This is a very well written book that is informative in ways that other books cannot.The book provides a very rare glimpse of inner political workings of China, and it is nothing like how things work in the US.The author and his ex-wife were formerly insiders of the highest levels of China.They were masters of guanxi, or trusting relationship, to create business opportunities for themselves as well as for their political patrons. It is a formula that has enriched countless Chinese business people, bureaucrats, politicians, and communist elite.The author, with high degree of credibility, asserts that the present Chinese system is not only extremely corrupt, but it is also designed to protect & prosper its communist elite. The entire Chinese system is about benefiting the Chinese communist elites and their descendants. Those who play the game brilliantly can become, like the author and his ex-wife, very wealthy.The author is a very good observer and he sees the big picture. He believes the Chinese economic success had an awful price: China has become an win-at-all-costs society in which ethics, integrity, societal responsibilities are discarded for the losers. In China, it is almost impossible to acquire tremendous wealth & success without also benefiting (paying off) the communist elites and the bureaucrats. Now, China is descending into political authoritarianism that threatens any rights and civil liberties the Chinese had enjoyed as citizens in the last 30 years.If you want to understand how communist China works, then you must read this book. It is highly recommended.Pros:1)Unique book on China with insiders information on the inner workings of its system.2)Very well written.3)Fascinating look at the personal lives of the author, his ex-wife, and various movers & shakers of China.4)Deep and thoughtful analysis on the present day China and its near future.5)The author has tremendous courage to write this book and we benefit from it.Cons:1)I wish the book was even longer. It was a real page-turner.