Bejing Games

Beijing's Games: What the Olympics Mean to China
Susan Brownell
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0-742505641-6, 2008.
Reviewed for Reader Views.

Why were the Chinese people all excited when it was announced that the 2008 Summer Olympics would be held in Beijing? Why was it so important to them? Sure, it is a major boost to their economy. What with all the people from all over the world coming to China to cheer on their children or country's athletes. It is more than money and people that will come to Beijing this year. It will be a first in all the years of the modern day Olympics.

China has never hosted an Olympic Games. China is not known to have many Olympic champions so the host country. In the last few Olympic games, China has accomplished their first medals of any color including Gold.

Susan Brownell has written both a brief history book about China and its customs but also an explanation about what impact more than financial these Olympics will bring to Beijing and China itself. The author uses her personal experience as a previous exchange student to China to bring her book to life. She has even competed in athletic events with Chinese women and can bring their stories about not having the advantages that men have. In recent years, more has come out about possible doping in order to make better athletes achieve even higher, she addresses some of the issues of performance enhancing drugs.

For anyone who will be watching any of the 2008 Olympic Games from Beijing this book is very good reading. Through the pages of this book, you will learn more about this Olympics history, host country, host city and their invitation to be the "people's olympics."

08/08/08 is the day the Olympics open in Beijing and history will be made!