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Paperback Lost on Planet China: One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation Book

ISBN: 0767922018

ISBN13: 9780767922012

Lost on Planet China: One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation

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Format: Paperback

Condition: Very Good

$4.99
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Book Overview

The bestselling author of The Sex Lives of Cannibals returns with a sharply observed, hilarious account of his adventures in China--a complex, fascinating country with enough dangers and delicacies to keep him, and readers, endlessly entertained. Maarten Troost has charmed legions of readers with his laugh-out-loud tales of wandering the remote islands of the South Pacific. When the travel bug hit again, he decided to go big-time, taking on the world's most populous and intriguing nation. In Lost on Planet China, Troost escorts readers on a rollicking journey through the new beating heart of the modern world, from the megalopolises of Beijing and Shanghai to the Gobi Desert and the hinterlands of Tibet. Lost on Planet China finds Troost dodging deadly drivers in Shanghai; eating Yak in Tibet; deciphering restaurant menus (offering local favorites such as Cattle Penis with Garlic); visiting with Chairman Mao (still dead, very orange); and hiking (with 80,000 other people) up Tai Shan, China's most revered mountain. But in addition to his trademark gonzo adventures, the book also delivers a telling look at a vast and complex country on the brink of transformation that will soon shape the way we all work, live, and think. As Troost shows, while we may be familiar with Yao Ming or dim sum or the cheap, plastic products that line the shelves of every store, the real China remains a world--indeed, a planet--unto itself. Maarten Troost brings China to life as you've never seen it before, and his insightful, rip-roaringly funny narrative proves that once again he is one of the most entertaining and insightful armchair travel companions around.

Customer Reviews

7 customer ratings | 4 reviews

Rated 5 stars
Passes the spit test

If you like Paul Theroux you'll enjoy this book. My test for a valid travel/summary of contemporary China is the spit test. If the book doesn't cover the spit factor in China it fails. Troost gets an A+. I quote, "...I watched the residents of Beijing, young and old, male and even a few elderly women greet the new day with an immense hawk and a resonant splatter........" And that wasn't even close to his best descriptive...

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Rated 5 stars
Funny and Witty

As a China born, now California resident, I felt quite curious to read what an American had to say about my home country. In the beginning, I will admit, I was somewhat offended by the way he portrayed us but then as I began to remember my last visit to my hometown (1 hour's drive from Bejing) and read more, I realized he was right. We do have quite a lot of pollution. We are possibly the rudest people on the planet. And...

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Rated 5 stars
Fun Read

This book is a brilliant account of an experience of a first time traveler in China. As the two previous books Maarten Troost has published, this book is readable and funny. Maarten's experience traveling throughout China gives on a good understanding of the challenges China is facing in trying to modernize at an accelerated rate. "Modernization at any cost" approach has had dire consequences on the environment and culture...

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Rated 5 stars
Entertaining and funny way to learn a lot about China

What a great book. Well written and witty. I felt like I was in China with him. Having friends who recently returned from China after adopting children, and their experiences there, I would recommend that everyone read this book before traveling to China. What an eye opener, and so funny at times that I laughed out loud. Educational, informative and entertaining all at once. The author has a wonderful personality and...

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