Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future

A riveting, firsthand investigation of China’s seismic technological progress, its human costs, and what it means for the United States, written by expert technology analyst Dan Wang!

About the Book: For nearly a decade, technology analyst Dan Wang has lived through China’s astonishing and complex transformation. While its towering bridges, gleaming railways, and sprawling factories have accelerated economic outcomes in record time, this rapid modernization has also inflicted deep societal pain through political repression, strict surveillance, and the enduring traumas of policies like the one-child mandate and zero-Covid. In Breakneck, Wang combines sharp political, economic, and philosophical analysis with immersive reportage across metropolises like Shanghai, Chongqing, and Shenzhen. He argues that this dual reality is the result of China’s engineering mindset—contrasting it with an increasingly lawyerly United States that struggles to build. Challenging traditional narratives, Wang unmasks the surprising similarities between both superpowers and explores how each might learn from the other's strengths.

Key Features & Benefits:

• Firsthand Expertise: Written by Dan Wang, a respected technology analyst and gifted observer with deep, lived experience of contemporary China.

• Provocative Comparative Framework: Contrasts China's ambitious "engineering state" model with the systemic gridlock of Western legal and political structures.

• Immersive Reportage: Traverses major hubs like Shanghai and Shenzhen while candidly addressing both the dazzling infrastructure and the severe human costs of social engineering.

• The Perfect Gift: An essential, thought-provoking read for policymakers, economists, tech enthusiasts, and anyone deeply interested in global affairs and modern geopolitics.