This is a must-read for anyone interested in China.
Despite the fact that it's obvious at some points the book was self-published (a few spelling mistakes and repeated sentences) and reads a bit like an essay at times (I think the footnotes should have been placed at the end of the book), it was still a helluva interesting read.
The first few chapters did read very much like a university essay, which isn't a bad thing, just different. It was still information worth knowing. But when Schaerer stars really going into detail about his arrest and time in detention, I couldn't put the book down. I couldn't imagine what it felt like to go through this, even though he did his best to make you feel like you were there with him. It was hard to believe this wasn't some well-planned piece of fiction, but an actual retelling of this poor man's experience.
I'm glad to have read his story, for that means he really did escape the CCP (Chinese Communist Party).
I'm also impressed at how fast he seemed to put this book together. judging by the information and footnotes, he was still writing/researching stuff for this book as early as February of this year. The work he put into making this not only a great yet informative book really shows. Well written and a great (yet depressing) read.
I do think he could have spelled out the swear words, though, instead of censoring them. Maybe that's just the bit of CCP propaganda leftover from his time in detention.
All in all, I highly recommend this book. It's a great educational experience.
Surviving Chinese Communist Detention
By Steven Schaerer
Steven Schaerer