Author(s): Jung Chang
Publisher: Anchor
Pages: 528
Binding: Paperback
If you want to understand the underlying psychology and philosophy of a corrupt totalitarian regime, this book is for you. It's all told from the point-of-view of the author, who survived the Maoist regime herself and also details the experiences of her mother and grandmother spanning all of the twentieth century. You'll see how for the Chinese, the concept of a dictatorial ruler and a mystical god are united into one -- something which Mao was highly skillful at exploiting. Yet you'll also see, especially in the author, how the yearning for Westernized values of liberty, material progress, and reason, are to some extent always present in the minds of many Chinese. Seeing through Mao's weakness and ultimate unimportance was key to the author's emotional and physical survival.