[0BN]≫ PDF Free Apologies to My Censor The High and Low Adventures of a Foreigner in China Mitch Moxley 9780062124432 Books

Apologies to My Censor The High and Low Adventures of a Foreigner in China Mitch Moxley 9780062124432 Books

Download As PDF : Apologies to My Censor The High and Low Adventures of a Foreigner in China Mitch Moxley 9780062124432 Books

Apologies to My Censor The High and Low Adventures of a Foreigner in China Mitch Moxley 9780062124432 Books

There are many China expat memoirs on the market and this is, well, another one. On the positive side, it's reasonably up to date (as of 2013), so even though the author's tenure stretched back to pre-Olympics Beijing it still seems fairly fresh. A lot of the neighborhoods, locations and bar/restaurants are still in business. And if you're thinking of moving to Beijing or considering an expat posting somewhere quite foreign to your home country it's worth a quick read. Anyone thinking about an expat stint ought to carefully consider both the lows and the highs that are likely to be in store. Another plus is that the author seems pretty honest about his own failings, namely, a fair amount of aimlessness, and a real lack of initiative and effort in doing his job at his first employer in China. It's refreshing when he finally gets motivated and leaves Beijing to do a couple of more in-depth stories, and interesting to follow along on his reporting trips.

However, the author's honest admissions about his failings also presents one of the problems with this book. In many places the author just isn't that likable. He struggles to find motivation, and fritters away a lot of the opportunities he was presented. On some occasions he comes across more like a college sophomore struggling to pick a major than a 30-ish professional who's attempting to conduct serious journalism in a foreign country. After awhile the angst -- should the author stay in Beijing or go -- becomes repetitive and doesn't seem to move the narrative forward.

In the end this is a mix of mild expat adventures in China plus a few "inside the scenes" tales of how a journalist gets some moderately interesting stories written in China. For a fresh take on the China experience, it's OK. But there are much better places to start if you're just starting to read current memoirs of journalists in China. Read any (or all) of Peter Hessler's books before you read this.


Tags : Apologies to My Censor: The High and Low Adventures of a Foreigner in China [Mitch Moxley] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The story of a young man's outrageous adventures in China and his search for identity in the most unexpected of places. Mitch Moxley came to Beijing in the spring of 2007 to take a job as a writer and editor for <em>China Daily</em>,Mitch Moxley,Apologies to My Censor: The High and Low Adventures of a Foreigner in China,Harper Perennial,0062124439,Canadians - China,Canadians;China;Biography.,China - Civilization - 2002-,China - Social conditions - 2000-,China - Social life and customs - 2002-,Journalists - Canada,Journalists - China,Journalists;Canada;Biography.,Journalists;China;Biography.,Moxley, Mitch,Asia - China,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Personal Memoirs,Biography,Biography Autobiography,Canada,Canadians,China,Description And Travel,Journalists,Personal Memoirs,TRAVEL Asia China,Travel,Travel writing,TravelAsia - China

Apologies to My Censor The High and Low Adventures of a Foreigner in China Mitch Moxley 9780062124432 Books Reviews

I enjoyed this book....so many things tourists do not see...why no mention of spitting .....I lived and worked in Asia and Africa but never got into the club, drinking, drug, sex scene too many other things to do
As a fellow expat in Beijing, I related to a lot of Mitch's experiences. It was fun to read another persons account of life in the city. I like that he was willing to play the token foreigner for a good story.
Mitch makes you laugh, cringe and sometimes feel ashamed, even if you didn't experience the strange things that happened to him. And if you were lucky enough to live in Beijing before, during and after the 08 Olympics, well, he will remind you why this time forever changed your life.
The book is an open, often hilarious, sometimes raw depiction of the experience many expats in China went through during one of the most monumental periods in Chinese history. Mitch doesn't pull any punches (especially on himself), which is admirable.

The "bad China days" and frustrations over seemingly simple actions, to cultural clashes and misunderstandings described in the book are universal (even for those with perfectly workable Mandarin) to expat life in developing countries. In equal measure though, Mitch appreciates the enormity and uniqueness of the time. China was blossoming and dominated news, and to live in Beijing was to feel the epicenter of an earthquake of change in geopolitics. That excitement and wonder is what the book captures.

In full disclosure, I count Mitch as a friend, and we spent roughly the same period of time in China.
Although I don't often buy books with so many free ones available, this one intrigued me, and so I went ahead and purchased it. I am so glad that I did. Thanks, Tall Rice, from Barbara aka good orchid bamboo. I will be going back to the USA in July of 2014, after being in and out of China since 1992, knowing that China will always be in my blood and in my heart, my stomach, and my liver. Keep writing, Meetch. I will continue to buy your books. Great read, from the "bottle of my heart." Xie Xie hao.
It was somewhat interesting but as a parent I kept thinking why are his parents bankrolling him. He was taking advantage of their generousity and behaving poorly.
Wholly self-centered account of flailing around in China with no purpose in life. The author would have been better off reprinting his "The Atlantic" columns, not this woe-is-me account of his years in China.
There are many China expat memoirs on the market and this is, well, another one. On the positive side, it's reasonably up to date (as of 2013), so even though the author's tenure stretched back to pre-Olympics Beijing it still seems fairly fresh. A lot of the neighborhoods, locations and bar/restaurants are still in business. And if you're thinking of moving to Beijing or considering an expat posting somewhere quite foreign to your home country it's worth a quick read. Anyone thinking about an expat stint ought to carefully consider both the lows and the highs that are likely to be in store. Another plus is that the author seems pretty honest about his own failings, namely, a fair amount of aimlessness, and a real lack of initiative and effort in doing his job at his first employer in China. It's refreshing when he finally gets motivated and leaves Beijing to do a couple of more in-depth stories, and interesting to follow along on his reporting trips.

However, the author's honest admissions about his failings also presents one of the problems with this book. In many places the author just isn't that likable. He struggles to find motivation, and fritters away a lot of the opportunities he was presented. On some occasions he comes across more like a college sophomore struggling to pick a major than a 30-ish professional who's attempting to conduct serious journalism in a foreign country. After awhile the angst -- should the author stay in Beijing or go -- becomes repetitive and doesn't seem to move the narrative forward.

In the end this is a mix of mild expat adventures in China plus a few "inside the scenes" tales of how a journalist gets some moderately interesting stories written in China. For a fresh take on the China experience, it's OK. But there are much better places to start if you're just starting to read current memoirs of journalists in China. Read any (or all) of Peter Hessler's books before you read this.