Lost on Planet China : The Strange and True Story of One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation, or How He Became Comfortable Eating Live Squid (CD-Audio)

from Juva

A whimsical, oddball and brutally honest look at modern China. Deeply amusing and completely fascinating, Troost examines with perplexity the convoluted and at times totally inscrutable culture of this monstrous nation as it lumbers into the 21st century. Not a viable guide, but full of useful i...

from snash

Egads. The author's description of China sometimes felt over the top but it was to good effect since it made the reader actually feel the disorientation and bizarreness of its pace. I can't say it made me yearn to visit but made me glad the author had done so and provided me a feel for the it. My...

from gonzobrarian

J. Maarten Troost is a curious sort of traveler. Willing to endure the various waterborne intestinal afflictions encountered during his stay in the South Pacific, he's not a typical tourist. So what better place to continue his exploits than in, say, China? Specifically, his curiosity, like that ...

from crmass

Much like his other travel books, this one by Troost is a fun, informative read; perhaps my favorite of his books so far. It'll make you laugh out loud (even half asleep on a crowded train) and I especially liked the last few chapters. A few things that will stick with you after reading is that C...

from Niecierpek

It was good, but not as laid back as another book I read by Troost, Getting Stoned with Savages. This one is about China, and Maarten Troost does not seem to be in love with either China, or the Chinese. He seems to be rather annoyed by them. He finds it difficult to stand Chinese rudeness, lack ...