Apprehensions about China abound, and they're growing every day. People - Americans especially - fear the country's record growth, believing a strong China will threaten western economic, political and socio-cultural hegemony. Yet these fears are misplaced. As Wang’s careful analysis and countless stories in this book show, middle class westerners have much more in common - in terms of their dreams and aspirations for themselves and their children, those core values that drive them on a daily basis with the burgeoning middle class in China than anyone has yet acknowledged. And the cultural differences that do exist between China and the West are a boon to both; both China and the west are strengthened by greater interaction and greater ties.

In her book, Helen Wang deconstructs many of these fears and misconceptions about this powerful new demographic force and presents a refreshing, alternative prediction: the rise of the Chinese middle class will be a complementary and balancing force in the global community and will benefit the world as a whole.