China books, movies?

I'm currently reading "The man who loved China" by Simon Winchester. Have the audiobook and pdf.. no motorcycles involved, a truck for adventures instead. On a quest to answer why China is so backward in scientific research, when there is so much evidence that much of the inventions commonly thought to originate in the west, actually has roots decades or centuries before in China.

Other China books that I won't forget:

Wild Swans : Three Daughters of China

Mr. China: A Memoir

"Socialism Is Great!": A Worker's Memoir of the New China


What did you read? Movies/documentaries also count..

Thanks to start this :thumbsup:

The Search for Modern China - Jonathan D Spence

Mao: The Unknown Story

And some German documentaries

a lot of the exposure I had about china came from movies done in China with a lot of the old Peking opera players in them. the Shaw Brother's Studio was a place i always wanted to see. I was Golden Harvest and the Shaw brothers that started my love of some of the Chinese Stories and I had also found a love for the Martial Disciplines. I had the pleasure of meeting one of my childhood heroes while in HK Meng Lo, the Toad of the Venom Crew.
Sifu Kwok introduced me to some of the music and culture at the ripe age of 4 yrs old and I never looked back. I have been grateful of his teachings ever since
I was fortunate to have been in hong Kong and China last year and my company should be sending me back at some point this year for another month.

this is neither a book or a specific movie but to this Western Boy a great joy to know what little I do about China and some of her Heros of the past

CHINA ROAD - Rob Gifford

Great travel report, even greater help to understand China's present and past.


Hey Gardo, if you like Hong kong, then surely James Clavell's TAIPAN and NOBLE HOUSE are good reads for you. Even those are real classics, they tell you a lot about that city.

AW

I second the China Road and Search for Modern China recommendations - both are great. Search for Modern China is great history covering the late Ming up until roughly 1990. I'm always surprised China Road isn't recommended more - it's a great combination of traveling, history, and detailing the challenges the country is facing these days.

For a brief history that starts earlier than the Ming - A Concise History of China by J.A.G. Roberts is good.

For a nonpolitical snapshot view of village life, new industrial cities, and the impact new roads have had on China, Peter Hessler's Country Driving is excellent. The first part he writes about his adventures getting a Chinese drivers license, renting a car, and puzzling through maps as he follows the Great Wall. Needless to say, there's a lot that we can identify with in it! His travels were several years ago, so it's interesting to see how much has changed in such a short period of time... and how much hasn't.

In a similar vein, I've heard good things about Factory Girls too, but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

For a long discussion of China-related books, you can check this out:

http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?vi...ig-b_pd-ttl-cn

And... as an aside, I've recently found some English language books on amazon.cn - free shipping and you can pay Cash on Delivery!

So rare for me to read books these days, should turn the computer off once in a while.

One that sticks out in my mind is:

Poorly Made in China

Any of you that are in manufacturing and quality management will get a few laughs.

Cheers!
ChinaV

Thumbs up to Peter Hessler's Country Driving. He really has some great accounts of travels, meeting people, and navigating China's laws.. fun stuff, anyone on this forum would love it.

V, that was a valuable book to me, I have read half of chapters, those things had happened so familiar to me.
Some of questions I have over the years were kind of answered at that book, like how Chinese was seem differently from other east nations like India and Thailand, besides well know hard working impression. I really like author's comparison of Chinese to other developing nations. Some other texts were really worthy to read.
anyway, back to topic, no one has mentioned so far
--chinese characteristics (a book about China at the end of 19th century, understand Chinese culture from history point of view.)
--Losing the new China

recent documentary
BBC The Chinese are coming (you would understand Chinese stand at L1bya war better)

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Originally Posted by td_ref

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anyway, back to topic, no one has mentioned so far
--chinese characteristics (a book about China at the end of 19th century, understand Chinese culture from history point of view.)
--Losing the new China

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Dear TD,

Many thanks for that first book suggestion. I'd never heard of that title and assumed it was new. Actually, it's a republication of a book first published in 1894 (!!). I see in dangdang and taobao that it's available in China in both the original English and a Chinese translation. Which did you read? How did you hear about this?

Long Live MyChinaMoto!

:clap::clap::clap:

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Originally Posted by euphonius

Which did you read? How did you hear about this?

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I was at Guangzhou tianhe book store and saw that book title, it was Chinese translated.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ChinaV

One that sticks out in my mind is:

Poorly Made in China

Any of you that are in manufacturing and quality management will get a few laughs.

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Just finished it, and I concur - it is definitely a recommended read. I'd add that anyone who has spent a bit of time in China will relate to the author's descriptions of "business culture." I certainly saw a bit of Jialing's "culture" coming through in the book. :rolleyes1:

It would be a good Christmas gift for family ... but be sure to get the fake copy off taobao, to make it even more "poorly made in China". :icon10:

I've also made it through most of Factory Girls, as recommended by Pat (above) - another great read with some distressing vignettes.

I have another 1 in inventory, suggest to any master of Chinese.
--厚黑学 literally means shameless and vicious philosophy.