FREE UK Delivery on book orders dispatched by Amazon over £ What the Chinese Don't Eat Paperback – 6 Jul Since June Xinran has been writing about China in her weekly column in the Guardian.
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This book is a collection of her articles for the British newspaper, the Observer, and it's a keeper, because it shows a more personal side to her writing than her other books. You also get insights into Chinese ways of thought from her writing that you can't get anywhere else. This is must reading for anyone interested in women's Xinran, as I've noted before, is one of the world's more precious resources.
This is must reading for anyone interested in women's issues and in China.
- The Blokes Guide to Babies?
- Mind & Body Metamorphosis - Conditioning Techniques For Personal Transformation.
- The Sixth Lobe?
- The Consignment?
- Is there anything Chinese people DON'T eat?.
- Defending Probabilism: The Moral Theology of Juan Caramuel (Moral Traditions series).
Jun 15, Maria Ri rated it really liked it Shelves: I finished this one a couple weeks ago, but forgot to journal! I enjoyed the style of the short essays. I find reading about China to be fascinating on so many levels.
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I use Traditional Chinese Medicine in my naturopathic medical practice so getting more insight into daily life as opposed to just theory is great. The Chinese culture seems so very different from my own. Reading about Xinran's perspective gives me a greater appreciation for how wide the continuum of human experience is!
What the Chinese Don't Eat
Feb 29, Kathy Chung rated it liked it. Based on the title, i would have thought that this book is about food and the eating habit of Chinese in China and overseas. I felt a bit let down when it is not. However, i find it hard to concentrate as the topic varies a lot.
Jul 23, Mark rated it really liked it. Last chapter was from so even just 6 years ago seems like an eternity. So much has happened, changes that leave even those who grew up in China a little befuddled when they return to visit. An interesting and heartwarming journey. Aug 29, Cheri rated it it was ok Shelves: A very disappointing book. I realize it is a collection of newspaper columns, but there is no overarching theme that emerges except the obvious: China is different from the west , and no attempt at explanation.
There should have been some editing to make Xinran's non-native English flow better, to provide a clearer focus to each piece, and to remove the overly trite statements. Mar 21, Helen Yee rated it liked it Shelves: There are some cultural insights here but as a whole I thought it read a little dated, but maybe that's because I struggled to identify with the generation gap here. I felt like I was looking for more, maybe because I'm an Australian born Chinese who already has a broad sense of what it means to be Asian but I wanted more of a succinct answer on what it means to be a Chinese.
Nov 19, Sue rated it it was amazing. Articles reprinted from her Guardian column. Each one about 3 pages in length - sharp and to the point. Did I learn a lot about China and the Chinese! She comes across as a lovely, lovely lady - so full of care and concern for her fellow humans. Sep 24, Andy Raptis rated it liked it. Not a novel, but a collection of half baked articles written for the Guardian, some of them interesting, some other very lame.
Mar 10, AN rated it liked it Shelves: This book is pretty nice, however, not as arousing as her other books. Suitable for reading while you're traveling, as each small story is written only in a few pages. I started reading this book on a plane and finished it on a tram. Apr 19, Libby rated it really liked it Shelves: Not as strong as Miss Chopsticks, but really good!
Apr 23, Alisong rated it liked it.
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Lots of duplicate info from her good women of China book but still good. Jul 04, Lisa Mahardika rated it liked it. Probably because I read it in the wrong order did acquire "Message from Unknown Chinese Mothers" first this one feels so Dec 04, Carolin rated it liked it Shelves: Nov 16, Lindi rated it it was ok. The book is a collection of Xinran's columns written for the Guardian. I didn't find it to be insightful. Due to the nature of the book there was a lack of flow or continuity. Sep 06, Lysa rated it it was amazing.
This book made me cry sometimes. It's a wonderful insight to the people of China.
I won't spoil the contents, I can just say that I was sometimes overwhelmed by beliefs and practices in Modern China. This truly is a must-read. Jun 24, Deborah J. I started reading this book the very day I returned from a jazz tour of China. I had read her 'China Witness: Voices from a Silent Generation ' before leaving.
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It's very insightful and even though 'What the Chinese Don't Eat' is from , it helped me get a better understanding about the Chinese culture. Xinran seems to span both the Chinese and the Western culture, so anything she explains about China is from an 'insider' with 'Western eyes'. Apparently, toenails is the furthest they'd go! May 8, Messages: I know this is a small sample size, but the few Chinese people I have met over the year through school, work, or other friends seem to have the same story.
It is mostly the poor who eat non typical animals like cats, dogs, rats, etc. I have never heard of them eating human stuff, so I never asked about that. Sep 14, Messages: Aug 30, Messages: I'll eat just about anything.. Its too bad I visited China before Bourdain and Zimmern or I would have an even better culinary experience.
I can't wait to go to Singapore and sample all the stuff they have to offer. It does seem very arbitrary but it is what it is. Silk worms are delicious EDIT: And yes, Chinese people typically don't eat cheese. I love cheese, the stinkier the better! Dec 7, Messages: She has covered a vast range of topics from food to sex education, and from the experiences of British mothers who have adopted Chinese daughters, to whether Chinese people do Christmas shopping or have swimming pools. Each of her columns inspired letters and questions and more opportunities for Xinran to shed light on the culture of her native land.
What the Chinese Don't Eat collects these pieces together for the first time to give one unique Chinese woman's perspective on the connections and differences between the lives of British and Chinese people today. Sometimes I dislike talking about good books because, well, there isn't really much to talk about them. So, what can I say about this book, really? I mean, other than it is a very informative book and I bought one of the authors previous books some time ago and hadn't gotten around to reading it when I saw this book in the shop and, on a him, decided to buy it as well.