Synopses & Reviews
Salzman captures post-cultural revolution China through his adventures as a young American English teacher in China and his shifu-tudi (master-student) relationship with China's foremost martial arts teacher.
Review
"Salzman demonstrates with skill and subtlety just how Chinese society works." The Washington Post
Review
"Gong fu, or 'skill that transcends mere surface beauty'...no other term is as apt for a book that describes China and its people with such deftness and delight." Time
Review
"Dazzling...exhilarating...a joy to read from beginning to end." People
Review
"For those who see 'China' as an abstraction, whether as enemy, hope of the future, or market, this book is the cure. Read it and get your friends and patrons to read it too." Library Journal
About the Author
Mark Salzman is the author of Iron & Silk, an account of his two years in China; Lost in Place, a memoir; and the novels The Laughing Sutra, The Soloist, and Lying Awake. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, the filmmaker Jessica Yu, and their daughter, Ava.