comment on structure

The structure of this book largely follows the individuals that Osnos chooses to profile. Having lived in China for eight years, the author undoubtedly had a significant amount of acquaintances and experiences from which to choose when providing examples, thus his choices represent a level of control over the arguments the book conveys. Additionally, he arranges his experiences thematically, grouping different stories into chapters about similar topics and chapters into three longer parts that also convey unified themes.