“Casting himself as a lonely observer, ex-pat James West chronicles his experiences of Chinese media, music and queer culture with a moody voice, interviewing dissidents, bloggers and musos to flesh out his experiences. Touching on the pertinent taboos of modern China (the three T’s, Taiwan, Tibet, Tiananmen) West documents a Beijing in the throes of economic overhaul – a constant construction site. Pre-Olympic Games, it’s a slightly scary picture of a nation with a drive to succeed that may leave many of its own citizens choking”. by Daniel Findlay.