Peter Hessler Livres

Drawn by an abiding fascination with Egypt's rich history and civilization, Peter Hessler moved with his wife and twin daughters to Cairo to explore a place that had a powerful hold over his imagination. He wanted to learn Arabic, explore Cairo's neighborhoods, research ancient history, and visit the legendary archaeological digs. After years of covering China for "The New Yorker," friends warned him it would be a much quieter place. But just before his arrival, the Arab Spring had reached Egypt and the country was in chaos. In the midst of the revolution, he attached himself to an important archaeological dig at a site rich in royal tombs known in as al-Madfuna, or "The Buried." He and his wife set out to master Arabic, striking up an important friendship with their language instructor, a cynical political sophisticate named Rifaat. And a very different kind of friendship was formed with their garbage collector, an illiterate neighborhood character named Saaed, whose access to the trash of Cairo would be its own kind of archaeological excavation. Along the way, he meets a family of Chinese small business owners who have cornered the nation's lingerie trade; their pragmatic view of the political crisis is a bracing counterpoint to the West's conventional wisdom. Through the lives of these and other ordinary people in a time of tragedy and heartache, and through connections between contemporary Egypt and its ancient past, Hessler creates an astonishing portrait of a country and its people. What emerges is a book of uncompromising intelligence and humanity -- the story of a land in which a weak state has collapsed but its underlying society remains in many ways painfully the same

From the bestselling author of "Oracle Bones" and "River Town" comes the final book in his award-winning China trilogy, reporting on the human side of the economic revolution in China.

In the heart of Sichuan's Fuling, a city long distanced from the political hustle of Beijing and Shanghai, change is on the horizon. As Fuling evolves, it becomes a site of tension, reform, and growth, while its residents grapple with the uncertain future. Peter Hessler arrived in 1996 as a Peace Corps volunteer, marking the first American presence in over fifty years. Teaching English and American literature at the local college, he explored how Western classics resonate with students shaped by the Communist Party's teachings. His students, in turn, educated him about the complexities of Fuling and the nuances of a radically different society. Hessler's immersion reveals a pivotal moment for the city, balancing its troubled Communist past—including land reform struggles and the Cultural Revolution's impact—with the impending changes brought by the Three Gorges Dam, which threatens to flood Fuling and displace over a million people. Through his travels across Sichuan, he vividly portrays the diverse individuals he encounters, from priests to peasants, sharing their perspectives. This narrative blends Hessler's personal experiences with rich descriptions of the landscape and history, creating an imaginative and poignant account of a city navigating its identity amid transformation.

A century ago, outsiders saw China as a place where nothing ever changes. Today the country has become one of the most dynamic regions on earth. In Oracle Bones, Peter Hessler explores the human side of China's transformation, viewing modern-day China and its growing links to the Western world through the lives of a handful of ordinary people. In a narrative that gracefully moves between the ancient and the present, the East and the West, Hessler captures the soul of a country that is undergoing a momentous change before our eyes.

Full of unforgettable figures and an unrelenting spirit of adventure, Strange Stones is a far-ranging, thought-provoking collection of Peter Hessler’s best reportage—a dazzling display of the powerful storytelling, shrewd cultural insight, and warm sense of humor that are the trademarks of his work. Over the last decade, as a staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of three books, Peter Hessler has lived in Asia and the United States, writing as both native and knowledgeable outsider in these two very different regions. This unusual perspective distinguishes Strange Stones, which showcases Hessler’s unmatched range as a storyteller. “Wild Flavor” invites readers along on a taste test between two rat restaurants in South China. One story profiles Yao Ming, basketball star and China’s most beloved export, another David Spindler, an obsessive and passionate historian of the Great Wall. In “Dr. Don,” Hessler writes movingly about a small-town pharmacist and his relationship with the people he serves. While Hessler’s subjects and locations vary, subtle but deeply important thematic links bind these pieces—the strength of local traditions, the surprising overlap between apparently opposing cultures, and the powerful lessons drawn from individuals who straddle different worlds.

