Page 194 - How China Is Winning the Tech Race

They provided introductions to several Chinese entrepreneurs who are
profiled in this book. Many of these Chinese up-and-comers are not
accustomed to western press, but they answered questions with grace and
humility. Go down the list of protagonists—Gary, Robin, Jack, Peggy, John,
Joe, Xingdong, Ningzhe, “King,” Charles, Jeff and Fengyi. All of you were an
inspiration to me for your dedication, commitment, persistence and passion.
Thanks for the time you shared with me to tell the readers of Silicon Dragon
your entrepreneurial stories.
I also wish to acknowledge the numerous consultants, industry experts
and analysts who answered endless emails and phone calls with queries about
the diverse market sectors covered in these chapters. Duncan Clark, Jeremy
Goldkorn, Tangos Chan, Robert Steele, Richard Ji, Jed Dorsheimer, Mark
Natkin, Rebecca MacKinnon, Dave Sonnen, Tim Whittaker, Mary Meeker—
thanks for explaining some of the more esoteric industry terms to me.
Writing a book is a journey. Silicon Dragon saw many ports. Interviews
took place in tech hotspots around the globe: Silicon Valley, Shanghai,
Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore were frequent stops. This sort of ‘round
the world writing expedition would not have been possible before the
Internet, cell phone and laptop computer.
Much of the first half of the book was written while I was on the go
during a long winter. I traveled large areas of California—Rancho Santa Fe,
Napa Valley, Monterey, La Jolla, Morgan Hill, San Jose, San Francisco,
Sacramento, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo—during the initial drafting of the
manuscript. These places provided a tranquil spot for turning my interviews
into narratives. A special thanks goes to CordeValle and its writer’s retreat,
and wineries too numerous to mention. These beautiful surroundings were a
welcome change after several exhausting reporting missions in mainland
China. Then, it was to Connecticut and our colonial home to finish the
chapters in a last four-month sprint in the summer months. At times, the leafy
“Nature Center” down the road and its cows, pigs, horses and llamas, were
my only companions—not to mention the frogs in the close by pond!
Next it was early fall, and on to the copy editing and production of the
book. Here, thanks must go to the talented editorial assistant Morgan Ertel,
the skillful copy editor Eric Lowenkron, and the efficient production mana-
ger, Cheryl Hudson. I would also like to thank the McGraw-Hill marketing
and public relations team for Silicon Dragon for their support: marketing

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