Chinese Characters

"Funny and touching portrayals are what give this book its bite. They also help accomplish what the book sets out to do. 'Chinese Characters' sidesteps hackneyed generalizations of China as a country of either great promise or perilous menace." -- Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore Wall Street Journal "In reading these stories of how individuals make their way in this topsy-turvy, fast-paced society, enduring hardship, creating new businesses, challenging authority, struggling to maintain their identities and trying to create better lives for their children, it's impossible not to feel impressed-and connected." -- Julie Makinen Los Angeles Times Book Review "An astonishing anthology." -- Adam Minter Pacific Standard "Whether one is interested in China or merely wishes to indulge in some well-crafted prose, Chinese Characters will not disappoint." -- Peter Gordon Asian Review Of Books "The essays cover a panoply of issues facing modern China, and the book's combination of scope and intimacy is central to its achievement." Publishers Weekly "Chinese Characters [is] both an illuminating portrait of contemporary China ... [and] a delight to read on literary merit alone." -- John Delury Global Asia "Heartbreaking, uplifting, awe-inspiring and surprising. It's one of the best books I've read on China and it belongs on all of your bookshelves." -- Richard Burger Peking Duck Blog "A paragon of closely observed writing and a fascinating read." -- Aelred Doyle That's Shanghai

Jeffrey Wasserstrom is Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author of books such as China in the 21st Century, Global Shanghai, and China's Brave New World, and the editor of the Journal of Asian Studies. Angilee Shah is a freelance journalist. Her work has appeared in the Far Eastern Economic Review, Mother Jones, TimeOut Singapore, Global Voices, and AsiaMedia, among other publications.

Foreword Pankaj Mishra Acknowledgments Introduction: "Who Are You This Time?" Jeffrey Wasserstrom PART ONE. DOUBTERS AND BELIEVERS 1. The North Peak Ian Johnson 2. The New Generation's Neocon Nationalists Evan Osnos 3. Out of Tibet Alec Ash PART TWO. PAST AND PRESENT 4. Belonging to Old Beijing Harriet Evans 5. Another Swimmer Xujun Eberlein 6. Looking for Lok To James Carter PART THREE. HUSTLERS AND ENTREPRENEURS 7. The Ever-Floating Floater Michelle Dammon Loyalka 8. King of the Road Megan Shank 9: Painting the Outside World Peter Hessler PART FOUR. REBELS AND REFORMERS 10. The Road to a Better Life Ananth Krishnan 11. Yong Yang's Odyssey Christina Larson 12. The Court Jester Jeffrey Prescott PART FIVE. TEACHERS AND PUPILS 13. The Great Wall of Education Anna Greenspan 14. Gilded Age, Gilded Cage Leslie T. Chang 15. Shredding for the Motherland James Millward Afterword Angilee Shah Notes and Reading List of Contributors Credits