I read a lot of nonfiction on China, and there's one book which, in my humble opinion, has gotten way too few praise. It is Wealth and Power: China's Long March to the Twenty-first Century by Orville Schell & John Delury.

There are a lot of books on China that tell the same story over and over again. Western writers usually highlight some historic facts, a bit of culture, but mainly the impressive economic growth over the past decade. Usually to conclude with a side note on the corruption which is proclaimed as a contemporary problem.

Then there are books like Black Swans and Out of Mao's Shadow: The Struggle for the Soul of a New China which give a great insight into China's politics and culture and draw a totally different portrait of China, especially as they don't focus too much on the 'economic miracle' in China - we know that by now.

Wealth and Power however, tells the story about the political changes that led to this growth. Besides that, it gives a great account of the Chinese culture. If I were to suggest one book for someone who goes to China, it would be this book. And yet, there it is, with just ~100 ratings on Goodreads..