Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 17h

Listen to Timothy Thurston talk about "Satirical Tibet" on Ep. 25 of the China Books Podcast: chinabooksreview.com/2025/10/07/e...

1 1

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 1d

Book Talk: Patrick McGee On Apple In China (Asia Society, NYC, Oct 22, 6:30-8pm).

Register now to hear Patrick McGee talk about the story of how Apple became dependent on China for its manufacturing, and what that means for China’s technology rivalry with the U.S.
asiasociety.org/center-us-ch...

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 1d

Tibetans inside China have found various ways to push back against Beijing and voice their dissatisfaction. A lesser-known form of subtle resistance is the art of “zurza,” or satirical repartee.

Listen to Timothy Thurston on Ep. 25 of the China Books Podcast: chinabooksreview.com/2025/10/07/e...

1 4

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 2d

When a massive Chinese factory complex attempts a high-stakes expansion in rural Ethiopia, three women in search of prosperity have their faith in industrialization tested to the limit.

Join @chinafile tonight for a screening of the documentary at @asiasocietyNY:
asiasociety.org/new-york/eve...

ChinaFile Presents: ‘Made in Ethiopia,’ a Film Screening and Discussion

When a massive Chinese factory complex attempts a high-stakes expansion in rural Ethiopia, three women in search of prosperity have their faith in industrialization tested to the limit.

asiasociety.org

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 5d

Read Kevin Schoenmaker's review of Nathalia Holt's book "The Beast in the Clouds":
chinabooksreview.com/2025/10/02/p...

2

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 6d

Our list of bestselling China books in September has dropped! Dan Wang's "Breakneck" still leads the pack, while Nicole Wong's "Mahjong" has been bumped off the top five by M.P. Woodward's "Red Tide." Click through the carousel to see more: chinabooksreview.com/bestselling-...

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 6d

In 1928, the eldest two sons of President Theodore Roosevelt set out to capture or kill a giant panda. Their hunting trip accidentally contributed to the cause of wildlife conservation.

Read Kevin Schoenmaker's review of Nathalia Holt, "The Beast in the Clouds":
chinabooksreview.com/2025/10/02/p...

2

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 7d

Read (and listen to!) Jake Newby's reviews of five new albums that prove China is producing exciting, original music despite political headwinds: chinabooksreview.com/2025/09/30/w...

2

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 8d

What is China listening to? A 25-year-old’s eclectic pop; electronic music influenced by traditional Asian & African music; experimental rock; a controversial TikTok-famous rapper; and ethereal “Asian horror” music.

Read Jake Newby's reviews of five new albums: chinabooksreview.com/2025/09/30/w...

2 5

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 9d

Join our book club to meet likeminded readers for spirited discussions about the best new literature in translation out of China and the Sinophone world.

Our next read: City of Fiction by Yu Hua.
NYC: Nov 5, 5:30pm
DC: Nov 10, 6pm

REGISTER NOW: chinabooksreview.com/book-club/

2

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 12d

Curious about China? Like reading books? Sign up to get the China Books Review newsletter, an email round-up of new articles every two weeks, plus links to our lists and upcoming events. It's a feast of thoughtful China commentary, all totally free.

SIGN UP NOW: chinabooksreview.com/newsletter/

2

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 12d

Read Bob Davis's review-essay on David Shambaugh's new book "Breaking the Engagement:"
chinabooksreview.com/2025/09/25/e...

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 13d

Since 1972, the U.S. has hoped that engaging with China would benefit both nations. That dream has burst. A new book performs an autopsy on engagement policy — but is it really dead?

Read Bob Davis's review-essay on David Shambaugh's "Breaking the Engagement:"
chinabooksreview.com/2025/09/25/e...

1 1

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 14d

Watch Dan Wang's book talk at Asia Society NYC, about his bestselling book Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future: chinabooksreview.com/2025/09/23/d...

1

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 15d

A personalized odyssey through the history of the People's Republic, "Eastward, Westward" captured Cohen's remarkable life in his own words. Read an excerpt here: chinabooksreview.com/2025/02/20/l...

(2/2)

Is China’s Post-1978 Legal System a Mirage? | China Books Review

The scholar of Chinese law argues that post-Mao legal reform — as aided by Western lawyers including him — may yet prove enduring. Its critics say it enabled a dictatorship.

chinabooksreview.com

1 7

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 15d

We are saddened to hear of the passing of Jerome A. Cohen, the eminent scholar of Chinese law. Our condolences to his family and all those who loved him.

He authored many books, most recently the memoir, "Eastward, Westward: A Life in Law."

(1/2)

1 17 24

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 15d

The technology analyst Dan Wang discusses his new book "Breakneck," explaining what America's lawyerly society could learn from China's quest to engineer the future.

Watch the book talk, last Tuesday at Asia Society NYC: chinabooksreview.com/2025/09/23/d...

1

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 19d

Read Fei Dao's Q&A on Chinese sci-fi, and his story "The Storytelling Robot," translated by Alec Ash: chinabooksreview.com/2025/09/18/s...

1 5

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 20d

A science fiction story by Fei Dao, translated by Alec Ash — plus a Q&A with the author on the importance of Chinese sci-fi.

Read the story: chinabooksreview.com/2025/09/18/s...
(illustration by ChatGPT)

1 2

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 21d

Listen to David Moser talk about going on Spring Festival Gala in 1999, on the Peking Hotel podcast: chinabooksreview.com/2025/09/16/p...

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 22d

The sinologist David Moser talks about moving to China in 1989, his first appearance on the Spring Festival Gala in 1999, and learning xiangsheng from the masters.

Listen to the episode of Peking Hotel: chinabooksreview.com/2025/09/16/p...

1 5

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 23d

Check out our list of the bestselling China books in August (according to amazon.com data), with "Breakneck" by Dan Wang topping the pile: chinabooksreview.com/bestselling-... click through the carousel to see more, or scroll down for sub-categories

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 26d

Read the excerpt from Dan Wang's new book "Breakneck": chinabooksreview.com/2025/09/11/e...

2

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 27d

China has been a nation of engineers, from imperial to communist rule. America’s lawyerly society could learn something from that — but civil and social engineering comes at a human cost.

Read the excerpt from Dan Wang's new book "Breakneck": chinabooksreview.com/2025/09/11/e...

1 3

China Books Review @chinabooksreview.com · 28d

In the latest installment of the China Archive column, Jeremiah Jenne takes on the urtext of all Chinese historiography: the Shiji or "Records of the Grand Historian." Read now: chinabooksreview.com/2025/09/09/s...

2