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Oracle Bones A Journey Between China's Past and Present

by Peter Hessler
$21.90 Now $18.90 Save 14% more
Oracle Bones A Journey Between China's Past and Present - Thryft
Oracle Bones A Journey Between China's Past and Present - Thryft

China's metamorphosis through intimate human stories.

"Oracle Bones" isn't just a historical account; it's a deep dive into the lives of individuals swept up in China's rapid evolution. The interweaving of past and present, personal and national, makes it a compelling read which not only educates but humanizes the vast narrative of change. Imagine walking through the multifaceted realities of China's people as you piece together a puzzle that is as personal as it is political. This book will resonate if you're interested in the seismic shifts of a nation told through the lens of its citizens.

  • National Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction (2006)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
Sale

Oracle Bones A Journey Between China's Past and Present

by Peter Hessler
$21.90 Now $18.90 Save 14% more
ISBN: 9780060826581
Authors: Peter Hessler
Publisher: Harper
Date of Publication: 2006-04-25
Format: Hardcover
Related Collections: Biographies & Memoirs, Politics, History, Travel
Related Topics: Politics, Memoir, Biography, History, Journalism, Memoir, Biography, Asia, Politics, History, Memoir
Goodreads rating: 4.21
(rated by 7212 readers)

Description

From the acclaimed author of River Town comes a rare portrait, both intimate and epic, of twenty-first-century China as it opens its doors to the outside world. A century ago, outsiders saw China as a place where nothing ever changes. Today the country has become one of the most dynamic regions on earth. That sense of time—the contrast between past and present, and the rhythms that emerge in a vast, ever-evolving country—is brilliantly illuminated by Peter Hessler in Oracle Bones, a book that explores the human side of China's transformation. Hessler tells the story of modern-day China and its growing links to the Western world as seen through the lives of a handful of ordinary people. In addition to the author, an American writer living in Beijing, the narrative follows Polat, a member of a forgotten ethnic minority, who moves to the United States in search of freedom; William Jefferson Foster, who grew up in an illiterate family and becomes a teacher; Emily, a migrant factory worker in a city without a past; and Chen Mengjia, a scholar of oracle-bone inscriptions, the earliest known writing in East Asia, and a man whose tragic story has been lost since the Cultural Revolution. All are migrants, emigrants, or wanderers who find themselves far from home, their lives dramatically changed by historical forces they are struggling to understand. Peter Hessler excavates the past and puts a remarkable human face on the history he uncovers. In a narrative that gracefully moves between the ancient and the present, the East and the West, Hessler captures the soul of a country that is undergoing a momentous change before our eyes.
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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Similar Reads

China's metamorphosis through intimate human stories.

"Oracle Bones" isn't just a historical account; it's a deep dive into the lives of individuals swept up in China's rapid evolution. The interweaving of past and present, personal and national, makes it a compelling read which not only educates but humanizes the vast narrative of change. Imagine walking through the multifaceted realities of China's people as you piece together a puzzle that is as personal as it is political. This book will resonate if you're interested in the seismic shifts of a nation told through the lens of its citizens.

  • National Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction (2006)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.