Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

A century ago, outsiders saw China as a place where nothing ever changes. Today the country has become one of the most dynamic regions on earth. In Oracle Bones, Peter Hessler explores the human side of China's transformation, viewing modern-day China and its growing links to the Western world through the lives of a handful of ordinary people. In a narrative that gracefully moves between the ancient and the present, the East and the West, Hessler captures the soul of a country that is undergoing a momentous change before our eyes.

Average Customer Rating:

Great reading!

Customer Rating:

This was great reading! Even though I didn't have a prior interest or knowledge about modern China or Chinese history, I found this book fascinating! The author gives one a window into various people's lives and I find myself caring so much for them. I had to put the book down in order to go to my 9-5 job. However, as soon as I got home, I was back to reading. I look forward to reading more from Peter Hessler, no matter what the subject.

my china experience is the same	Customer Rating:
If you want to read a book about a rapidly changing China, this is it!

A Different Side of China

Customer Rating:

This is an entertaining and informative view of China, past and present, offered by Peter Hessler, a Westerner who taught English there during the latter part of the 20th century, then returned several years later to work as a journalist. In the process, Hessler made friends with a wide range of Chinese, from his students to the owner of a restaurant in a low-rent Beijing neighborhood, to an itinerant truck driver. His varied roles gave Hessler opportunities to discover the old and the new China, and to capture for his readers the disjointed experiences of many Chinese as their nation made the transition from a failed command-and-control economy to a quasi free market system. The book is rich with anecdotes that illustrate the absurdity of the old Communist system, as well as what I think of as the "extreme capitalism" of the new era. The Chinese people Hessler describes are nothing if not enterprising, and they are incredibly clever in devising ways to subvert and circumvent government rules that make little sense. Especially interesting are the stories from Hessler's students, whose lives changed dramatically in the six years between his visits. Oracle Bones is an excellent read and I recommend it along with a similar, newer, book called China Road, written by Rob Gifford.

An Amazing Book

Customer Rating:

Totally different from his wonderful River Town book, but just as interesting. Peter Hessler, not quite seamlessly, pulls together a bunch of subjects. We hear more about what happened to his students; we learn about his wheeling and dealing Uigher friend who eventually gets to America and remains an optimist despite his trials and tribulations. We learn about the oracle bones and their history. And then, there's the mystery of the scholar Chen Mengjia's death. Most interestingly, we learn more about Mr. Hessler's headline cutting/freelance life in China--after the teaching years. I hope there are more books coming from Peter Hessler.

Oracle Bones

Customer Rating:

We do not get very much in Chinese history as we grow up, and I think everyone needs to be more informed about the people of China, its history, and what is going on now. This book is well written, entertaining, and informative. Though not the only source to use, it provides a good beginning to get some insight into the Chinese point of view and become more current with Chinese thinking. I would also recommend watching China: A Century of Revolution. That is an excellent documentary.