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I know we started a book discussion topic at some point but it's probably long lost in the paleontology here. I thought I would mention a great book I have been reading about China called, Out of the Gobi, by Weijan Shan. Shan is a globally recognized financier who went from literally nothing to a Ph. D. in Economics in 10 years. The book is a memoir, not a history, of his life, but quite revealing in its portrayal of life in China during the Cultural Revolution. He was sent to the Gobi desert as part of Mao's re-culturation of China in the mid-60's. He provides a deep discussion of what it was like to be uprooted from Beijing and sent to a place to work in the harshest of conditions, little food or water, with work every day going into the night. He was appointed a "barefoot doctor" for his company of men (and women), and then lost that job due to corruption of the local commanders. A lot of his writing explains to me why the Chinese are the way they are. Mao is still in the blood of our wives, husbands, and children now. Such things as why there is little display of affection, or an over-compensation for not having it. The one child policy. The complete separation of men and women, boys and girls. Entire families broken and sent to camps, never to be re-united. It reads like an adventure, but one steeped in sadness, and triumph. From the Foreword by Janet Yellen Weijian Shan's Out of the Gobi is a powerful memoir and commentary that will be one of the most important books on China of our time, one with the potential to re-shape how Americans view China, and how the Chinese view life in America. Shan, a former hard laborer who is now one of Asia's best-known financiers, is thoughtful, observant, eloquent, and brutally honest, making him well-positioned to tell the story of a life that is a microcosm of modern China, and of how, improbably, that life became intertwined with America. Out of the Gobi draws a vivid picture of the raw human energy and the will to succeed against all odds. Shan only finished elementary school when Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution tore his country apart. He was a witness to the brutality and absurdity of Mao’s policies during one of the most tumultuous eras in China’s history. Exiled to the Gobi Desert at age 15 and denied schooling for 10 years, he endured untold hardships without ever giving up his dream for an education. Shan’s improbable journey, from the Gobi to the “People’s Republic of Berkeley” and far beyond, is a uniquely American success story – told with a splash of humor, deep insight and rich and engaging detail. This powerful and personal perspective on China and America will inform Americans' view of China, humanizing the country, while providing a rare view of America from the prism of a keen foreign observer who lived the American dream. * * * I highly recommend this book for anyone curious of how the history of China affects the ones we love, even when they may not be aware of how.
