Breakneck

China's Quest to Engineer the Future

By: Dan Wang

Narrated by: Kevin Shen

Brought to you by Penguin.

From an indispensable voice on China, comes a riveting, first-hand account of China's seismic progress

For close to a decade, Dan Wang has been observing China’s tumultuous and astounding growth. The state has constructed towering bridges, gleaming railways and sprawling factories to improve economic outcomes in record time. But rapid change has also sent ripples of pain throughout society.

China has grown so quickly in part by beating America at its own game: capitalism and harnessing the restless energy of a vast population. Here Wang blends political and economic analysis with reportage into a provocative new framework for understanding China – one that helps us see America more clearly, too. Whereas China is an engineering state, relentlessly building big, the United States has transformed into a lawyerly society, stalling every attempt to make change, both good and bad.

As relations between the US and China are tense and uncertain and the potential for dreadful conflict looms, Wang offers an inventive new way of thinking about the two superpowers. Breakneck reveals that each country points towards a better path for the other. How much better the world would be, he argues, if Americans could live in a society not only governed by lawyers, and Chinese citizens could live with a state that values their individual liberties.

© Dan Wang 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Easy, fun, and interesting

Interesting and great writing. Pretty easy to read, very nice stories and nice. Good luck

Insightful

An illuminating account that blends personal perspective with profound insight into modern China and the United States.

Beautiful overview

One of the best book I have finished in past 2 years. Talking from experience, rather than news. Beautiful overview that opened my eyes further.

Totally unpretentious telling of a very important story

A totally unpretentious telling of the China story - the most important one for all humanity in 2025 - especially in context of events in the USA. Dan Wang actives great insight in part because he’s an ordinaryman who does ordinary stuff - his job and riding around the country on a bicycle; while also coping with extraordinary times - the extraordinary Covid crackdown in China.

Super interesting

Mix of ethnography, economics, political economy, travel journal, very relevant and topical. Extremely good. Really good ok ok ok