{"product_id":"out-of-the-gobi-my-story-of-china-and-america-hardcover","title":"Out of the Gobi: My Story of China and America - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eWeijian Shan\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eJanet Yellen\u003c\/b\u003e (Foreword by)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eForeword by Janet Yellen\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWeijian Shan's \u003ci\u003eOut of the Gobi\u003c\/i\u003e is a powerful memoir and commentary that will be one of the most important books on China of our time, one with the potential to re-shape how Americans view China, and how the Chinese view life in America.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eShan, a former hard laborer who is now one of Asia's best-known financiers, is thoughtful, observant, eloquent, and brutally honest, making him well-positioned to tell the story of a life that is a microcosm of modern China, and of how, improbably, that life became intertwined with America. \u003ci\u003eOut of the Gobi\u003c\/i\u003e draws a vivid picture of the raw human energy and the will to succeed against all odds.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eShan only finished elementary school when Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution tore his country apart. He was a witness to the brutality and absurdity of Mao's policies during one of the most tumultuous eras in China's history. Exiled to the Gobi Desert at age 15 and denied schooling for 10 years, he endured untold hardships without ever giving up his dream for an education. Shan's improbable journey, from the Gobi to the \"People's Republic of Berkeley\" and far beyond, is a uniquely American success story - told with a splash of humor, deep insight and rich and engaging detail.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis powerful and personal perspective on China and America will inform Americans' view of China, humanizing the country, while providing a rare view of America from the prism of a keen foreign observer who lived the American dream.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSays former Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen: \"Shan's life provides a demonstration of what is possible when China and the United States come together, even by happenstance. It is not only Shan's personal history that makes this book so interesting but also how the stories of China and America merge in just one moment in time to create an inspired individual so unique and driven, and so representative of the true sprits of both countries.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWeijian Shan's \u003ci\u003eOut of the Gobi\u003c\/i\u003e is a powerful memoir and commentary that will be one of the most important books on China of our time, one with the potential to reshape how Americans view China, and how the Chinese view life in America. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShan, a former hard laborer who is now one of Asia's best-known financiers, is thoughtful, observant, eloquent, and brutally honest, making him well positioned to tell the story of a life that is a microcosm of modern China, and of how, improbably, that life became intertwined with America. \u003ci\u003eOut of the Gobi\u003c\/i\u003e draws a vivid picture of raw human energy and the will to succeed against all odds. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is also the story of how Shan's relentless drive, coupled with his prodigious intellect, put him at the center of one of the most important economic shifts in modern history. Shan's improbable journey, from the People's Republic of China to the \"People's Republic of Berkeley\" and beyond, is a uniquely American success story--told with a splash of humor, deep insight, and rich and engaging detail. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is an insider's account that marries the immediacy and vibrancy of Shan's extraordinary experiences with the informed analysis of a US-trained economist and accomplished investor to shed light on China's rise and its relationship with the US. This powerful and personal perspective on China and America will shape Americans' view of China, humanizing the country while honestly confronting its many deficiencies. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBorn and raised in Beijing, Shan only finished elementary school when Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution tore his country apart. He was a witness to the brutality and absurdity of Mao's policies during one of the most tumultuous eras in China's history. Exiled to the Gobi Desert at age 15, he spent his formative years doing hard labor. Denied schooling \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003efor 10 years and a secondary education altogether, he returned to Beijing 6 years later, in time to witness Mao Zedong's death and the start of economic reforms that would transform China. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRiding this new wave of openness, Shan became one of the first Chinese students in the US in the early 1980s. Only five years after leaving the Gobi, he found himself sharing a laugh with Senator Dianne Feinstein, as captured in a photo in the book. He went on to become a PhD candidate at the University of California, Berkeley, a professor at the Wharton School, and ultimately one of Asia's most respected investors. His background makes him not only unique but also uniquely well qualified to comment on China and its position in the world and vis-à-vis the United States that is struggling to redefine its role at a challenging and complex time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePRAISE FOR \u003ci\u003eOUT OF THE GOBI\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"A personal history of China in its Mao and post-Mao periods written by one of China's brightest people. Worth reading and, more importantly, understanding the 'great leap forward'!\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eDianne Feinstein, U.S. Senator for California\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"This is no ordinary memoir. It is the engrossing, vivid personal story of someone buffeted by the tides of China's tumultuous emergence from poverty to power in the space of a few decades. Weijian Shan's journey from rural exile in the Gobi Desert to the heights of international finance is a metaphor for China itself.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eJames Kynge, global China editor, \u003ci\u003eFinancial Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"This is more than a memoir, it's an epic. Shan's improbable journey from his teenage exile in a bleak Gobi Desert work camp to becoming a renowned leader of international finance could be the stuff of fiction. \u003ci\u003eOut of the Gobi\u003c\/i\u003e is a must-read for anyone wanting a deeper understanding of modern China and a window from which to view our nation as well.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eJeffrey Katzenberg, founder, WndrCo, former chairman, Walt Disney Studios, and co-founder and CEO, DreamWorks Animation\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eOut of the Gobi\u003c\/i\u003e is a fascinating, inspiring book. It told me what I hadn't known about China through its modern struggles and successes, and about how the United States looks from the world's perspective, and about human ingenuity, courage, and humor that have no national limitations.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eJames Fallows, \u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"To help us appreciate the story, Shan has provided a historical backdrop chapter by chapter, so that we can fully appreciate his personal journey. How Shan lived through a series of misadventures, wound up as an investment banker in the United States, and later became one of Asia's shrewdest investors is a tale worth reading. You will emerge with a better understanding of what China is and how it got there.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eDavid Bonderman, co-founder and chairman, TPG Capital\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"Weijian Shan's astonishing story is a modern Chinese odyssey, an epic of personal and political drama, defined, above all, by sheer grit and resilience. Before he made it to Berkeley, Wharton, and the upper ranks of global finance, Shan made it out of the Gobi Desert by telling himself, 'I will never give up.' Indeed, he never did.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eEvan Osnos, author of \u003ci\u003eAge of Ambition, \u003c\/i\u003e winner of the 2014 National Book Award\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"Weijian Shan's remarkable journey paints a picture of grit, determination, and a gift for learning. Well-written, and filled with passionate and poignant insights, \u003ci\u003eOut of the Gobi\u003c\/i\u003e is a compelling read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the character and determination of the people who will ultimately render history's verdict on China.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eStephen Roach, \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003esenior fellow, Yale University, former chairman, Morgan Stanley Asia, and author of\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eUnbalanced: The Codependency of America and China\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWEIJIAN SHAN\u003c\/b\u003e is chairman and CEO of PAG, a private equity firm. Prior to PAG, he was a partner at TPG, a private equity firm based in San Francisco, and co-managing partner at TPG Asia (formerly known as Newbridge Capital). He led a number of landmark transactions, including the acquisitions of Korea First Bank and China's Shenzhen Development Bank, both of which made his investors billions of dollars in profits and were made into case studies by Harvard Business School. Previously, Shan was a managing director at JP Morgan, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a farm laborer in China's Gobi Desert. He holds an MA and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from the University of San Francisco. He studied English at Beijing Institute of Foreign Trade (now University of International Business and Economics), where he also taught as a faculty member. He received no formal secondary education.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 480\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.4 x 9.1 x 6.1 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 17, 2019\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51772715893024,"sku":"9781119529491","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/731de704edc8177e757be994b9d7bb0b.webp?v=1780412336","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/out-of-the-gobi-my-story-of-china-and-america-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}