America vs. China

This week, we learn about both countries

Looking over Aberdeen Harbor toward Ap Lei Chau on the south side of Hong Kong Island.

Hello everybody,

Happy Halloween! We have a new episode for you. It is not especially spooky, but it is very interesting.

People review everything, but they almost never review what it’s like to live in another country. Until now.

We interview Dan Wang, a writer who’s lived in China, covered China, and has had to choose between life here and there. What are the misconceptions Americans have about China? And what should America be copying or not copying from China right now?

• Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future by Dan Wang

• Dan Wang’s website

  • A few of Dan’s year-in-review letters - 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020,

  • A list of books Dan likes

• Review, with Andy Daly

  • Forrest reviews addiction

  • Forrest reviews eating 15 pancakes (and 30 pancakes)

• A multilingual rendition of L’Internationale from Tsinghua University

  • Featuring a pop-punk verse midway through

• Li Zaidong, the politician who spent $21 billion trying to create a ski destination

  • CCTV documentary

• Chinese Infrastructure

  • Here’s what the Three Gorges Dam looks like - the largest hydro facility in the world

  • The world’s tallest bridge, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge - here it is under construction

  • Video of driving on highways through Guizhou

• The proposed wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod that the Kennedys (and other locals) fought against

• Xi Jinping’s great coif of hair

Commentariat! Please consider sharing either: a review of the place you live, on a five-star scale. Or else your Halloween costume plans, or your kids’.

Thank you, and we’ll see you soon.

PJ