacting to changingeconomic, social, and political dynamics on Taiwan, Sino-Americanrapprochement, Deng Xiaoping's sweeping reforms on the mainland,and other international events, he led Taiwan on a zigzag butultimately successful transition from dictatorship to democracy.

Jay Taylor underscores the interaction of political developments onthe mainland and in Taiwan and concludes that if China ever makes asimilar transition, it will owe much to the Taiwan example and theGeneralissimo's son. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A good case of historian, not journalistic work.I actually read it all.
I enjoyed reading it.Given the busy schedule, I myself find it amazing actually having finished the whole book.
I like the matter-of-fact'ly attitude and the author's historical perspective, and that adds credibility to his research and work.
The personal encounters and rapports by those early makers and shakers were very facinating.Some documents, as the author put it, are still not released yet and we have to wait some more.The file on the last encounter between Stalin and CCK before CCK returned to China was one of them.What exactly was communicated and expressed,and what was truly in their minds?The only early ally of Chinese struggle against Japanese invasion was Russia?With real airplanes, pilots and so on?This part was never played out hard in KMT/Taiwan's history lessons.Don't know how the CCP/Mainland portrait that part of the history *today*.Obviously, Stalin has his reasons and he was not just charitable in heart.The Great Terror executed 800,000 in the USSR and is more than how many Russians killed in the first two years of WWII.What a contrast!
It makes you think how the turns of events gets to us here today as an individual and as communities.
Leave the rhetoric to people who cannot think and reflect and have preconceived notions and unshakable emotions, and read this book with the feel of a by-stander.

The Kannan Model is a fairy tale.
Taiwan is a hostage of CCP China and KMT mainlander. Taiwanese men were drafted to serve in the KMT military for two to three years. They were trained and told in preparation to recover the mainland for about thirty-five years. How many man-year of Taiwanese are at the mainlander's disposal, not to mention the casualty during the conflicts? The mainlanders shall appreciate Taiwanese's sacrifice instead of asking Taiwanese to thank the two Chiang's.

I am really enjoying reading this book not because of the young Chiang's romantic encounters. I learned a lot of facts that CCP and KMT do not want Taiwanese and Chinese to know. I am especially interested to know that United States considered a separate Taiwan(page 201) or Two Chinas was an option in 1950. Even Mao will accept that solution at that time. If Chiang accepted this offer, then there is no such messy issue across Taiwan Strait. As it is mentioned in the book Chiang had no will to attack mainland because he knew he will be defeated . But he kept pretending he will. Of course if he accepted two China's Chiang will not be able to lead the two million mainlanders and he lost the ground to be the "forever" leader of Taiwan. As a matter of fact Ching-Kuo was making an arrangement for his father's refugee in philippine if the communist came to Taiwan. What a great son he is!

The economy success of Taiwan shall attribute to the effort of the hard working people of Taiwan not the Chiang's. It is not until 1972 all resources of Taiwan was devoted for the military preparation for the fighting back to mainland. Ten Major Development Project is the first important thing happen to Taiwan's modernization. But as usual these projects also served as an opportunity to nourish KMT' and his friend's pockets. It also enabled Chiang to place his loyal followers such as retired military and party staffs so that to consolidate his power.

When I was in high school every classmate was told by the mainlander teacher that you would be appointed as a county supervisor in China if KMT recovered mainland. I was wondering why I would like to govern the place and people I do not know. KMT did not learn the lesson in Manchuria (Page 137).What CCK said to his mainlander senior officers at Sun-Moon lake retreat proves that he is one of the exception (page 282).

The greatest leader in the Chinese history
President Chiang Ching-Kuo was the greatest leader of China who started Taiwan miracle. If there was no President Chiang Ching-Kuo, we people in Taiwan could never have a life like today. I certainlly hope people can read the history fairly!!

Fascinating portrayal of a statesman
Jay Taylor's matter of fact approach, he tries not to cast judgement on all of the people portrayed here, provides a pretty interesting of CCK's fascinating life.What emerges is basically at first a rather impressionable young man who was caught up in one of the 20th Century's great power plays.The period of his Soviet activities is especially fascinating, especially his commitment to Bolshevism and apparent intention to remain in the USSR and seek candidacy in the CPSU.As an aside, the revelation that Lee Tung Hui was once a candidate member of the CCP is also interesting viewing his present activities.In the end CCK was obedient to his father's wishes and carried out his filial duties, never disrespecting his father or his legacy.The book is very fair to CCK, balancing his personal feelings with what his father's legacy saddle him with.Taylor's assessment that the best chance for rapproachment between the CCP and KMT was when CCK and Deng were at their twilight and that it was a shame that CCK left the scene much too early to finish his job is pretty much on the mark.I wonder how he would look upon the current developments on Taiwan and in China, but I think history will regard him very favorably as future generations realize what he accomplished.

