
That being said,I normally enjoy financial books and mysteries in a financial setting. If you don’t like to read about financial shenanigans and the entrepreneurial spirit in a somewhat hagiographic manner, you’ll probably not like this.
The book seems to want to be a Bond imitation with an entrepreneurial flare. I enjoyed the financial dealings and intricacies in the beginning much more than the ridiculous 007 antics (and I am soooo tired of beautiful women fawning over brawn) . I think the author could have also done much more to create a sense of place. Hong Kong before the turn over to China must have been fascinating, but there is little sense of what it was like.
I found myself really skimming the last third. I have no idea why fans would describe Cline's work as celebrating, " the boldly American spirit embodied in all the author's works: freedom-worshiping, ambitious, confident, literate, benevolent, and individualistic." It's possible to be freedom-worshiping without trampling all over others and arrogance is often confused with confidence. I'll try a couple of others but there won't be any stampede to read them.