Recently I took a vacation to China. I finished three great books while there:

Asia’s Cauldron. Excellent introduction to geopolitical realities of the South China Sea. This will be one of the most tense military regions in the 21st century.

Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China. Excellent summary of trials and tribulations in modern Chinese life.

Biography of Deng Xiaoping. It’s hard to understand how modern China became an economic powerhouse without learning about this man. The book is scholarly and long, so skimming is fine. I found parts about normalization of relations with the USA particularly interesting.