He's a dictator , no doubt .
As a Taiwanese,I have to point out that this book is "NOT" a fair and accurate accounts of Chiang Ching-Kuo. He's a dictator , put a lot of dissidents into jails, many people died because of his harsh ruleing style. And as a president , he was never reallyelected by a democratic process,there's "No" democratic election until his death. All these things are ingored or downplayed in this book.As a taiwanese,I'm truely dispointted about this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The gradual rise of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party has helped to strengthen and consolidate sentiment within Taiwan against the reunification of the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China. In this study, Wu explores the links between reunification and recent political changes within Taiwan, and examines how these changes have become a serious challenge to both Chinese governments' reunification policies. The author draws on Western scholarship and primary sources from the Taiwanese perspective, and uses established integration theory as a means of analysis. He examines six factors--the economic and political systems of each country, public opinion in Taiwan, the transactions between the two Chinas, Taiwan's politics, and the Taiwan Independence Movement--to determine the likelihood of peaceful reunification. ... Read more

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Taipei's quest to become a global city is the key to its urban development. Globalizing Taipei looks at this "Asian Dragon", a major city in the South China Growth Triangle and a centre for transnational production, revealing how the development of this capital has received firm state support but is conditioned by international and domestic politics.

The book is divided into four parts: economic and spatial restructuring, state and society realignment, social differentiation and cultural reorientation. Each analyzes the interaction of international, state and local politics in the shaping of the city's urban environment since World War II.

All contributors to this edited volume are Taiwan scholars presenting critical insiders' views. Based on each author's specialization and research focus, each chapter provides an in-depth consideration of one of Taipei's developmental issues generated by globalization. Collectively they provide broad, insightful and coherent coverage of this crucial time in Taipei's global transmutation.

Product Description
The Taiwanese culture is a hybrid blend of Confucianist HanChinese, Japanese, European, American, global, local andTaiwanese aborigines cultures, which are often perceived inboth traditional and modern understandings (Harrell/Huang1994:1?5). The common socio-political experience in Taiwangradually developed into a sense of Taiwanese culturalidentity and a feeling of Taiwanese cultural awareness,which has been widely debated domestically (Yip 2004:230- 248; Makeham 2005:2-8; Chang 2005:224). Reflecting thecontinuing controversy surrounding the political status ofTaiwan, politics continues to play a role in the conceptionand development of a Taiwanese cultural identity,especially in the prior dominant frame of a Taiwanese andChinese dualism. In recent years, the concept of Taiwanesemulticulturalism has been proposed as a relativelyapolitical alternative view, which has allowed for theinclusion of mainlanders and other minority groups into thecontinuing re-definition of Taiwanese culture ascollectively held systems of meaning and customary patternsof thought and behavior shared by the people of Taiwan(Hsiau 2005:125?129); (Winckler 1994:23?41). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Warning
Very poor value for money here.BIG price for Wikipedia downloads.If Kama exists, the three "editors" will be edited out of the earth's biosphere. Pleae do not fund evil.

Wikipedia is on the net for free.

How many "books" have these jokers "edited"? ... Read more

Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Yongkang is the largest city in Tainan County and lies in the southern west of Taiwan. Due to the development of manufacturing and food-processing industries, Yongkang has become a migrant city since the 1970s, attracting many people from neighboring cities who now work and live in the city. Its population experienced a large increase during the 1970s, and Yongkang became the largest city in Tainan County in 1977. Though the increase in population today is not as rapid as it was before, Yongkang still enjoys the steady growth envied by other cities or towns. Yongkang also serves as a traffic hub, having the Number 1 Freeway and the Western Line railroad running through it. It is home to several colleges, including the Tainan University of Technology, Kunsan Technology, and Southern Taiwan University of Technology. ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Ryukyu Islands, also known as the Nansei Islands is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Ky?sh? in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin pronunciation Liuqiu. They stretch southwest from the Japanese island of Ky?sh? to within 120 kilometres (75 mi) of the island of Taiwan. ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The prehistory of Taiwan includes the late Paleolithic era. During that time, roughly 50,000 BC to 10,000 BC, people were already living in Taiwan.Evidence shows that the earliest civilization found in Taiwan was the Changbin culture, this prehistoric site was found in Eastern Taiwan. Human skeletons were also found in Zuojhen, Tainan, therefore called the Zuojhen people. Yuanshan and other prehistoric sites were found in Taipei Basin. However, there isn't enough evidence to be sure which group of people left the artifacts. Taiwan is the urheimat of the Austronesian languages. Archaeological evidence (e.g., Bellwood 1997) suggests that speakers of pre-Proto-Austronesian spread from the South Chinese mainland to Taiwan at some time around 8,000 years ago. ... Read more

