What other authors on this list have done with words, photojournalist Tom Carter has done with pictures. Carter’s lens unbiasedly reveals to us the ugly, the beautiful and – most profound – the ordinary face of present-day Chinese society. Carter candidly portrays every imaginable facet of life, from farmers to prostitutes to corrupt police to punk rockers to monks, and beyond, effectively proving to us with his photos 2 main points: that Chinese are not all as evil as we might believe, and that China is hardly the economic powerhouse the Communist Party claims it is.

In these 900 images, Carter shows just how diverse the Chinese really are, with their different facial features, skin hues, lifestyles, cultures and occupations. What ensues is an engaging and enlightening photo essay of 1.3 billion people.

For anyone studying Chinese culture or interested in China, this book is essential reading!

There are more than 1.3 billion people in China. Besides the majority Han Chinese, the population includes 56 ethnic groups numbering over one hundred million. Over the course of 2 years and 35,000 miles, photojournalist Tom Carter captured it ALL on film. For their historical value alone, the 800+ photos in Portrait are priceless. Carter’s anthropological-like study of China stands apart in its genre, as it focuses expressly on the PEOPLE of China. In addition to documenting the everyday life of “ordinary” people, Carter also backpacked to the most remote areas of China to observe reclusive ethnic minorities such as the red-turbaned Pai Yao minority of northern Guangdong and the resplendent Dong and Miao tribes of eastern Guizhou. From Inner Mongolian nomads to newlyweds in Hong Kong, from the teenage girl living in Chengdu dressed like an American punk rocker to the soot covered coal miner in Southern Shanxi, Carter’s camera documented the complexity and diversity of China like no other book ever has (or likely ever will).

“I’ve read hundreds of books about China over the decades,” Donald Trump said in a recent interview with Xinhua, the official press agency of the People’s Republic of China. “I know the Chinese. I’ve made a lot of money with the Chinese. I understand the Chinese mind.”

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/05/donald-trump-i-understand-the-chinese-mind.html

When later asked if he would care to list some of his favorite books about China, the billionaire mogul, an author himself of numerous books, proceeded to recite by memory his top twenty.

Here they are in the order in which they were named:

1. The Party by Richard McGregor

2. On China by Henry Kissinger

3. Mao: The Untold Story by Jung Chang

4. Tide Players by Jianying Zha

5. One Billion Customers by James McGregor

6. The Coming China Wars by Peter W. Navarro

7. The Beijing Consensus by Stefan Halper

8. China CEO by Juan Antonio Fernandez and Laurie Underwood

9. Poorly Made in China by Paul Midler

10. CHINA: Portrait of a People by Tom Carter

11. The Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester

12. China Shakes the World by James Kynge

13. Mr. China by Tim Clissold

14. Country Driving by Peter Hessler

15. The Dragon’s Gift by Deborah Brautigam

16. Factory Girls by Leslie T. Chang

17. The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun

18. 1421 by Gavin Menzies

19. Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer

20. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

I really liked this book CHINA: Portrait of a People by Tom Carter. Photos are a great way to learn about China. This book is PACKED with photos (almost 900!!!) from across the 33 provinces of China. If you are studying China or Chinese, it’s a good book to have. I’m a Chinese Studies major, and I used it alot for reference.