I enjoyed this book it was well written and looked at some of China's issues from the perspective of three individuals who took on the system. Three clear examples of the battle against power and bureaucracy by brave individuals who tried to make small differences. Occasionally I felt that the detail although interesting at times became a bit tedious especially the middle section about the housing and planning in Beijing, otherwise an interesting read.

This isn't a book one enjoys, but rather one that anyone interested in contemporary China should read. If you think that China's 'proletariat' has escaped the reigns/reins [pun intended] of China's modern mandarins, think again. In these three case studies (a term that is far too academic for this very first-person journalistic approach to the subject matter), Ian Johnson records the struggles normal working-class citizens still face when trying to assert rights that most citizens of 'democratic' nations take for granted: the right to submit a document to a legal authority, to practise their chosen religion, the right to demonstrate in a peaceful manner, the right to get an official death certificate for a parent. But the infrastructure that has been put in place to prohibit citizens to even access their rights was the real surprise--official buildings' addresses are often unlisted or even disguised or 'hidden' inside what appear to be abandoned warehouses, official request forms are non-existent, plainclothes police are omnipresent when alarms have been raised of events that would 'disrupt the peace'. It appears that 'getting rich' has had its price--do your job, don't create any waves, and you can have your apartment, eat at McDonald's and go to trendy bars. But disturb the equilibrium of the perfect quiet state, and you may pay the price. A very sobering and depressing read.

Johnson is a journalist, so this would be another big fact-filled style book. I really liked it, though. It is very modern. He chooses 3 current stories to demonstrate how change is taking place right now in China. If I recall correctly, one is the persecution, beatings, and imprisonments of a religious movement called Falun Gong; another is about land rights and houses being acquisitioned to make way for government projects; and I don't remember the last one. Really honest, non-judgmental, great read if you are curious about what China is like NOW.

One of the most important books I’ve read this year. 3 stories of ordinary Chinese people pushing for justice: a lawyer representing farmers Beijing overtaxed by corruption, a man whose house was demolished by corrupt officials for their personal gain, and a daughter trying to get a death certificate after her elderly mother was killed in police custody. The parallels with the BLM movement and the Palestinians whose homes are routinely demolished by into sharp focus. This book brings those global struggles against state-sanctioned injustice and violence down to a human scale.

interesting, especially the third portrait that includes a great deal about Falun Gong. The third portrait includes interviews with several practitioners, and observers. The initial assessment of one person, Mr. Chen, is that Falun Gong is “…’Just a typical northeastern thing. Northeasterners like things big and exaggerated and simple,’ he said with a laugh, consciously repeating the stereotypes of northeastern Chinese.” Page 236

Meditations for the Olympics.

This book fascinating. The author understands the Chinese people and the communist party both very well. It was interesting to read about the spiritual void felt by many after communism lost its "religion" status.