Reviews (21)

Choppy, Hard to Follow, and Random - No Connection
I am a big fan of modern day China and literature that delves into the people, places, and turmoil of current circumstances in the country.I think Hessler may betrying to give us a taste of the everyday people in China today, but he fails to engage the reader and keep our interest with this book. It is too choppy - with random incidents, rather than stories about real people - that were difficult to connect and often bored me, instead of drawing me into their lives. I couldn't connect with the characters and relate to them because there wasn't time in the short blurbs Hessler recorded, and reported in such a random style.I prefer more depth, as in his previous, River Town, or other books on current Chinese experiences, like Shanghai Baby by Wei Hui, that get the the heart of one or two people's lives in modern day China, than just a smattering here and there.The book is not put together clearly and is confusing.I am a fanatic of Asian Modern Lit, but I didn't even finish this one!!

A Series of Chinese New Yorker Profiles
Oracle bones, the scapulas of oxen and plastrons of turtles were the crystal balls of the late Shang, the first Chinese dynasty, ruling three to four thousand years ago.They span a period of less than two centuries, ending in about 1045 B.C.Hessler uses their discovery, recognition and exposition along with the people involved to tie China's ancient history to the recent past and the conditions that persist in China today. He originally went to China ten years ago in the Peace Corps to teach English.He stayed to work as a press clipper for the Wall Street Journal. He is now the New Yorker's correspondent in China, and is a facile writer who captures the color and mood of human interest stories.They are what we have come to expect in the New Yorker.But he is no better at this than Lovell, whose description of Wang Yirong's, discovery of the oracle bones and his subsequent purchase of the pharmacists entire supply in The Great Wall is superb prose.And Hessler's constant interspersion of the Wall Street Journal newspaper clipping categories, devised during his earlier job is disconcerting.
A Random Though Insightful Glimpse of China Through Its People
Understanding China through its people rather than its politics is the agenda author Peter Hessler, the New Yorker's correspondent in China, has in mind as the thesis of his fascinating though somewhat meandering new book. The title refers not to some economic indicator from the renowned multinational corporation but rather to actual bones made of cattle shoulder blades and turtle undershells. In ancient times, they were heated until they cracked, the sound of which apparently bespoke of long-departed ancestors. Hessler uses them as metaphorical touchstones for the stories he tells and the characters he so meticulously introduces to us. Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. China    3. Civilization    4. Description And Travel    5. Essays & Travelogues    6. History Of Civilization And Culture (General)    7. Travel    8. Travel - Foreign    9. Travel / Asia / China   

Reviews (12)

Good intro guide
I used two tour books to plan my trip to China: Eyewitness for the general details of the itinerary, and Lonely Planet for the logistical details. The Eyewitness guide has a massive amount of beautiful photographs and illustrations that help give the traveler an idea of the sights he or she can choose from, which is very important--unless you have a year or so to spare, planning a trip to China is as much about choosing what NOT to see as it is choosing what to see. I could also see this being the perfect guide for the more casual traveler; someone in a tour group or someone accompanying a designated "navigator."
Great
We travel a lot and find some information books better than others.For China, we would recommend the Eyewitness Travel Guide. It is excellent. Very thorough; great photos; wonderful information and helpful, too!

DK China
This DK travel guide - like all of DK publications - is an excellent source of travel information on China.We always look for a DK guide when visiting a new city or country. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. China    3. General    4. Guidebooks    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Foreign Language Study / Spanish   

Editorial Review

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach.While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money. Read more

Reviews (19)

Tries to do too much...
China is such a massive country with a rich culture that it is a formidable task to really explore it in one book, even if it is very thick! I used this during a 2 week trip to Eastern China and found that many of the sights that we really enjoyed and seemed to attract a fair amount of tourists were really shafted in this guide book. Maps of the subway system was useful to have, but the stations themselves are very well marked. Really didn't use this as much as I have used my LP books on trips in the past.

Hope it's good!
Appears to be chuck full of info.However, won't know the accuracy until I use it next month.

