I would really appreciate any help any of you can give. When someone says they are going to China, be they a student going to an exchange school, someone going on a tour round China, a businessperson going to look at a factory, and you want them to have an idea of what they are about to experience, what couple/ three books do you say YOU MUST READ THIS!

I am cheating and putting six but please add your favourite three titles with authors and ISBNs if you have the extra few moments, I would really appreciate it. Hope you enjoy these if you haven’t read them.

Rob Gifford      China Road (2007, ISBN 978-0-7475-8892-4)  

 Rob travels along the ‘Route 66’ of China from Shanghai west through provinces that are thriving and those that are not. He encounters people and situations that exemplify the contradictions that exist in China this decade.

Tim Clissold     Mr China (2004, ISBN 1-84119-788-2)

 The number of opportunities for investing in China in the early 1990’s were only exceeded by the amount of money raised to invest in them. An amusing look at the exasperating mismatch in ‘rules’ and subsequent struggle to regain control of businesses into which Wall Street bankers had invested.

 Joe Studwell   The China Dream (2002, ISBN 1 86197 370-5)

  An in depth (and cynical) look at the 1990’s boom time when investors were falling over themselves to get a piece of the China pie, such as those in Tim Clissold’s book.

 GaveKal           A Roadmap for Troubling Times (2008, ISBN 978-988-99752-3-4)

 The effect of the credit crunch across the world with good chapters on where China fits into the picture. Stand alone chapters with views on China’s demographic picture, infrastructure developments, export dependency on the west etc.

 J MacGregor    One Billion Customers (2005, ISBN-13 978-1-85788-358-6)

 Great look at the big picture - where China is now vs its long history and the effect on striking profitable deals. Many real life examples (Danone, IBM, AT&T etc) that highlight legal pitfalls, bribery, educational differences and how to bridge the gap in management style. Lots of good tips.

 Jan Wong        Red China Blues (1996, ISBN 0-553-50545-9)

 Her eye-witness account of the Tiananmen Massacre is unparalleled and all the more relevant given the author’s zeal for the Party fifteen years earlier.

 Thanks!

 Charlotte