Download Out of the Gobi My Story of China and America Weijian Shan Books

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Product details Hardcover 480 pages Publisher Wiley; 1 edition (January 17, 2019) Language English ISBN-10 1119529492

Out of the Gobi My Story of China and America Weijian Shan Books Reviews

• An unvarnished and evocative account of a little understood time in modern Chinese history that brings to life the experiences of an entire generation. The book captures Shan’s spirit of resolve, pragmatism and optimism in the face of seemingly insurmountable, impersonal & exhausting odds at once inspiring as well as sobering, as the reader honestly questions whether they could have made it through the other side of those hard years in the Gobi. Beyond survival, the fact that a whole generation endured what it did yet managed to not only forgive the system that created such misery but integrate with it and end up leading it, is food for thought as the rest of the world undergoes differing degrees of political turmoil and engagement.
  
  I can’t help but consider whether the prevailing narrative that the Chinese leadership are in a “weaker” position than their US counterparts in the current trade disputes is really valid; if one considers the life paths each had to follow to reach their current position, elucidated by this very story, I would wager on the Chinese side’s toughness, pain tolerance and patience far outlasting Donald Trump’s.
  
  At the end of the book, I find myself hoping the author continues with a sequel about his experiences doing business with and in China over the last 25 years, a story that will be fascinating for altogether different reasons.
  
  Highly recommended!
• Shan paints a picture of the Cultural Revolution which is jarring, harrowing, and inspiring. His journey is a testament to the human instinct for survival and the ability to triumph in the face of extreme circumstance. He has lived through one of the darkest periods of Chinese history and then played an active role in shaping it's modern economy. I just can't believe this really happened. I couldn't help but think of Jeff Bezos (a personal hero) who often talks about how one shouldn't be proud of natural talent because that's a gift. What one should really be proud of is taking that natural talent and putting in the hard work to improve. Shan was clearly given many natural talents and through determination and work overcame extreme poverty to become a leading banker, academic, and now writer.
  
  On that note it reminds me a lot of Unbroken. I already shared this with all my friends so they can be in the know before this blows up when one of the major movie (or better yet TV??) studios picks up the rights to the story. I also really hope the sequel comes out ASAP.
• I received this book yesterday and finished it within a day as I could not put it down. This is an incredible story of one man's exile and survival in the Gobi Desert during China's Cultural Revolution. This book really reminded me of Unbroken and Man's Search for Meaning. The author's story is nothing short of a miracle.
• My memory of China's Cultural Revolution was the day when Mao died in 1976. I just started school in Yantai, a seaside city in Shandong province in eastern part of China. My mom, a teacher in my elementary school and other adults were all crying. Funeral music played everywhere for days. Shan's book drew a vivid picture of what was like to be a teenager during the crazy times in China. He also depicted what was going on internationally at the beginning of each chapter, making the cultural revolution look even more unthinkable.
  
  Shan's success can be attributed to the normalization of US-China relations and China's open door policy. Without Deng Xiaoping's education and economic reforms, I cannot imagine what would happen to Shan in the Gobi. During his earlier times in the U.S., he benefited greatly from the friendly and generous American people. He is a success story of US-China relations.
  
  Shan's book is also about the importance of education. Cultural revolution kept him out of school for more than 6 years, but he never stopped reading and learning. He pushes himself to face life's challenges one after another, but he never gave up. As a mom of two young boys, I hope they will read Shan's book when they are older. Readers of "Hillbilly Elegy" and "Educated" may enjoy the book too. It is about surviving in unthinkable harsh environment, education and grit. It is about making impossible become possible. Shan is a remarkable human being!