Out of the Gobi

Foreword by Janet Yellen

Weijian Shan's Out of the Gobi is a powerful memoir and commentary that is poised to become one of the most important books on China of our time. It holds the potential to reshape how Americans view China and how the Chinese perceive life in America.

Shan, a former hard labourer who is now one of Asia's best-known financiers, offers an observant, eloquent, and brutally honest narrative. This positions him perfectly to tell the story of a life that reflects modern China, and how that life improbably became intertwined with America. Out of the Gobi vividly portrays the raw human energy and determination to succeed against all odds.

Shan had only completed elementary school when Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution fragmented his country. He witnessed the brutality and absurdity of Mao's policies during one of the most tumultuous periods in China's history. Exiled to the Gobi Desert at age 15 and denied formal education for 10 years, he endured numerous hardships, yet never abandoned his dream of obtaining an education. Shan's improbable journey, from the Gobi to the "People's Republic of Berkeley" and beyond, embodies a uniquely American success story—told with humour, deep insight, and rich detail.

This authoritative and personal perspective on China and America will influence Americans' views of China, humanising the country, while offering a rare perspective of America from the vantage point of a perceptive foreign observer who has lived the American dream.

Janet Yellen, former chair of the Federal Reserve, comments: "Shan's life exemplifies what is possible when China and the United States converge, even by happenstance. The book captivates not only because of Shan's personal history but also how the stories of China and America intersect in a singular moment to create an inspired individual, uniquely driven, and representative of the true spirits of both countries."