Loved this book so much that I bought my own copy. A fascinating look into a fast-changing global superpower, told from a very human perspective.

What an interesting premise for a book. The author spent a great deal of time shuttling people all over Shanghai in exchange for hearing their stories. It's a fascinating insight into a culture that is sometimes hard to get a clear picture of. Fans of Humans of New York will enjoy this book.

Perfect look at China today the author established relationships by giving away free taxi ridesHe established relationships ad really got an insiders look an excellent read an eye opening look at the People ofChina#netgalley#persusbooks

China is such an interesting country and to find a book to give first account real, true stories of its citizens was very intriguing and riveting to their culture! Thank you to the author for your research and writing this story to give a glimpse into their world and the mysterious China political culture.

During his time as a correspondent for the 'Baltimore Sun' and NPR, mostly based in Shanghai from 1990s to 2011. While finding his way around Shanghai both physically and sociologically, Langfitt thought that driving a taxi would be a great way to meet people and to learn his way around the streets.

But Langfitt couldn't qualify to work in China (except as a correspondent) under his visa. He came up with the idea that he could pick-up and drive people (sort of a private Uber/Lyft) as long as he didn't charge for the service. He was able in this way to meet many 'regular' Chinese and to become friends with many of these riders, their families and friends.

His stories explore China just as it was beginning to grow at a phenomenal rate. He met many new immigrants to the city (from the provinces) and learned the story of how difficult it was for them to become part of the "New China. He also me many of the new Middle Class and Intelligencia. His story of the growth of personal materialism but the decreasing freedom under Xi.

Interesting especially for the ability of Langfitt to explain and understand the cultural changes that were effecting China as it reaches to become a Super-Power.

The story of a man who gave away free rides in China as a way to get to know people's , used previously as stories for his npr radio show. I found the book enjoyable, great for anyone interested in Chinese society

The Shanghai Free Taxi was a quite an informative and entertaining account of the evolution of modern Chinese life. Frank Langfitt is a NPR London correspondent. For five years, he was based in Shanghai, China and did a series on changing China called “Streets of Shanghai." Devising a unique approach to get first hand insight into the cultural and political changes in China as parleyed by the ordinary citizens of Shanghai, he operated a free taxi service. This took a bit of juggling as foreigners were not allowed to drive cabs. He rented a Camry and created his free taxi service. It took him three attempts to pass the Chinese driving test. The only requirement for receiving a free taxi ride, was to consent to have a talk that he initiated with his passengers. There is an eclectic group of unique characters that Langfitt manages to forge extending relationships with. As a result, Langfitt manages to convey a unique insight into everyday life in modern Shanghai.

The author is a great storyteller! I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot about China.

By offering free rides in a cab, Frank Langfitt gets to know ordinary people in China and tells their stories in this new book. You get to know their struggles, heartbreaks, and improvements in their daily lives over the course of several years. This is the story of the "new China" told from the ground up. Although the book deals with geo-politics and government policies a bit, it's the story of how the lives of average people have drastically changed in the last few years that makes this book shine.

There was a bit too much commentary on American politics for me in this book, so I'll give it 4 stars.

In exchange for the stories, feelings, opinions, uncertainties, and political viewpoints of people that the author met through his Shanghai free taxi service; Frank has written a fascinating book describing a pivotal moment in the history of modern China and the Western world. He subtitles the book “Journeys with the Hustlers and Rebels of the New China.”

To create a friendly ambiance, Frank hits on the extraordinary idea of offering free rides in his Shanghai taxi in exchange for conversation. What he achieved was an understanding of Chinese life at many different levels, the Chinese character and morality and he developed friendships with many, many riders. In 2014, as a correspondent covering China for National Public Radio (NPR), Frank based his NPR radio series on his taxi rides and recently finished writing this incredibly informative book.

Frank goes into great detail about seventeen different people; some are related, all are striving to find their best road in life and to avoid some obvious pitfalls of a political nature. Some are trying to help other family members, some feel that they owe a debt to society, some are trying to help themselves. Very little of their lives, as described by Frank, is uncomplicated or unplanned. They all strive for an escape from government control and have images of freedom, which do not always live up to their dreams. Their stories are dramatic, worth reading, thought-provoking and cannot fail to be interesting.

I like the fact that Frank has not written a scholarly thesis, but directly relates the stories of people he met. Some courageous people are fighting for human rights in China against overwhelming tactics by the government. China has been reforming the economy for the last thirty years, and people enjoy having more money, but they also desire something spiritual and psychological; a more humane society. Some think that America, with its democratic freedoms, is the answer. Some merely moved from the villages of China to the big cities. Some sought education as the way.

Frank did much more than drive his taxi. He was invited into people’s homes and people’s lives. He went to villages in central China, into the mountains along the Lao border, to Paris, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, and Kalamazoo. There are many harsh facts that Frank writes about; this book is not for the faint-hearted. There were terrible hardships that the Chinese people suffered going through the Cultural Revolution. Children set against parents, torturing and killing their teachers. Such that it may take many generations to overcome some very bitter feelings. Also, the Communist Party always has people watching, so an atmosphere of fear is generated and self-censorship becomes paramount to the detriment of free speech.

Each one of the stories Frank tells in The Shanghai Free Taxi is revealing about the different ways people react to such a struggle for existence. As the world around them improves, they must deal with the fall out of having had their lives controlled so much more than we ever experience in America. Not that our system of democracy is proving to be the dream, it once was: but Chairman Xi talks about a dream, a Chinese dream, an authoritarian Chinese dream, better than the recent past, but not the best for the future. I hope the Chinese achieve peace, non-interference in family matters, education, freedom and become self-actualized. Frank portrays the Chinese as creative, ambitious, business-minded and family-oriented; may their leaders learn to provide a wholesome environment for them to flourish?

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because the stories in it are unique, enthralling, full of character and motivation; making it very readable. I recommend it to readers who appreciate the human endeavor, history, geography, politics, adventure, and psychology. I do not recommend it to people who prefer light reading.

Interesting and full of information, this is insightful and witty too.

Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

As someone who lived and worked in China for several years and has kept up with its major news since returning back to the states, I honestly don’t feel like that there’s any book that can really capture China right now like Frank Langfitt’s “The Shanghai Free Taxi.” In his years-long journey to better understand the country through the many relationships formed via his cab service, Langfitt has ended up crafting the perfect go-to guide for all those who also want to better grasp all that the "Middle Kingdom" currently is - and isn't.