Best for the Backpacker
Overall, "Lonely Planet" remains the best travel guide for the backpacker. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. China    5. Travel & holiday guides   

Editorial Review

In 1996, 26-year-old Peter Hessler arrived in Fuling, a town on China's Yangtze River, to begin a two-year Peace Corps stint as a teacher at the local college. Along with fellow teacher Adam Meier, the two are the first foreigners to be in this part of the Sichuan province for 50 years. Expecting a calm couple of years, Hessler at first does not realize the social, cultural, and personal implications of being thrust into a such radically different society. In Read more

Reviews (134)

A fascinating, insightful account of a Westerner living in Sichuan in the 1990s
I first stumbled across Peter Hessler's River Town about a year ago. At the time, a busy schedule prevented me from reading more than the first chapter or so. But I resolved to get through the book once I had the chance. Fortunately, this is one resolution I managed to keep. I enjoyed River Town and believe it achieves exactly what it aspires to do: record the life of an outsider living in a specific place in China during a specific, albeit brief, period of time.
insigtful
If you want to get an understanding of what life in China is like this is the perfect book. A very detailed book nicely written Would have given 5 stars if there had been pictures!

very interesting even for someone with little interest in China
I started reading this book for my book club and before I started it, I was sure it would be one of those books I would struggle with and never finish.China has never been high on my list of interests, I've always been fairly apathetic about Asian history.But Peter Hesslers storytelling swept me up and managed to keep me engrossed enough not to want to put the book down.It also peaked an interest for me in the culture of another huge country on the other side of the world from me.I think it is a huge gift for a writer to open a reader's eyes to a new interest. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th Century Description And Travel    2. Asia - China    3. China - History - 20th Century    4. Essays & Travelogues    5. International Relations - General    6. Travel    7. Travel - General    8. Travel / General   

Reviews (3)

Insightful
I recently returned from a trip to Shanghai and thought this was a great guide to the city. Although I love to explore most places on my own, I found Shanghai to be slightly intimidating (especially with all the ongoing construction), so I was definitely thankful I had this book with me.
Good coverage of places to visit, but...
I find this book quite good what comes to ideas for places to visit. There is something for everybody in there, and it covers most important spots you just have to see in Shanghai.
Oh why would you not list the Chinese names for maps and sites......
This guide is so close to being excellent but for some unknown reason Lonely Planet has decided that it is not necessary to list the names of sites, restaurants and the streets on maps in Chinese characters.This has been a complaint with all the previous editions, so I was hoping when pre-ordering this for a mid-May trip that they would remedy situation....but no, that would make too much sense.As reviewers of previous editions have pointed out 99% of cab drivers cannot read the "English" spellings of Chinese places.As a result, we found ourselves stuck having to have Chinese friends or hotel concierges go through and translates all the names in the book.....makes you wonder why you bought the guide in the first place.The maps have some Chinese names, but probably only for about 10% of the streets, and often not enough for cab drivers to figure out where to go.It boggles my mind that this guide could have so much good and insightful information yet leave out the basic of most basics.In the end we ended up having all the Chinese names written into the guidebook by hand (so we manually had to do what LP should have offered in the first place).Heck, maybe I should just Ebay our much more useful version of the guide.Aside from this major (and I mean major) fault the guide is very good.My only other complaints is that the text is microscopic (I am guessing 6 or 8pt), which helps make the book light, but also difficult to read.Also, the map keying system is just bizarre in that listings direct you to a map page but not the specific location where that listing is on the map....for that you have to go to a separate index page which then gives you the location on the map.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Description And Travel    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. China    6. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (14)

Children's picture book for the deluded
The title really speaks for itself. I was desperate to learn Chinese quickly for travel, was up late, read the reviews, flipped out and bought it.Another romance language if you know one in 10 minutes a day maybe, Chinese if you speak English from a book without audio-not so much....
good to start a basic vocab and concept
This was a good book to start a basic vocab and concept of what would later be studied in the Chinese language. I use this book very frequently to start learning a new language and, the only thing that would be missing would be an audio guide to the book. Pronunciation in Chinese is very essential to the word and understanding of the language.

