Age of Ambition

Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China

By: Evan Osnos

Narrated by: Evan Osnos, George Backman

Length: 16 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

National Book Award Winner, Nonfiction, 2014

A vibrant, colorful, and revelatory inner history of China during a moment of profound transformation.

From abroad, we often see China as a caricature: a nation of pragmatic plutocrats and ruthlessly dedicated students destined to rule the global economy - or an addled Goliath, riddled with corruption and on the edge of stagnation. What we don’t see is how both powerful and ordinary people are remaking their lives as their country dramatically changes.

As the Beijing correspondent for The New Yorker, Evan Osnos was on the ground in China for years, witness to profound political, economic, and cultural upheaval. In Age of Ambition, he describes the greatest collision taking place in that country: the clash between the rise of the individual and the Communist Party’s struggle to retain control. He asks probing questions: Why does a government with more success lifting people from poverty than any civilization in history choose to put strict restraints on freedom of expression? Why do millions of young Chinese professionals - fluent in English and devoted to Western pop culture - consider themselves "angry youth", dedicated to resisting the West's influence? How are Chinese from all strata finding meaning after two decades of the relentless pursuit of wealth?

Writing with great narrative verve and a keen sense of irony, Osnos follows the moving stories of everyday people and reveals life in the new China to be a battleground between aspiration and authoritarianism, in which only one can prevail.

©2014 Evan Osnos (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Critic reviews

"Evan Osnos, Beijing correspondent for The New Yorker (2005-2010) has written an outstanding book covering the political, economic, and cultural aspects of China. Narrating his own work is a wonderful addition as his command of Mandarin and in-depth knowledge of the country are apparent. Observations and interviews are crisp and timely whether the subject is a billionaire online matchmaker or the dissident Ai Wei Wei, who has many critical and pithy comments. Osnos's apt delivery of humor - both his own and Chinese - adds authenticity and fun. Most revealing are his observations during a European tour with a Chinese group. (He was the only non-Chinese person.) Osnos excels at getting people to open up; he then adds luster with his spirited delivery of their thoughts." (AudioFile)

So-so but informative

This book definitely has some fascinating insights into modern China, but the presentation was a little scattered and not particularly compelling for me personally. Probably worth a read for people very interested in and uninformed about China. The author does a good job of tracking down a wide variety of stories that filled in some of the holes I had in my understanding of China, but few were memorable and enthralling. A number of the individual anecdotes are interesting, but the overall narrative wasn't woven together in a way that made me want to keep picking up the book. Not a bad book, not a great book.

Really interesting

Pretty good glimpse into modern China. The author tries to cover as much as he can, so sometimes it feels like it can jump around. But it has a good flow.

enlightening

If you're curious and eager to learn about China, this is a great place to start

Fabulous Story - Brilliant Narrator

This a fascinating book that I loved listening to because George Backman narrates it with such passion and depth.

Good info, but didn’t captivate

The book contains a lot of good information, but it failed to hold my attention and I didn’t really care for the narration. Had the author stuck the bio of Lin in the beginning, it might have been better. I wanted to really like it, but became work to finish. Worth reading for the info though.

Fantastic exposition on China. Brilliant!

If you are looking for one book to help you understand China, the people and the government of today, this is it.
This books uses personal experiences with current events and personages of China from all socio-economic backgrounds and political bents, and weaves them into a well written and detailed story of all his observations while in China.

Interesting perspective but weak ending

The book left me wanting more of a conclusion and opinion about contemporary Chinese culture than he was willing to give.

Decent Book. A lot of information so be patient

Would you consider the audio edition of Age of Ambition to be better than the print version?

Never Read the print edition

What other book might you compare Age of Ambition to and why?

The books reminded me of Jim Rogers book Investment Biker. It follows one persons experiences in a foreign country through interviews

What about Evan Osnos and George Backman ’s performance did you like?

The command of several languages that George Backman exhibits is great.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

There are a lot of foreign places, names, and political actions to keep straight. I would not advise listening all the way through.

Any additional comments?

Great book about the rise of China to it's current state. Politics, Religion, and Business

Fun and informative

This is one of the best-written books I've ever read! I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand China better. Truly a must-read.

great book

excellent narrative pace and deep, relevant insights into China today and Chinese People's self-image nd perception of the world.