In 1982, Vaclav Smil turned upside down traditional perceptions of China as a green paradise in The Bad Earth , a disturbing book. This new volume, drawn on a much broader canvas, updates and expands on the basic arguments and perceptions of The Bad Earth . This book is not a systematic litany of what went wrong and how much - but rather an inquiry into the fundamental factors, needs, prospects, and limits of modern Chinese society, all seen through the critical environmental constraints and impacts.