SF Chronicle published a list of recommended summer reads, a compilation made up of suggestions by some of today’s more popular writers. Michael Lewis, for example, recommended Against All Hope, by Armando Valladares, and David Eggers Eggers picked The Sheltering Sky, by Paul Bowles.

Poorly Made in China improbably made the list, having been chosen by Mary Roach. I’m not sure what led to the support, but she can also be seen plugging the title for C-SPAN2’s Book TV. It’s a wonderful compliment. For those less familiar, Mary Roach is the author of several fascinating science reads, including Stiff and Bonk.

CNBC published a reading list, also, and we made the cut there, too. It’s been an interesting couple of weeks. Some of my favorite reviews come in from readers who are in manufacturing. Just yesterday, I received the following:

Just finished your book and laughed my way through it from the first page to the last. I am an American living in Sweden, working as the Quality Manager for a major faucet manufacturer. We have been doing business in China for about five years now, and I must admit we have experienced everything you have written in your book.

This sort of validation may be the strongest argument for checking out the book. Who better to know whether I’ve described reality than those who have worked in China manufacturing?

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