China Underground.

China Underground

Zachary Mexico

Soft Skull Press

2117--4th St, Suite D, Berkeley, CA 94710

9781593762230, $16.95 www.softskull.com

This firsthand memoir of the author's encounter with the 'new China' and its cultures and characters makes for a key travelogue focusing on contemporary Chinese culture from the young traveler's vantage point, and is an essential acquisition for any library strong in travelogues or Chinese culture. From a punk band's struggles to Beijing's drug-fueled club scene, chapters survey the rejects and outsiders of contemporary Chinese society.