Let me introduce you to Andrew, Pat, and Dr. Su: . three Chinese friends of mine. Andrew is a computer science professor at a university in Taipei; Pat works in the administration of a private club in Hong Kong. Dr. Su works in a hospital in the agricultural city of Hefei in central China. With democracy establishing itself in Taiwan, and colonialism soon to be terminated in Hong Kong and Macau, and with China "e;opening"e; to the outside world, how have the three Chinas fared? You will find here a wealth of information about life in Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China that is not available in English anywhere else. It describes the daily life of three young people: their career prospects, jobs, family, homes, education, and daily routine.

It also describes their aspirations and hopes and fears for the future. Bill Purves is a Canadian engineer/manager and runner who lives in Hong Kong. He is the author of Barefoot in the Boardroom: Venture and Misadventure in the People's Republic of China.