Iceberg
This is a good introductory book to Mandarin, but by itself it is incomplete. Correct pronunciation of basic sounds is critical to a non-native speaker before jumping too far into the language. Still, I'm a visual hands-on learner and I appreciate the visual association of words with objects as opposed to systems that employ only spoken lessons. What works best for me is a combination of the two. Consequently, an accompanying tape or CD would enhance this book greatly.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Chinese    2. Chinese language    3. English    4. Foreign Language - Dictionaries / Phrase Books    5. Foreign Language Study / Chinese    6. General    7. Language    8. Language Arts & Disciplines    9. Study & Teaching    10. Textbooks for foreign speakers    11. Travel / Asia / China    12. Asia - China    13. Conversation and phrase books    14. Language self-study & phrasebooks    15. Travel   

Reviews (8)

Good overall guidebook...
I found this book to be extremely helpful in covering all the bases of transport, taxes, tipping, typical business hours, history, background, and a good overview of what's where, and how to get there.Often times, we'd have questions about things like poverty level, health coverage, average income, quality of water -- and found that the guide pretty much answered all of those, and more.
Great Guide!
This was the first time I bought a travel book from Lonely Planet.I loved it because it provides a historical as well as a modern background on the cities being visited.The recommendations for dinner, site-seeting, etc were great!The only thing I would've added is a rating of the top sites to see if you are only in the city for a short time.

Injustice!
This LP guide is a pretty good guide to HK and Macau. Being a foodie, I think their food guide section does not do HK's gastronomical scene justice! Beautiful food galore on the islands and LP can't even manage to cover half of that wonder. Oh well ;) Otherwise, it is quite a comprehensive guide to what's there to see around HK and Macau. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Reference - Guides (General)    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Hong Kong    6. Macao    7. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (2)

Probably your best option for now, but . . .
Having just returned from three weeks in China and Taiwan, I can report that the Lonely Planet Guide to Taiwan is generally helpful and reliable, but it's hardly the ideal guide and often is entirely counter-intuitive.For instance, there is a section on p. 31 consiting of five paragraphs on the topic of population.And yet nowhere in that section do the authors tell us what the population of Taiwan actually is.For that bit of information, we have to look at a sidebar on p. 19 entitled "Fast Facts."There seems to be a presumption that the traveller will read through the entire guide from front to back, rather than use the book as a reference guide.Similarly, the maps are less than ideal, and the spare use of color plates does little to provide any real information (color maps of Taipei would have been far more useful).Given that the authors judge the National Palace Museum as a "must-see" (and they're right about that), it would have been nice if they had mentioned that the museum will be undergoing major renovations from 2004-2006 (providing a website address for the museum also would've been helpful).
Star of the Sea
"Taiwan sees a lot of change in one generation. And here, three years is one generation."
Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Taiwan    5. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (10)

From a parent
I purchased this book for my wife as we have adopted a baby girl from China.While these photos are from a different orphanage, the impact is the same.We did not get to see all the children at our daughter's orphanage, and they don't allow photos of the kids anyway.I recommend this book for any adoptive parents of children from China, or those looking into it.I will warn you, you will want to go back for more.

Beautiful & Touching
Words can't describe this beautiful little book, filled with beautiful little girls. I especially love the list of their names at the back, as they translate into English, things like Literary Excellence & Radiant Jade. The children do seem sad or at least suspicious of the photographer, and why not? It's probably not every day that some Westerner visits to take pictures. But there is mischief & hope in these little girls' faces, & just affirms my ambition for half my life to adopt from China.

Mei Mei
A lovely, high quality edition of poignant portraits of Chinese children residing in orphanages.Ideal for the adoptive parent, the purchase of this book will also help young girls still living in China even if you cannot provide a home to one yourself.Do you remember the title "Honorable Mention" from grammar school?This deserves that merit and your attention. Some of the girls look sad today but they will be less so if you support the author's choice of foundation.See the book for details. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adoption    2. Asia - China    3. China    4. Girls    5. Orphans    6. Photo Techniques    7. Photoessays & Documentaries    8. Photography    9. Photography Of Specific Subjects    10. Pictorial works    11. Subjects & Themes - Children    12. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    13. Subjects & Themes - Travel - World/Asia    14. Photographs: collections    15. Travel / Asia / China   

Reviews (3)

Good Little Book
Pretty good little book for first time travelers. I bought this book and took it with me when I was in Hong Kong last month. You can just throw in your backpack while in Hong Kong and use it when needed.

Bad attitude ruins the book
This book would have gotten 4 or 4.5 stars, if not for the negative attitude that the writers display when writing about Hong Kong's various attractions."Act impressed"? Gee, thanks for that advice.How Lonely Planet.It's a nice book, unfortunately ruined by the tone, which sounds like it was written by a bunch of bored expats who mainly sit around in bars and binge drink.If you want to buy this, then be prepared for the bad vibes this book gives off, and please do not let it ruin a wonderful experience in Hong Kong.

