I cannot recommend Hessler enough. If you want to know what life is like in China, he is your guide. If you've never been to China, I would recommend [b:River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze|94053|River Town Two Years on the Yangtze|Peter Hessler|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408452815s/94053.jpg|1441686]. It's more anecdotal and has more humor. This book has a lot of history,which if you're not that interested, can weigh the story down. But his writing style is very Western-friendly without losing the essential Chinese feel. This is a delicate balance and even some of the best Asian American fiction writers could learn something from him about how to write a western-friendly Chinese book.

Hessler has personally moved on to Egypt, taking on learning Arabic and all things Middle Eastern. If you read his books on China, you will have nothing but the utmost respect for what this man has accomplished and what can will accomplish. I look forward to all future books of his and hope he has a long, long career.