Synopses & Reviews
ZZ is the perfect guide to the new Beijing: hes got insider cred but an outsiders eye for the uniquely bizarre aspects of Chinese life. ZZs parents got him out of Red China, but with an American education under his belt, Beijing is now his capitalist playground. ZZ starts his own company by day and by night lives large in Sanlituns clubs, bars and dim sum emporia. He has a gift for using guan xi (a network of favors) to carve out a coveted spot in the nighttime world of clubs and cafes frequented by the new young professional class. But in this freshly morphing world, its not clear who can be trusted no matter how much guan xi you spread around—and ZZs glam urban life comes to a crashing halt when hes picked up by the police for his 007-worthy “Zigarette.” Suddenly theres an entirely new and gritty pecking order—and ZZ better find a way—FAST—out of a Chinese prison!
A swaggering true tale of a young man rediscovering himself in todays China, ZZs voice is hip and fresh, and the on-the-ground looks he gives into the worlds next superpower is more than just a rice cake of sex, drugs and Rock ‘n Roll.
Review
"Captures the hipster buzz of nighttime Beijing...feels like a novel."--
The Washington Post "China High delivers in a single punch what others promise but don't provide...funny, immensely readable."--
Far Eastern Economic Review“Welcome to ZZs world: a whirl of good weed, wild parties, and wilder girls. In Beijing…With a chatty and assured voice, ZZ details the high jinks of his stay in the capital during Chinas fastest economic growth since the founding of the Peoples Republic in 1949. His prose swaggers.”--Bloomberg News
Synopsis
A swaggering true tale of sex, drugs and money in the new young professional class in China, a go-go country seen through the entrepreneurial and personal experiences of ZZ, an American-educated Chinese national who returned to his native land to start a business, live large, and get a piece of every lissome girl, line of coke, and bottle of Champagne China had to offer.
ZZ is the perfect guide to the new Beijing: he's got insider cred but an outsider's eye for the uniquely bizarre aspects of Chinese life. ZZ's parents got him out of Red China, but with an American education under his belt, Beijing is now his capitalist playground. ZZ starts his own company by day and by night lives large in Sanlitun's clubs, bars, and dim sum emporia. He has a gift for using guan xi (a network of favors) to carve out a coveted spot in the nighttime world of clubs and cafes frequented by the new young professional class. But in this freshly morphing world, it's not clear who can be trusted no matter how much guan xi you spread around--and ZZ's glam urban life comes to a crashing halt when he's picked up by the police for his 007-worthy "Zigarette." Suddenly there's an entirely new and gritty pecking order--and ZZ better find a way--FAST--out of a Chinese prison
A swaggering true tale of a young man rediscovering himself in today's China, ZZ's voice is hip and fresh, and the on-the-ground looks he gives into the world's next superpower is more than just a rice cake of sex, drugs and Rock 'n Roll.
About the Author
ZZ is a Chinese national who spent half of his life in the United States. He returned to China as an attorney with one of the top international law firms in the world, and currently divides his time between Beijing and Shanghai.