I confess, when receiving this book, part of me said "this is important, I must read it" and another part said "ummm will it be depressing?" Well, it IS important but it was inspirational. Yes, Lizhi went through hell for his scientific beliefs but he never gets maudlin about it. He tells his story full of details and history of a China we do not know. He explains how he gets into trouble, but he owns his trouble, is proud of it even as he is being punished with backwards farming, or backbreaking mining. He seems to thrive on pointing out the flaws in Mao's China. He never runs from the consequences and does his best to keep other, younger students from standing out as targets when all he really wants is to see China advance in the sciences. This could almost pass for a novel, it is so full of passion, aftershocks, and all that a man can gain and lose from telling the truth. His writing and the translation are so down to earth, you wish you could sit on a porch and discuss any topic. He is a hero who never considered himself as such. Perhaps those are the only true heroes.

An advanced reader's copy of this book was provided for an honest review. Let me know if you are interested in this version.

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