A Best China Book of 2008

Access Asia has named The China Price one of its best books of 2008. "Perfectly timed to deal with the rising costs of production, the moves inland, the recession and factory closures and the stupidity of companies who claimed they were effectively auditing their suppliers," the research group noted. "Harney gets it all down in a readable fashion and nails her subject." The nomination prompted a fiery debate on Danwei.org, which is interesting in itself. Read the review and the debate here.

Access Asia cracks me up

The most amusing people writing about China today have got to be the guys at Access Asia in Shanghai. Paul French and pals never fail to crack me up, often because what they joke about is so true. The latest, from their weekly newsletter, I paste below:

And Finally...
Access Asia Travel Guide...
Looking for Somewhere Relaxing for the Summer?
Then why not opt for somewhere far from the madding crowds, where the traffic is light, there are no soap-dodging goatee-bearded backpackers to annoy you and hardly another foreigner in sight. Yes? Then you should try Beijing this August. Highlights include:

Wonderfully deserted hotels - many with less than 60% occupancy;
Traffic free streets - thanks to bans on cars;
No soap-dodgers - all students kicked out;
Airy, spacious... and completely empty shopping malls for you to enjoy the free air-con thanks to overbuilding;
A good chance of upgrades on flights as unfilled seats line the aisles;
Peaceful nights as all outdoor parties are officially banned.
So, why not get away from all the hustle and bustle and head to Beijing - you don't even need to bring a camera, as your idyllic holiday will be recorded on one of thousands of networked CCTV cameras providing a wonderful souvenir of your stay.