Better understand modern China and discover the secrets of more efficient language learning. Authors Stewart Lee Beck and Katie Lu first connected as struggling student and language professional over ten years ago. They collaborated on this book to share their many entertaining experiences and insights gained along the bumpy road to Mandarin language proficiency.
The China Simplified book series explores and demystifies the country and its people for the rest of the world. By shifting our collective attention beyond the 1% (hot-button issues in the mass media) to the other 99% (relevant conversations about language, history, business, and more), the China Simplified team hopes to raise cultural awareness and increase mutual understanding.
PRAISE FOR LANGUAGE EMPOWERMENT
"I suddenly feel as if the scales have been lifted from my eyes."
— Carol Potter, Executive Vice Chairman at Edelman
"A lively and original approach to navigating the bottomless mysteries of Chinese language and culture."
— David Brooks, Chairman, Coca-Cola Greater China & Korea
"Ridiculously funny, uncomfortably accurate, and totally memorable!"
— Grant Horsfield, Founder, naked Group
"I wish a book like this existed when I moved to China."
— Dan Washburn, Chief Content Officer, Asia Society
"It’s not a textbook; it’s just stuff you should know."
— John Pasden, Founder and CEO, AllSet Learning
"I learned an enlightening cache of information about the country, its people, and its language from a non-native speaker."
— Paul Chin, CEO, Bacardi Greater China, North Asia & Oceania
"Totally authentic."
— Christine Ng, CEO, BBH China
"Reveals insights that many teachers and textbooks overlook."
— Olle Linge, Mandarin Language Educator, Founder Hacking Chinese
"Weaves together rich cultural and linguistic background information of the Chinese language with practical implications for daily communication."
— Michael Volz, Chinese Program Coordinator, University of Missouri
"This book should be required reading for every foreigner before getting on the plane to China."
— Miao Jun, former HR Director, Asia-Pacific, Milliken Inc.
READER BENEFITS
Demystify Chinese culture and fire up your Mandarin! Understand the Chinese family of languages dating back to ancient China.Gain confidence and get more out of your China travel with this (real-life) China travel guide. Pick up an improved understanding of Chinese grammar.Discover an enjoyable substitute to the typical boring Mandarin phrasebook.Source useful phrases for your Mandarin flash cards.Learn how Simplified Chinese characters and Traditional Chinese characters parted paths and the arguments in favor of each.Become familiar with the basics of Chinese dialects such as Cantonese, Shanghainese, Hokkien (Fujianhua) and more.Explore the future of language and the looming battle between English and Mandarin for lingua franca supremacy.Decide whether to study Mandarin Chinese part-time or full-time and (either way) to have huge fun doing it! The China Simplified team hopes you enjoy Language Empowerment.
And check out the second book in our series: History Flashback!
Stewart Lee Beck 李渡 is a writer and producer who's lived and worked among the Chinese for 24 years. Stewart has helped raise nearly $15 million for children's charities in China. He refers to his Malaysian-Chinese wife as "the crazy woman who keeps me sane."
Katie Lu 卢海妍 is a native Chinese who dreams in English. She runs two businesses: PITT Services (translation and training) and EnglishPlus (children's English learning). Katie and her team have taught hundreds of struggling and genius language students alike.