Another Great Eyewitness Travel Guide
I swear by DK Eyewitness guides.Not only for pre-trip planning...but for use on location.Both domestic and international (own the typical...Italy, France, etc).
Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Guidebooks    3. Hong Kong (China)    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel / Asia / China   

Reviews (2)

More info, easier reading
Although I always buy Lonely Planet guides to every foreign destination, I tried Rough Guide this time.I liked the format, the readability, and the information I was looking for.It is almost 200 pages larger (but because of a quality thin paper is less thick), and has less fine print.I would rate it a bit above the similar Lonely Planet guide to China, and still buy the Lonely Planet.Those two rate way above the competition such as Fodors, Frommers and the like.Of course, the China Eyewitness Travel Guide is in a different class altogether.

Nearly Perfect
Using solely this book as our guide, my girlfriend and I navigated Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Yangshuo, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong completely on our own without getting lost once. The maps are absolute life-savers (though they would be even more useful if they included the Chinese characters for the street names), the descriptions of place generally current and accurate (though they might have mentioned that, as of May of 2006, Yangshuo is no longer a mecca of calm and relaxation but rather a maddening gauntlet of pushy vendors and tourists), and it even provided enjoyable reading material on the long train rides.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. China    3. Guidebooks    4. Reference - Guides (General)    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel Guides    8. Travel & holiday guides    9. Travel / Asia / China   

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Architectural & Industrial    3. Cultural And Social Anthropology    4. Individual Photographer    5. Photo Techniques    6. Photoessays & Documentaries    7. Photography    8. Photography Of Specific Subjects    9. Subjects & Themes - Travel - World/Asia    10. China    11. Individual photographers    12. Photographs: collections   

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Description And Travel    3. Railroads    4. Railroads - General    5. Russia    6. Travel    7. Travel - Foreign    8. Siberia    9. Trains & railways: general interest    10. Travel & holiday guides   

Editorial Review

In 1982, Salzman flew off to teach English in Changsha, China. He writes of bureaucrats, students and Cultural Revolution survivors, stripping none of their complexity and humanity.He's gentle with their idiocies, saving his sharpest barbs for himself (it's his pants that split from zipper to waist whilst demonstrating martial arts in Canton).Though dribs of history and drabs of classical lore seep through, this is mostly a personal tale, noted by the Los Angeles Times for "the charmingly unpretentious manner in which it penetrates a China inaccessible to other foreigners." ... Read more

Reviews (86)

How many times will I read this book?
You know I play the "bumbling mute illiterate" card when I write about China. Salzman doesn't. But, he's not a hard core journalist or political commentator like Ian Johnson. Salzman's love of martial arts brought him to China. Like me, he loved David Carradine in Kung Fu. But, unlike me, he speaks fluent Chinese. He's also quite gifted at writing in English. Get this one.
Poignant accounts
For a couple of years the early 1980s, Mark Salzman was an English teacher and a martial arts master who went to a poor city in China to teach English. Salzman recalls his many episodes and adventures there with vignettes in his book Iron and Silk. He reveals much about the contrast of the Chinese culture from western culture.
China through the eyes of a teacher
I spent several years living in Asia and this movie recaptured many of those memories.While the movie is fairly honest it respectfully portrays Chinese culture from an American viewpoint.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Bibles    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. China    5. Description and travel    6. Educators    7. Essays & Travelogues    8. General    9. Martial Arts & Self-Defense    10. Martial arts    11. Salzman, Mark    12. Travel    13. Travel - General    14. Biography & Autobiography / General    15. Journeys    16. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (25)

Best travel book I've read
The author has written an engaging, entertaining, beautifully discriptive book of Yemen.I visited Sana'a about 15 years ago and his book really hits the mark.I particularly enjoy how Mr. Hansen captures the culture and attitudes of the Yemen.He knows that that that culture is 180 degrees from Western culture and he treats Yemeni religion, customs and attitudes with respect and openness - yet does not patronize as do many other travel books.
Yemen, Beneath the Veil
I second the views of several reviewers that this is one of the best travel books they've ever read.Hansen takes us through Yemen as if we were riding (or sailing) with him.I never gave much thought to or knew much about Yemen but, thanks to Hansen, I have a new and positive view of it.His willingness to get out and experience many facets of this country enriches his descriptions.His good humor and sensitivity to its people are gratifying. But this is more than just a travelogue.Hansen's quest for his buried notebooks is a compelling story in itself.That plot and this venue combine to make this an irresistible and meritorious book. I look forward to reading more from this intrepid and gifted writer.

