China's economy has been booming for decades now. A formidable and emerging power on the world stage, the China that most Americans picture is only a rough sketch, based on American news coverage, policy, and ways of understanding.

Enter Keyu Jin: a world-renowned economist who was born in China, educated in the U.S., and is now a tenured professor at the London School of Economics. Even more compelling, Jin is part of the younger generation that has seen the rapid growth and change of the Chinese economy as it has shifted from primarily state-owned enterprise to an economy that is thriving in entrepreneurship, and participation in the global economy.

The China that Jin depicts is emergent and fascinating, with a young population that is go-getting, and dedicated to Chinese ways of life. What follows is an illuminating account of a burgeoning world power, its past, and its potential future.