In this memoir, Ai Weiwei shares the extraordinary story of two generations—his father’s and his own—of fighting for human rights and freedom of expression in China. The first third of the book documents the life of his father, poet Ai Qing, in postwar China, caught up in the political fight between the Nationalists and the Communists and the Cultural Revolution. Later, Ai Weiwei draws courage and inspiration from his father’s example, and the book seeks to preserve that legacy for his own son, Ai Lao. Weiwei’s career in art begins with a decade in the U.S., in Los Angeles and New York City—he knew he wanted to make art, but what kind? His drawing skill was ridiculed by his instructors and his paintings usually ended up in New York dumpsters. His exposure to the work of Marcel Duchamp represented a turning point, and he adapted Duchamp’s readymades to document and publicize the 500 children who died during an earthquake in substandard schools. The books explores Weiwei’s efforts to use his art and social media to bring attention to corruption and oppression, first in China and later around the world. “Because art reveals the truth that lies deep in the heart,” Ai Weiwei writes, “it has the capacity to impart a mighty message” (362). It’s inspiring to be reminded of this.