This intimate eyewitness account explores the experiences of two generations of students in China's heartland, revealing how the country's education system reflects its tumultuous changes. Through personal narratives, the book delves into the challenges and transformations faced by students, offering a unique perspective on the broader societal shifts occurring in China.

This introductory management text distills core management topics into 13 user-friendly chapters. Content is augmented by experiential exercises (one per chapter) and "in-basket" exercises.

This book coins the term “Networked Public” to describe the active social actors in new media ecology. The author argues that, in today’s network society, Networked Public Communication is different than, yet has similarities with, mass communication and interpersonal communication. As such it is the emergent paradigm for research. The book reviews the historical, technological and social context for the rising of Networked Public, analyzes its constituents and characteristics, and discusses the categories and features of social media in China. By analyzing abundant cases from recent years, the book provides answers to the key questions at micro, meso and macro-levels, including how information flows under regulation in the process of Networked Public Communication; what its features and models are; what collective action strategies and“resistance culture”have been developed as a result of Internet regulate; the nature of power games among Networked Public, mass media, political forces and capital, and the links with the development of Chinese civil society.

Zum 10. Jahrestag des Arabischen Frühlings: „Originell und zutiefst menschlich – anders als alles, was ich über die ägyptische Revolution gelesen habe.“ Anand Gopal Noch immer blickt die Welt auf den Nahen Osten, um die Folgen des Arabischen Frühlings zu verstehen. Doch aus der Distanz bleibt vieles verborgen. Peter Hessler erzählt die ägyptische Revolution aus dem Alltag der Menschen heraus. Ein Abfallsammler, der aus Kairos Müll mehr herauslesen kann als jeder Archäologe. Ein Arabischlehrer mit Faible für Ägyptens sozialistische Vergangenheit. Und ein schwuler Mann, der in einem Muslimbruder einen unerwarteten Verbündeten findet. In einer brillanten literarischen Reportage bringt Peter Hessler Persönliches und Politisches, Gegenwart und Geschichte zusammen und entwirft so ein schillerndes Porträt einer Gesellschaft im Umbruch.

Dziwne kamienie to zbiór reportaży o Chinach i USA, o relacjach Wschodu z Zachodem, o dużych i małych ambicjach, o przygodzie i niezrozumieniu, ale przede wszystkim o ludziach. Hessler z wyczuciem i humorem opowiada o pekińskiej swatce, która szuka mężów obcokrajowców dla swoich klientek, o amerykańskim naukowcu, którego obsesją stało się badanie Wielkiego Muru, o restauratorach prześcigających się w przyrządzaniu szczurów i „uranowych wdowach” z Kolorado, o światowej sławy koszykarzu, chińskiej malarce tworzącej europejskie krajobrazy, które zna tylko ze zdjęć… Losy tych wyjątkowych osób pokazują niezwykłą zdolność adaptacji, siłę lokalnych tradycji i zaskakujące podobieństwa między zupełnie odmiennymi kulturami. Każde opisane przez Hesslera spotkanie jest fascynującym odkryciem, ale również pretekstem, by opowiedzieć o losie samotnego człowieka w zupełnie obcym świecie. 'Charakterystyczna dla Hesslera dyskretna i pełna humoru pierwszoosobowa narracja prowadzi nas w miejsca egzotyczne i zarazem bardzo zwyczajne. […] Hessler ma wyjątkowy talent do rysowania wyrazistych postaci.' „The Wall Street Journal” 'Przeczytajcie tę książkę. […] To reportaż w swym najlepszym wydaniu.' Fareed Zakaria 'Hessler jak nikt inny potrafi opowiadać o różnicach kulturowych i wzajemnym niezrozumieniu w sposób równocześnie pełen humoru i głębokiej empatii.' „The Atlantic”