Some reading recommendations...

The River at the Center of the World: A Journey Up the Yangtze and Back in Chinese Time, by Simon Winchester, 2004.

Ostensibly an account of a journey by every transportational means imaginable from Shanghai, the mouth of the Yangtze River, to its source in Tibet, this book turned out to be a fascinating narration of the geography of the 3rd longest river in the world, its impact on the lives and history of the Chinese people, portraits of the cities with their own unique characters along its banks, and the people he met and dealt with along the way. Winchester is a British born journalist who speaks the language and knows China well. By a stoke of luck, he found the perfect assistant for his trip: a tall, imposing Chinese girl who managed, at many crucial points, to cajole/threaten/negotiate their way past sites/areas/entrance to places closed to foreigners. Winchester wrote with great detail, perception, knowledge and humor. If you are interested in getting a good, panoramic view of China, its people, its past and present history, and this dangerous and mighty Yangtze River, there is no better book for such a journey than this one.

A Single Pebble, by John Hershey, 1956.

While reading Simon Winchester’s book on the Yangtze river, he referred several times to this “lyrical, wonderful” novel by John Hershey about a trip up the Yangtze River. What a serendipitous find it was! It tells of a time when cruising up the river was done by manual power. At various points, human trekkers had to pull the boat, in this case, a cargo boat, against rapids and powerful floods. The story was told by an American dam builder who hitched a ride on the cargo boat up the dangerous and magnificent river, and his amazement at the hardship, the acceptance of the way of life, and the instinctive communion of people with each other and with the river. The book harkens to a past era, and reading it now adds nostalgia to its poetry. It’s a short little book, and will appeal to everyone—I guarantee it!

Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations—One School at a Time, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, 2006.

Reading about Greg Mortenson restores your faith in the greatness of “ordinary” people, and erases any doubts as to how much one person can do to change the lives of thousands. Mortenson, who was a mountain climber, lost his way on a failed attempt for K2, and wandered into the remote village of Korphe where he was nursed and befriended. He discovered that the children in the village had to go to class in frigid open air, without books, desks, or even paper and pencil (writing only with a stick in dirt), and shared one teacher with another village for half a week each. From that day on, his goal in life was to build schools and provide teachers for children, especially girls, of Pakistan and refugees from nearby Afghanistan. His one-man mission to raise funds and build schools can be considered the most heroic modern day odyssey. Without any money of his own, and without any celebrity, he succeeded in raising enough money to build over 50 schools to date in an area explosive with war and hatred. It’s the most eloquent testament to the power of education and brotherhood over terrorism and ignorance. This is a life-changing book, a must read for every single person.