As long-time readers and subscribers of China Sports Insider, I wanted to tell you about a special offer for Sporting Superpower, running on Amazon all this week. But let me back up a little…

The first few months of the year were pretty busy. In addition to recording two podcasts a week and working about four jobs over the Olympic period, I did more than 100 media interviews and appearances to promote my book “Sporting Superpower: An Insider View on China’s Quest to Be the Best” – now a #1 Amazon bestseller!

It was a lot of fun – but not as fun as I had writing it over the course of the past year. If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, it’s packed full of personal anecdotes – such as the time I interviewed David Beckham live on Chinese state television or filmed a Nike commercial alongside tennis star Li Na; there’s also plenty of analysis drawn from my 15 years covering the sports industry here – such as a look at the NBA‘s disastrous missteps and where China goes next in the wake of the Peng Shuai debacle. Then there’s the story of how Aaron Rodgers nearly blew up the NFL‘s business in China, an inside look at the Chinese owners of European football clubs including Aston Villa, Southampton and West Brom, the time Donald Trump used three basketball players in Hangzhou as negotiating chips, some barely credible tales from the world of Chinese ice hockey, plus much more besides.

But, in summary, it’s about China.

The growing pains of the sports industry here – both the highs and the lows – speak so much about the country as a whole. It’s been a fascinating ride and, as with many other industries, the Chinese sports industry – despite its many deficiencies – still has a fighting chance to end up on top of the world.

Here’s what a few people had to say about Sporting Superpower: