So a few weeks ago, in the midst of final exam week, I started to create my epic summer reading list. A good chunk of them have to do with China. I stole alot of them off Donald Trump’s recommended list , which after doing a little investigation seems to contain alot of great titles!

After scanning on the descriptions on Amazon.com I decided to start with a biography, not of a Chinese person but probably the most influential Westerner to ever set foot in the middle kingdom. His name was Joseph Needham and ,well I’ll let the author tell you…

How is it that I’ve never heard of this man?! So far I’m about half way through the book and it’s a really interesting read. Simon Winchester is able to cover a large degree of the Needham’s life while still keeping a pretty solid pace as well as the readers interest. One thing that really struck me about China during WWII was the thriving scientific community. Needham’s mission was to go into China and raise the moral of the scientific community there and supply them with equipment they needed to maintain their research. In almost every area he travels too he finds Chinese scientists trained in the finest western schools, masters of their field. Meanwhile Needham is collecting every piece of information he can get his hands on in China, establishing contacts and sending books back to Cambridge, all to form what, as Winchester put it ” The greatest book ever written on China in the English language”. I’ve never seen or heard of it before reading this book but apperently it’s responsible for giving credit to many of the worlds greatest inventions to China ,where credit was due. You’ll get to learn alot about Chinese history and culture along the way and although I haven’t completed it yet but for what I’ve read so far it definitely gets a thumbs up.

Amazon:The Man Who Loved China

*Note:China really has to give credit to it’s female population, as they have done more on improving for Chinese International Relations then any diplomat ever could*