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Out of Mao's Shadow

By Verna Noel Jones, Special to the Rocky

Published June 26, 2008 at 6 p.m.

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* Nonfiction. By Philip P. Pan. Simon & Schuster, $28. Grade: A-

Book in a nutshell: Beijing snagged this year's summer Olympics largely because China's government promised to greatly improve its human rights record. Yet those changes aren't coming about easily, as Pan, former Beijing bureau chief for The Washington Post, learned firsthand during his seven years in China.

Here, he chronicles several brave, outspoken, everyday men and women who have pushed the limits for political change and individual freedoms, risking beatings, house arrest and sometimes death. As China emerges from the totalitarian, socialist state that Chairman Mao built, the extraordinary sacrifices of these unexpected leaders are slowly bringing democracy to this one-party state, which still teems with rampant government corruption, abuses of power, inequality and injustices.

Key players highlighted include co-founder and CEO of China's most popular Web blog, who participated in the Tiananmen Square protests; an elderly surgeon who broke open the SARS story in order to save lives; a feisty editor in chief of the Southern Metropolis Daily, a paper known to push the limits within the propaganda apparatus; and a blind man with the vision to fight against forced abortions.

Best tidbit: The author discusses the 2003 SARS epidemic, which got out of hand and spread rapidly largely because the Communist Party suppressed information about the severity of this highly infectious disease. Its absurd explanation for doing so was that the annual Spring Festival was coming up (which involved huge crowds of people eating out, shopping and mingling) and "we didn't want to spoil everyone's happy time!"

Pros: Pan's stories about key players in China show how far the country has come in recent years because of the efforts of many brave people.

Cons: The book is highly detailed and could confuse readers who don't pay rapt attention.

Final word: This is a privileged inside look at China's populace with the secrecy veil lifted, showing how their struggles for personal freedom are slowly building a more tolerant and open democracy.