So often travelogues are about the writer, not the people or even the country. Not so “China Road: A Journey Into the Future of a Rising Power” ($26.95, Random House). A compelling and revealing account of author Rob Gifford’s trek across Route 312 – China’s version of Route 66 – “China Road” is a must-read for anyone seriously intrigued by this potential superpower. The Mandarin-fluent Gifford, National Public Radio’s London bureau chief, was the Beijing correspondent for “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered” until 2005, and his familiarity and insights illuminate rather than overwhelm the narrative. Gifford is not afraid to expose the sometimes ugly landscape that unfolds before him, and with his novelist’s ear for dialogue and his journalistic sense of transition, the book flows by so quickly it leaves one longing for more.
