Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New ChinaAge of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China
Score Modern
What it's about
Evan Osnos, a New Yorker correspondent in Beijing for eight years, tells the story of China's transformation through ordinary and extraordinary people: an entrepreneur who started an online dating site, an artist who became the country's best-known dissident, an economist who defected from Taiwan, and young people chasing wealth, truth and faith in a country changing at breakneck speed.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award and was a Pulitzer finalist. It's a vivid, human portrait of modern China.
You'll love it if you liked
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
Maximum City
Behind the Beautiful ForeversGood to know
It's from 2014, before China's more recent changes.
By the numbers
- Readers86 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics74 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller3 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz3 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #8 of the 44 politics books we rank
- #15 of the 85 self-help and business books we rank
- #148 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #285 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Practical
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Quick answers
Is Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Award and was a Pulitzer finalist. It ranks #285 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 81.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China about?
Evan Osnos, a New Yorker correspondent in Beijing for eight years, tells the story of China's transformation through ordinary and extraordinary people: an entrepreneur who started an online dating site, an artist who became the country's best-known dissident, an economist who defected from Taiwan, and young people chasing wealth, truth and faith in a country changing at breakneck speed.
How long does it take to read Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China?
About 10 hours (417 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China won?
National Book Award (Nonfiction) winner (2014).
What should I read after Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China?
If you liked it, try Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick, Maximum City by Suketu Mehta or Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo.