Episode · The Ezra Klein Show · 2026-09-15
Books mentioned on The ‘But China!’ Dilemma Driving the A.I. Race
America is waking up to the critical risks posed by artificial intelligence. But every conversation about possible regulation tends to hit the same wall: “Well, what about China?
Matt Sheehan recommended Country Driving by Peter Hessler, From the soil, the foundations of Chinese society, and On Beauty by Zadie Smith.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Country Driving
Country Driving by Peter Hessler is a non-fiction narrative chronicling the author's travels along the Great Wall of China and his observations of rapid economic and social transformation in rural Chinese communities.
Recommended“So the first China book is Country Driving by Peter Hler, New Yorker correspondent in a lot of way for people of my generation who went over there and lived there.”
Where to get it
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From the soil, the foundations of Chinese society
From the Soil, the Foundations of Chinese Society by Fei Xiaotong is a classic sociological study that explores the agrarian roots, interpersonal networks, and structural foundations that have historically shaped Chinese civilization.
Recommended“It's called From the Soil: The Foundations of Chinese Society.”
Where to get it
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On Beauty
On Beauty by Zadie Smith is a contemporary novel that explores family dynamics, academic rivalries, cultural identity, and morality against the backdrop of a university town in New England.
Recommended“And the last one, just for fun, uh Zadeie Smith's On Beauty.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“And he's the author of the 2019 book, The Trans-Pacific Experiment: How China and California Collaborate and Compete for Our Future.”