Amazing China

The audio book author Inessa Pleskachevskaya lived in China for twelve years; on the pages of this book, she shares with the reader her experience of immersing herself in real life in the Celestial Empire. What is China? A language with four tones—depending on which one you pronounce, for example, the syllable “ma,” it can have four meanings, from “mom” to “horse.” “Respect for parents” is the stone on which Chinese society stands for more than two thousand years. Without respect for parents and older family members, there wouldn’t be China—yet in recent years this fundamental principle has begun to crack.

What does that threaten, and how does society respond? Inessa examines every aspect of life in China—food, fashion, markets, goods and services—along with education specifics, the peculiar relationship between the sexes, and the ability to respect superiors—everything that seems unusual to a European. We have different not only mindsets, but even physiology (this is also included in the book).

But perhaps, learning about Chinese customs and views, you won’t just gain knowledge—you’ll be able to rethink and rebuild your own life too. After all, the main lesson the author learned from life in China is: never give up and never be afraid of sharp turns; it gave her an understanding that happiness lives inside each of us.