Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

I think the hallmark of a good nonfiction book is that you get completely engrossed in something you previously had little to no interest in. Therefore you'll understand when I say this is a fantastic book about shoes, track athletes and international business relations.

Phil Knight comes off as the kind of guy you want to have a drink with, but probably don't want to marry or have as a boss. He was a driven entrepreneur who played fast and loose with a lot of money (and not all his own) in the early days, and he almost lost it all multiple times.

But he believed in what he was doing, and he built an amazing "family" of dedicated professionals who believed in the product, too. He talks about Nike's partnership with college and professional athletes without this turning into a name-dropping celebrity memoir, which it easily could have been.

It's probably a great guide for what-not-to-do in business; it's also a stunning example of success despite breaking all the rules. In all, I thoroughly enjoyed the book in every way. I laughed out loud at times, and I bit my fingers along with their strife (even though I knew it would come out).

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie

Two Chinese teens sent to be "re-educated" during the communist Cultural Revolution gain a whole different kind of enlightenment through a suitcase of elicit Western literature.

Through film and novels, the boys learn storytelling and gain experiences they can't otherwise obtain in their limited, censored lives. They, in turn, offer this same cultural broadening to a new friend, the tailor's daughter,

I didn't expect this book to be funny and sweet, but that's the first thing that comes to mind when trying to summarize this book. Of course, it's also expectedly horrifying at the work and conditions in which the villagers live ... but the real story is in the friendship, hijinx, and loves.

I loved this novella - it's another book about loving books - and the story is told briskly in a series of short chapters and vignettes about their lives. It's rich with details: you can perfectly visualize the coats they're wearing, and the fine suitcase leather is almost real to the touch.

The Eye of Jade by Diane Wei Liang

A great read for fans of what I call "non-mysteries:" I'm talking about books like Alexander McCall Smith's "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series ... no big who-dunnit or lurking evil butler, rather just everyday questions and unusual problems that need answers.

Much to the dismay of her family, Mei Wang left an honorable ministry job and started her own business. Since it's illegal in Beijing to be a private investigator, she's listed herself as an information consultant. When she's called on by an old family friend to research the existence of a relic believed to have been destroyed in the cultural revolution, she also begins to learn there's more to her mother that she'd ever suspected.

The tale unfolds slowly, with beautiful pacing. Gradually, we get Mei's personal story in pieces: a lost love, her missing father, her curious resignation from the ministry. Additionally, the reader gains insight about Beijing in the late 1990's and how the past still influences modern life.

I listened to this book on CD, and I thoroughly enjoyed the narration by Cindy Cheung. Hearing the unfamiliar sounds of Chinese pronunciation really added an extra flair to the story.