Product Description
Spanish East Indies was a term used to describe Spanishterritories in Asia-Pacific which lasted over threecenturies (1565 to 1899). It encompassed the PhilippineIslands (Las Islas Filipinas), and its dependenciesincluding the Mariana Islands and the Caroline Islands, andfor a period of time, parts of Formosa (Taiwan), Sabah, andparts of the Moluccas. Following the Spanish-American Warin 1898, most of the islands were occupied by the UnitedStates while the remaining territories were sold to Germanyduring the German-Spanish Treaty of 1899. The king of Spaintraditionally styled himself "King of the East and WestIndies" (Rey de las Indias orientales y occidentales). ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Xiaolin is a village in Taiwan in the rural township of Jiaxian, Kaohsiung. The village was hit by a very large mudslide during Typhoon Morakot in August 2009. The entire village was nearly razed to the ground by the mudslide and only 2 out of 300 houses still stand. Current estimates for the number of deceased vary between 120 and 380. Jiaxian is a rural township in Kaohsiung County, Taiwan. Located far from the coast, the township is regarded as a gateway to Taiwan's Central Mountain Range. Situated at the intersection of Highway 20 and Highway 21, Jiaxian's downtown serves as a market center for local farmers and tourists. The most famous local crop is taro. Shops sell taro-flavored ice cream, taro cookies, and other taro products. ... Read more

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The 1996 deployment of two U.S. carrier battle groups to the waters off Taiwan in response to the firing of Chinese missiles close to Taiwan's shores brought home suddenly the genuine danger of a military clash between the United States and China over the Taiwan issue. In this timely book, distinguished analyst Ralph N. Clough assesses the intractable differences between Beijing and Taipei over the status of Taiwan, the rise and growing strength of an opposition party advocating Taiwan independence, and Beijing's threat to use military force to prevent independence. At the same time, he weighs the moderating influence of investment and trade across the Taiwan Strait and the reopening of cross-strait dialogue. The author warns against a U.S. commitment to intervene militarily against any Chinese use of force, which could encourage Taiwan to expect U.S. backing if it declared independence; nor should Washington renounce military intervention, which would give the PRC a free hand. Instead, Clough argues for a policy of ambiguity, providing the United States the flexibility to intervene militarily or not as circumstances dictate and at the same time giving more active approval and support to cooperation between the people and governments on both sides of the strait. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An eye-opener in many respects
The Taiwan Strait is likely to remain a contested area in world politics for many more years to come, and now that Chen Shui-bian has taken up office as Taiwan's newly elected president, the tension in the strait willprobably lose none of its intensity. However, reading this book revealedthe fact that in spite of the frequent verbal skirmishes between Beijingand Taipei, lively interaction between both sides of the strait is takingplace on many different levels every day: There is reciprocal economicinvestment, students are taking part in exchange programs, individualtravel is booming and further exchanges are being encouraged in suchdifferent fields as art and sports. Interestingly enough, all this activityis continuously being overshadowed by the media hype that - unfolding inthe U.S. and most European countries - has so far been quite successful inpainting a bleak picture of the apparently impending clash between theDavid and Goliath of the Taiwan Strait. To be sure, it will never bepossible to completely eliminate any anxiety that a direct confrontationbetween the more radical groups in both Beijing and Taipei might lead to amilitary conflict, but considering the economic investments, internationalgoodwill and - last but not least - people's welfare at stake for bothgovernments, war in the Taiwan Strait seems not a valuable option. Indeed,let it be remembered that even during the most tumultuous period ofBeijing-Taipei relations to date in 1995-1996, culminating in the PRCinitiating air-sea combat maneuvers in the strait, Beijing authoritiessought to minimize the adverse impact on cross-strait trade and investmentby sending high-ranking officials on a tour of South China to assureworried Taiwanese businessmen that the heightened political tension wouldnot affect economic relations. Although still years away, peacefulreunification of Taiwan with mainland China is far more probable thanbloody conflict, and that is an important lesson learnt from this verynecessary book. ... Read more

Product Description
Explores how Taiwan's distinct identity and strong economy may pull Taiwan away from reunifcation with China. ... Read more