Reviews
I can't think of any story that better captures the exhilaration and the agony of our pell-mell globalization. China's Great Train is a powerful piece of reporting and of reflection, and it never edges away from the tough questions., "I can't think of any story that better captures the exhilaration and the agony of our pell-mell globalization.China's Great Trainis a powerful piece of reporting and of reflection, and it never edges away from the tough questions."Bill McKibben, author ofDeep Economy "Lustgarten has pulled off something quite extraordinary: by shining a finely-pointed and intimate light on a handful of people directly affected by one of the modern era's greatest engineering featsor follieshe has rendered a far broader portrait of what happens when two great cultures come into collision. In the process, he not only explores the age-old question of what price progress, but the far more essential question of just how progress might be defined. A must read for anyone who seeks to understand the colossal changes taking place in today's China."Scott Anderson, author ofMoonlight HotelandThe Man Who Tried to Save the World "China's Great Trainis a wonderful account of a project that combined technological ambition, nationalistic and ethnic hubris, and individual determination, cunning, and vision. It is a saga in the spirit of David McCullough's accounts of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Panama Canal but about a project happening right now. Its implications aren't all positiveabout China, Tibet, or the process of modernizationbut Abrahm Lustgarten does an admirable job of leading the reader to surprising understandings of all those topics."James Fallows, author ofBlind Into BaghdadandLooking at the Sun "Lustgarten lifts the rug off the grand national project of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. His compelling descriptions of bureaucratic struggles and bitter human costs are contrasted with the great Chinese national pride and the heroism of those who tried to solve the problems to make the train work. This is an insider's view and an important contribution to understanding the enigmas of China."James R. Lilley, author ofChina Handsand former U.S. ambassador to the People's Republic of China, "I can't think of any story that better captures the exhilaration and the agony of our pell-mell globalization. China's Great Train is a powerful piece of reporting and of reflection, and it never edges away from the tough questions." -- Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy "Lustgarten has pulled off something quite extraordinary: by shining a finely-pointed and intimate light on a handful of people directly affected by one of the modern era's greatest engineering feats--or follies--he has rendered a far broader portrait of what happens when two great cultures come into collision. In the process, he not only explores the age-old question of what price progress, but the far more essential question of just how progress might be defined. A must read for anyone who seeks to understand the colossal changes taking place in today's China." -- Scott Anderson, author of Moonlight Hotel and The Man Who Tried to Save the World " China's Great Train is a wonderful account of a project that combined technological ambition, nationalistic and ethnic hubris, and individual determination, cunning, and vision. It is a saga in the spirit of David McCullough's accounts of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Panama Canal --but about a project happening right now. Its implications aren't all positive--about China, Tibet, or the process of modernization--but Abrahm Lustgarten does an admirable job of leading the reader to surprising understandings of all those topics." -- James Fallows, author of Blind Into Baghdad and Looking at the Sun "Lustgarten lifts the rug off the grand national project of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. His compelling descriptions of bureaucratic struggles and bitter human costs are contrasted with the great Chinese national pride and the heroism of those who tried to solve the problems to make the train work. This is an insider's view and an important contribution to understanding the enigmas of China." -- James R. Lilley, author of China Hands and former U.S. ambassador to the People's Republic of China, "I can't think of any story that better captures the exhilaration and the agony of our pell-mell globalization. China's Great Train is a powerful piece of reporting and of reflection, and it never edges away from the tough questions."-Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy "Lustgarten has pulled off something quite extraordinary: by shining a finely-pointed and intimate light on a handful of people directly affected by one of the modern era's greatest engineering feats-or follies-he has rendered a far broader portrait of what happens when two great cultures come into collision. In the process, he not only explores the age-old question of what price progress, but the far more essential question of just how progress might be defined. A must read for anyone who seeks to understand the colossal changes taking place in today's China."-Scott Anderson, author of Moonlight Hotel and The Man Who Tried to Save the World " China's Great Train is a wonderful account of a project that combined technological ambition, nationalistic and ethnic hubris, and individual determination, cunning, and vision. It is a saga in the spirit of David McCullough's accounts of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Panama Canal -but about a project happening right now. Its implications aren't all positive-about China, Tibet, or the process of modernization-but Abrahm Lustgarten does an admirable job of leading the reader to surprising understandings of all those topics."-James Fallows, author of Blind Into Baghdad and Looking at the Sun "Lustgarten lifts the rug off the grand national project of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. His compelling descriptions of bureaucratic struggles and bitter human costs are contrasted with the great Chinese national pride and the heroism of those who tried to solve the problems to make the train work. This is an insider's view and an important contribution to understanding the enigmas of China."-James R. Lilley, author of China Hands and former U.S. ambassador to the People's Republic of China, Lustgarten has pulled off something quite extraordinary: by shining a finely-pointed and intimate light on a handful of people directly affected by one of the modern era's greatest engineering feats--or follies--he has rendered a far broader portrait of what happens when two great cultures come into collision. In the process, he not only explores the age-old question of what price progress, but the far more essential question of just how progress might be defined. A must read for anyone who seeks to understand the colossal changes taking place in today's China., "I can't think of any story that better captures the exhilaration and the agony of our pell-mell globalization. China's Great Train is a powerful piece of reporting and of reflection, and it never edges away from the tough questions."Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy "Lustgarten has pulled off something quite extraordinary: by shining a finely-pointed and intimate light on a handful of people directly affected by one of the modern era's greatest engineering featsor follieshe has rendered a far broader portrait of what happens when two great cultures come into collision. In the process, he not only explores the age-old question of what price progress, but the far more essential question of just how progress might be defined. A must read for anyone who seeks to understand the colossal changes taking place in today's China."Scott Anderson, author of Moonlight Hotel and The Man Who Tried to Save the World " China's Great Train is a wonderful account of a project that combined technological ambition, nationalistic and ethnic hubris, and individual determination, cunning, and vision. It is a saga in the spirit of David McCullough's accounts of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Panama Canal but about a project happening right now. Its implications aren't all positiveabout China, Tibet, or the process of modernizationbut Abrahm Lustgarten does an admirable job of leading the reader to surprising understandings of all those topics."James Fallows, author of Blind Into Baghdad and Looking at the Sun "Lustgarten lifts the rug off the grand national project of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. His compelling descriptions of bureaucratic struggles and bitter human costs are contrasted with the great Chinese national pride and the heroism of those who tried to solve the problems to make the train work. This is an insider's view and an important contribution to understanding the enigmas of China."James R. Lilley, author of China Hands and former U.S. ambassador to the People's Republic of China, China's Great Train is a wonderful account of a project that combined technological ambition, nationalistic and ethnic hubris, and individual determination, cunning, and vision. It is a saga in the spirit of David McCullough's accounts of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Panama Canal --but about a project happening right now. Its implications aren't all positive--about China, Tibet, or the process of modernization--but Abrahm Lustgarten does an admirable job of leading the reader to surprising understandings of all those topics., Lustgarten lifts the rug off the grand national project of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. His compelling descriptions of bureaucratic struggles and bitter human costs are contrasted with the great Chinese national pride and the heroism of those who tried to solve the problems to make the train work. This is an insider's view and an important contribution to understanding the enigmas of China.
