Paul Hanstedt

While it was interesting to learn about the author's children and patenting style, that's mostly what the book ended up being about. There's bits and pieces in there characterizing the sights of Hong Kong, parts of China, and a few other places, but there is not much to learn from this book about the character of these counties.

That said, the author does have an engaging style that made the book rather difficult to put down at times. And if I ever end up having children, I know I'll end up stealing a patenting technique or two from the Hanstedt family.

Just be forewarned that this book will not fully satisfy you if you're looking to learn about Hong Kong. Think of this as a light supplement.… (altro)

One of the biggest reasons I love to read is because reading takes me to places I may never get to go. I may never get to Hong Kong myself, but this book helped me visit Hong Kong through the eyes of another American family.

Paul Hanstedt, his wife, and their three children under the age of 10, live in Hong Kong for one year, for Paul's job. This book tells their story, and at the same time includes bits of history about Hong Kong and China.

Sometimes memoirs can be overly sweet with perfect endings. But this travel memoir had the perfect balance, in my opinion. There is humor - a few times I laughed out loud, but I appreciated that it is also very realistic. The Hanstedt family is not perfect, it was a rough adjustment for the kids, and at times life in Hong Kong wasn't pretty. Including the bad along with the good made this book even better than I expected it to be.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy travel memoirs, or who are interested in learning more about Hong Kong.

I received this book through Amazon's Vine Program.… (altro)