Philip Fei Wu was born in the outskirts of Shanghai, the "Venice of the East," where he lived the first 35 years of his life and endured the Chinese political turbulence. From his teens, all throughout early adulthood, the author experienced the worst of human cruelty and madness in China during the government transition and "cultural revolution." Wu underwent a tremendous amount of hardship and risked his freedom to educate himself, a pursuit that would have surely ended in his prosecution. In the early 1980s, he came to America as an international student where he was faced with culture shock, financial instability, and the never-ending fear of his uncertain future. Only the author himself could bring to life the sadness, courage, disappointment and triumph of his trials and tribulations in this very personal memoir. My Forty Years in East China and West America is Philip Wu's story in English, rewritten from the original Chinese version. Characterized by the comparison of different ways of thinking among Chinese and American people, between communist and capitalist societies, the book includes many insightful stories. The courage to fight in adversity, perseverance, decision-making, will power, an optimistic attitude, and a respect for God, Wu demonstrates these virtues and brings to life his innumerable struggles.