Book bits

Arts and crafts, three books about China, and readers' picks.

from the May 8, 2007 edition

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Three books about China

China's economy may be growing exponentially, but that doesn't mean that its national psyche is always keeping pace. In China: The Fragile Superpower, former US deputy assistant secretary of State Susan L. Shirk argues that the stronger China grows economically, the more insecure its leaders become. Shirk's depth of knowledge about China – including personal acquaintance with many of its leaders – makes this book a valuable read.

In Charm Offensive: How China's Soft Power Is Transforming the World, journalist Joshua Kurlantzick examines China's reliance on diplomacy, trade incentives, and cultural and educational exchanges as the Asian giant strives to create a new global image of itself.

Napoleon once said, "Let China sleep, for when she awakes she will shake the world." The time of China's awakening is now, warns James Kynge, former bureau chief of the Financial Times in China Shakes the World: A Titan's Breakneck Rise and Troubled Future – and the Challenge for America. Kynge looks at both China's strengths and weaknesses and considers how they will impact the rest of the globe as the country continues to grow at breakneck speed.
– Marjorie Kehe

Readers' picks

Very few books make me want to support the ideas in them but Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin is the total exception. Mortenson, an American mountain climber, has an ongoing life work of building schools for girls in Pakistan under truly unimaginable conditions. It was so inspiring that when I put down the 330-page paperback I immediately sent a check.
– Jeanie Satterwhite, Bainbridge Island, Wash.

If irreverence offends I wouldn't recommend Richard Dawkins's The God Delusion, but if you wonder why it remains on bestseller lists, go for it. Not an easy read, but it makes one think about traditionally held beliefs. As a religious reader who opened it, I failed Dawkins's stated intent. I was not an atheist when I put it down.
– George Krusz, Punta Gorda, Fla.

I am rereading A Word or Two by Christopher Andreae. I am a devotee of Mr. Andreae's gentle work in The Christian Science Monitor. This sparkling sampler of stories and anecdotes is hard to put down. A favorite on my bookshelf. Highly recommended.
– Dr. Karen Fanta Zumbrunn, Princeton, N.J.

I was at Oxford at the same time the judge in the novel The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai was at Cambridge. I identified with the judge's career choices and family issues. But the politics of modern India and the struggles of Indian immigrants in New York were all new to me. The book was a page turner. I couldn't put it down – it competed with our holiday in St. John's.
– Bob Soper, Bronx, N.Y.

The Measure of a Man by Sydney Poitier is deep and reflective. It really is a spiritual autobiography. How fortunate that he has taken time to share!
– Louise Cox, Windsor, CONN.

What are you reading? Write and tell us at Marjorie Kehe.

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