Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future by Dan Wang

Our book for May is Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future by Dan Wang

Note this will be on the 1st Sunday in May due to Mother's Day on the 10th.

For those who are interested, here is the link to the detailed results from the voting.

Here is a summary of the book (from Gemini):

In Breakneck, technology analyst Dan Wang draws on nearly a decade of firsthand reporting to offer a provocative new framework for understanding the mounting rivalry between the US and China. Wang argues that China operates as an "engineering state," ruthlessly focused on physical building and rapid economic progress—resulting in gleaming megaprojects and unparalleled manufacturing capabilities. In stark contrast, he characterizes the United States as a "lawyerly society" bogged down by red tape and a vetocracy that reflexively blocks development. However, Wang doesn't shy away from the immense human cost of China's model. He powerfully details how treating citizens like mere building materials has led to disastrous social engineering, from the traumas of the one-child policy to the heavy-handed enforcement of zero-COVID and the surveillance of ethnic minorities.

Equal parts gripping and sobering, Breakneck is much more than a book about foreign policy—it's a mirror reflecting America's own domestic struggles with progress and stagnation. For our group, Wang's deep dive offers jumping-off points to debate the "abundance" movement, the ethics of tech-driven governance, and what the US and China might actually learn from each other's deepest flaws. Whether you're interested in technology, economics, or global politics, this blend of immersive storytelling and sharp analysis should make for a good meeting!

This event will be hybrid. I will host the meeting in person at my house in Berkeley which is near the intersection of College Ave and Woolsey St. I will email people the address the Saturday before the meeting.

Here are the Google Meet details:
Google Meet link: https://meet.google.com/zem-xnbw-tuh
Or dial: ‪(US) +1 641-854-0146‬ PIN: ‪637 012 874‬#