High Tech and Hot Pot
Revealing Encounters Inside the Real China
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3.0 • 1 Rating
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
An award-winning writer reveals a changing China—one conversation and adventure at a time.
When Stephan Orth lands in China, he knows it’s his last visit, having lied about his job as a journalist to get into the country. So, he makes the most of it, couch-surfing with locals instead of hitting the nearest hotel. Starting in Macau—a former Portuguese colony and now gambler’s paradise—Orth takes on the world’s biggest casino. Next, he visits Shenzen, where more than 200 million sidewalk cameras monitor citizens who win and lose points on Sesame Credit, an app that sends data to Alibaba—and to the government. As his adventure continues, Orth encounters a bewildering mix of new tech and old traditions. Over a steaming bowl of hot pot, he learns ancient chopstick etiquette from a policewoman who later demos the facial recognition app she could use to detain him. He eats dog meat as a guest of honor one day—and finds himself censored on live TV the next. He even seriously considers joining an outlawed sect. Self-deprecatingly funny, compassionate, and observant, High Tech and Hot Pot is a formidable addition to a well-loved series, and offers a timely travelogue of an enigmatic country poised to become the world’s next superpower.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
German travel journalist Stephan Orth (Couchsurfing in Iran) delivers one of the most revealing portraits of a vast and complicated country that you’ll ever read as he crisscrosses China to stay with everyday people. He introduces us to hopeful people racing toward the future and unearths amazing details, like a Black Mirror–esque surveillance camera program that rewards citizens’ good behaviour with points they can exchange for credit at an online store. Whether he’s writing about the glitzy, cosmopolitan casinos of Macao or a remote Buddhist retreat, Orth’s self-deprecating humour and boundless curiosity are on full display. Even when he’s digging into China’s uglier problems, like rampant pollution or the persecution of the Muslim Uighurs, Orth manages to charm his hosts. Their resulting candour makes this one-of-a-kind travelogue read like a peek straight into China’s soul.
