Photo by Matthew Hine
As the People’s Republic of China prepares for its 60th Anniversary on October 1, the number of China-related titles churned out each month by publishing houses is astounding. It seems that anyone who has had an experience in China is now qualified to be an author. Time is money, and if you’re trying to better understand the world’s most populous nation take a look at my "top nine list " of China titles. (Nine, along with six and eight, are considered to be auspicious numbers in Chinese culture). My list is by no means comprehensive – I haven’t read every book available on China. But I’ve read several hundred and these are some standouts that will give you a comprehensive view of this complicated and endlessly fascinating country.
(Arranged by release date)
China Wakes, by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (1994)
Husband-and-wife reporting team wrote this book based on their stint as journalists in China. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of life in China, and each is thoroughly informative. Although written in 1994, the book continues to hold up remarkably well as a primer for understanding the challenges and opportunities facing the People’s Republic of China.
The Man Who Stayed Behind, by Sidney Rittenberg and Amanda Bennett (2001)
American Sidney Rittenberg’s true story is better than any novel you could hope to read. Rittenberg, already a fluent Mandarin speaker, went to China in the 1940s and stayed for the next four decades. Along the way, he reached the inner circle of the Communist Party and became a confidante of Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai. Ultimately, his outsider status as a foreigner proved costly and he spent 16 years in solitary confinement. Not only is this book an eyewitness account of the historical events of China in the 20th century, it will also help you realize why such devastating policies like the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution were embraced by the Chinese people – and Mr. Rittenberg himself.
The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently and Why, by Richard Nisbett (2004)
If you think Westerners and East Asians view the world around them in different ways, you’re right. Nisbett and a team of researchers compile a clutch of revealing studies to show that in almost every situation Americans and residents of China, Japan and South Korea responded vastly different. Although the book fails to draw a tidy conclusion as to what this all means, it does prove that politically correct “we’re all the same” ideology couldn’t be further from the truth.
Chinese Lessons: Five Classmates and the Story of the New China, by John Pomfret (2006)
Pomfret’s memoir of his experience as a foreign exchange student in the 1980’s is crisply written and his descriptions of China at that time are so detailed you feel like you experienced it yourself. His journey back to China to learn more about his classmates several years later is fascinating and insightful. The reader feels the sense of electricity that Pomfret felt as he had these life changing moments.
China Road: A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power, by Rob Gifford (2007)
Gifford, a reporter for National Public Radio, takes a road trip across China’s Route 66 to hear directly from the people of China. He learns about the advantages and disadvantages of living in 21st century China. Perhaps most importantly, Gifford introduces past history that has contributed to making China and the Chinese people who they are today.
Inside the Red Mansion: On the Trail of China’s Most Wanted Man, by Oliver August (2007)
This book gives an in-depth history of the Lai Changxing case – China’s most sought after criminal, currently living in Canada. What makes this book useful isn’t the Changxing episode per se, but it describes the many loopholes and problems in Chinese society that allow for criminals like him to not only exist but thrive. The book will help you understand the extent of the corruption challenges that ordinary Chinese people cope with on a daily basis.
Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World, by Margaret MacMillan (2007)
President Nixon’s trip to China in 1972 was a historic moment that is often overlooked today. The meeting was rife with risks for both the United States and China, yet the trip helped pave the way for the economic relationship that both nations share today. Nixon’s foresight of China’s inevitable rise is one of the most important moments in U.S. history. MacMillan’s writing style is like a novel, and includes a host of amusing anecdotes that make this history jump off the page.
Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China, by Fuchsia Dunlop (2008)
To really get to the root of Chinese culture, you have to understand Chinese food. No one does a better job of describing not only Chinese cuisine but her love affair with the Middle Kingdom. As a foreign exchange student in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Dunlop got bored and started spending time in the kitchens of small restaurants. Along the way she not only learned to speak and write Chinese, but she learned some of the most closely guarded secrets of Chinese food. Dunlop’s passion for China and cooking are evident on every page of this simply sweet memoir.
China Witness: Voices from a Silent Generation, by Xinran (2008)
Banned in China, this book provides unique insight into the way Chinese people themselves view and interpret their own history. The interviews in the book clearly demonstrate the resilience of the Chinese people. Perhaps most importantly, the book forces Western audiences to realize that another view of history is equally valid and important.
Comments