This was an intriguing look into how online shopping and delivery works in China, and what life is like for the working class that are trying to make ends meet.
The first thing I felt was just the huge logistical scale, and how the workers really seemed to be left to struggle through things. With no shortage of workers, companies could constantly turn over staff and have little incentive to improve working conditions.
The first half of the book is all about the jobs that the author had in Beijing, the majority of which were related to parcel delivery. I liked the way of thinking of the author – they thought through what was happening around them and approached problems with an even temper. It is hard to imagine a more stressful atmosphere to try to earn enough money to survive.
The second half of the book is a description of other jobs that the author had before delivering parcels, and I found this section less interesting as it got really bogged down in the minutiae of each job, which would be useful if I was going to do that work but less useful to understand it on a high level.
I was really eager to hear how the situation changed during the COVID lockdowns, but the author did not really address it very much – I understand that this book was written during the lockdown but I’d have liked to have heard more about the effects on Beijing and its residents.
The book contains a lot of deep thinking by the author and they lay their soul bare for all to see, talking honestly about their challenges. I hope that they will have a successful career as a writer in the future.
Next I am reading The Million Pound Banknote by Mark Twain.
