Country Driving
Book description
After living in China for five years, and learning the language, Peter Hessler decided to undertake an even more complicated endeavor: he acquired his Chinese driving licence. An eye-opening challenge, it enabled him to embark on an epic journey driving across this most enigmatic of countries. Over seven years, he…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Country Driving as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
The first step to enriching perspectives on China is to go there—something more difficult in times of COVID and political tensions. One of the most pleasant virtual visits is to take a back seat as Peter Hessler roams the Great Wall backcountry. He does American things in an un-American place: getting a driver’s license, renting a car, meeting hitchhikers, countryfolk, and their city kids. He moves on to the factories, and we meet the Chinese that put the “Made in China” label on our daily world. Hessler is a regular at the New Yorker, is living in China, and…
From Brantly's list on China perspectives.
Hassler’s relationship with China started in 1996 when he was sent to China to teach English by the Peace Corps. Country Driving is the third of his four books on China. It details his cross-China journey driving in a rented car. By the end of 2008, China boasted 23 million miles of highways nationwide, 45 times the length in 1949 when the People’s Republic of China was founded. The stunning speed of infrastructure expansion also means putting rookie drivers on the road, as Hassler noticed that Beijing drivers took pleasure in flouting the traffic rules. The extended network of roads…
From Anna's list on Westerners’ experience in China.
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