Not a book about China.
This is a book about what it is like to be a foreigner in China, and Hessler nails it. I spent 20 months in Beijing hell-bent on learning Chinese, and I would recommend this to anybody who wants to understand people like me.
I really think that Hessler has the right attitude towards China. Unlike [a:James Fallows|11573632|James Fallows|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] or [a:Evan Osnos|6810849|Evan Osnos|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1412556895p2/6810849.jpg], Hessler is vividly aware that he is not a neutral observer of China, and takes pains to understand his own position from a different perspective.
I listened to the audio edition, which was sad, because the narrator didn’t speak Chinese. I wish that it were feasible for us to learn more about 何伟 in his own voice, but I’m sure a bilingual book would have sold far too few copies.