Perhaps, one of the best travel books I have ever read.
Having read literally hundreds of travelogues, I must say this is simply one of the finest I have ever run into. Eric's experiences are unusually wonderful, and his writing is magical. His focus on the Yemeni people and their lives and experiences make this book far more engaging than travelogues that focus on personal experiences, interpretations or places visited and described.
Read more

Subjects:  1. (Eric K.)    2. Asia - China    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Description    5. Description and travel    6. Essays & Travelogues    7. Hansen, Eric    8. Special Interest - Adventure    9. Travel    10. Travel - General    11. Yemen    12. Journeys    13. Red Sea    14. Travel / Adventure    15. Travel writing   

Reviews (1)

Great guide
Just got back from my trip to Hong Kong, Macau, and some areas of China.This guide was invaluable and perfect for my needs.The maps and highlights are great.The photos are colorful and plentiful.I chose this guide over the Lonely Planet because Lonely Planet seemed to have more listings, like hotels and restaurants.My hotel accommodations were already taken care of, so I didn't need that. The Insight Guide gives a good recitation of the history and the contemporary culture.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Guangzhou (China)    3. Guidebooks    4. Hong Kong (China)    5. Macau (China : Special Administrative Region)    6. Travel    7. Travel - Foreign    8. Travel Guides    9. Hong Kong    10. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (8)

Excellent Introduction for the Serious Traveler
I found this book invaluable on my recent trip to China. It is not a typical tourist book, however, it provides a treasure of genuinely valuable background information for the serious traveler.

Nat Geographic Traveler China
Excellent book for general knowedge on planning a trip. worththe $.

China book limited
The photos and color are beautiful, as you would expect from National Geographic, but the actual guides to major sightseeing areas are fairly poor. They are somewhat "snobby" with too much criticism of places "for tourists." The book is actually hard to handle since, I assume for the sake of the photos, the paper is very heavy and glassy, certainly nothing you could actually bring with you on your trip to China. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. China    3. Description and travel    4. Museums, Tours, Points of Interest    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel & holiday guides    8. Travel / General   

Editorial Review

British born author Simon Winchester lived in Hong Kong before setting off on a journey up the Chang Jiang or Yangtze River as it is most often referred to in the West. In Read more

Reviews (32)

Me like pictures!
Maybe I should be a little embarrassed about this, but my first reaction is...why weren't there any pictures?
Yes, terribly disappointing!
I agree totally with Yau in the previous review. Mr. Winchester is more interested in sharing the British (yawn) history of China, not giving us much else about the culture and beauty of the Yangtze and its people. I have been to China 2&1/2 wks and also taken a cruise (5 days) of the Yangtze and for him to make it all so boring is more than annoying, it is almost criminal. Perhaps his ego supersedes him. I would not buy this book, in fact I was uanble to even read more than a couple chapters, it was that boring and dry. The one by Mr. Hessler is an absolute winner.I read it once a year at least to refresh my amazing memories of China.

Disappointing...
Simon Winchester's journey up the Yangtze river is often poetic and overruns with historical detail every eddie of the way up the river. If anything, this is an incredible historical text of China. The author's research is impeccable and undeniable. However, every word of the way through this book I couldn't help but feel a profound disappointment in what could have been, but clearly is not, one of the the most epic journeys of our time. Mr. Winchester's timing was perfect, a trip up the Yangtze before the Three Gorges dam would change it forever and as the country is experiencing a rebirth that will soon make it the largest economic superpower in the world where it is destined to stay for the next century.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Essays & Travelogues    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign   

Reviews (36)

What would Theroux say today, over 20 years later?
I read this book over a week-long period, almost 20 years after he rode the Iron Rooster through China.The many commentaries of country life, the weird customs of the people and the constant yearning to shoot birds for food made me wonder if China today is still like it was 20 years ago.I certainly hope it is not, but Theroux's style and detailed observations of miniscule events make this a very interesting, graphic read.I had the sense of where I was in the country, from the barren desert to the freezing mountains and every track inbetween.I didn't want to get off the train.