Evan Osnos

Evan Osnos is the author of this book and one of its major individuals. Although his writing focuses primarily on Chinese citizens, their lives, and their opinions, the overall narrative is driven by Osnos’s experiences and interests. The author is a journalist who lived in China for eight years, primarily in Beijing. Throughout this time, he moved to several different neighborhoods within the Chinese capital and traveled extensively throughout the country. As a result, he has a large number of Chinese friends and acquaintances with a variety of life experiences and opinions on politics and society. Many of these individuals are profiled throughout the book. Overall, Osnos has tremendous respect for and personal attachment to China. He writes affectionately of his Chinese friends and expresses sadness upon his departure at the end of the book. Simultaneously, he clearly points out China’s flaws, most notably...