I'm currently reading the book "Mao's Great Famine" by Frank Dikötter. It's a very harrowing book covering the unimaginable waste and destruction of resources, environment and life that occurred during the Great Leap Forward. The outright callousness, even stupidity of some the decisions from the top levels boggles the mind (I'm thinking of exporting grain while people were starving and the steel drive).
Perhaps I'm being naive, wanting to see a silver lining however slim it may be, but for all this waste, were there any positive outcomes at any level for the Chinese people attributable to the Great Leap Forward?
Are there any reliable resources detailing these outcomes?