Product Description

The Beijing Olympics ensured that the world would be watching China in 2008, a year that turned out to be the most tumultuous and traumatic for the country since the massive Tiananmen uprising of 1989. Crippling winter storms, riots in Tibet, the devastating Sichuan earthquake, and many other dramatic events grabbed international headlines. This innovative book_based on postings from the noted group blog/electronic magazine China Beat as well as works from other leading publications and completely new material_takes the unique approach of bringing the timeliness of the blogosphere into book form, expanding and reflecting on stories in the news while retaining the eclectic, opinionated, and engaging feel of the blog. It will be invaluable reading for everyone with a keen interest in China today.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #582645 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 328 pages

Review
"Sane, well-informed, and rich in insights." --Asian Review of Books

"[A] compelling first draft of history. Grouped by event or theme, the essays cover most of the major news stories of 2008, but with insight and perspective that never made the broadsheets. . . . It places contemporary China in a historical context that mainstream media seldom has the space to do, and offers a diverse and often very personal snapshot of China in one of its most turbulent years." --Far Eastern Economic Review

Required reading for anyone trying to make sense of China's tumultuous year. This is the literary equivalent of a rowdy dinner party attended by some of the best and brightest China journalists, scholars, and thinkers. It offers a breadth of opinion and depth of context available only to those with a well-thumbed Rolodex of China specialists. But the book is accessible to the ordinary reader, and it combines the up-to-the-minute excitement of a blog with quirky academic takes on history in the making. --Louisa Lim, National Public Radio, Shanghai correspondent

Review
I've never been to China, but I've become a China-watcher thanks to the wonderful China Beat blog. This book is the best of that blog--and more. It's a fascinating way to get under China's skin.