I just finished reading "Iron and Silk" by Mark Salzman, and while it's been around for awhile, I enjoyed it immensely and would highly recommend it to anyone planning a trip to China. It's a true story about the author's experiences while teaching English in China during the mid-'80s. Provides a fascinating (and highly readable) inside look at the culture.
Anyone else have book (fiction or non-fiction) recommendations for travelers (or traveler-to-be) to Asia?
Good books for Asian travelers
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Iron and Silk is a pretty easy read. I read that and River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze by Peter Hessler before coming to China for a teaching position. Sort of an enthographic novel about his experiences teaching English for the Peace Corps. Maybe a bit more rich is description than Iron and Silk. I would recommend both books.
Try "Hungry Ghosts" by Jasper Becker, or how Mao's Great Leap Forward measures caused a massive, ideologically-made famine all over China.
"Falling leaves" by Adeline Yen Mah is interesting also. It's the "true story of an unwanted daughter".
And if you have a deeper interest into Mao's psyche, take a look at "The private life of Chairman Mao", written by his personal physician Zhisui Li.
How about for southeast Asia? And any novels?
Check out Bangkok 8 (novel) by John Burdett
J. Burdett has a sequel to Bangkok 8 entitled Bangkok Tattoo.
I thought The Piano Tuner (about Burma) was excellent. An non-ficton book about Laos that I loved was Stalking the Elephant Kings.
I have lots more - I'll have to go look at my stacks of books.
Four Reigns is also an enjoyable novel about Thailand spanning several generations. Wild Swans is a powerful true story about 3 generations of women in China that provides an extraordinary (and harrowing) inside view of the Cultural Revolution.
i am planning a trip to vietnam & laos and have just finished some great reads.
Catfish & mandala by andrew pham
a travelogue by bike thru vietnam
one foot in lao...by dervla murphy
down highway one...by sue downie
shopping for buddhas (about nepal)
all excellent journeys
If Laos you would also like Ant Egg Soup (The adventures of a Food Tourist in Laos) by Natacha du Pont de Bie and Stalking the Elephant Kings by Christopher Kremmer. Both are by people who traveled extensively through Laos with a purpose (the food or the king) but who have some amazing experiences along the way. I had to really look to track these down, but I would recommend a Thai company (I believe the web address is www.dcothai.com). A google search will turn them up somewhere. Enjoy reading!