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Meet Trump's pick for ambassador to China

6 December 2024 at 00:25
David Perdue speaks to supporters.
David Perdue has commercial and political experience.

Megan Varner/Getty Images

  • US President-elect Donald Trump named David Perdue as the US ambassador to China.
  • Perdue, a former senator and business executive, has extensive experience in Asia.
  • Trump's nomination comes amid trade tensions with China. He has threatened elevated tariffs on Chinese goods.

US President-elect Donald Trump has picked former Sen. David Perdue as the US ambassador to China.

A business executive before he entered politics, Perdue has lived in Singapore and Hong Kong.

"He will be instrumental in implementing my strategy to maintain Peace in the region, and a productive working relationship with China's leaders," Trump wrote on Truth Social. highlighting Perdue's. experience with Asia and China and calling him a "loyal supporter and friend."

Perdue said he's "truly honored" to accept Trump's nomination.

"Having lived in Asia on two occasions, I understand the gravity of this responsibility and look forward to implementing President Trump's strategy to make the world safe again and to represent the United States' interests in China," Perdue wrote on X.

Trump's nomination of Perdue as ambassador to China comes at a time of tension between the world's two largest economies.

Trump, who takes office on January 20, has threatened 60% tariffs on all Chinese imports to the US on his campaign trail. Last month, Trump said he intended to impose an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods due to China's role in the fentanyl trade.

Business and golf with Trump

Perdue served as a senator for Georgia from 2015 to 2021, during which time he was the only ex-Fortune 500 CEO serving in the Senate.

Like Trump, the Georgia native entered politics following decades in the business world. Perdue is also a keen golfer, which helped him bond with Trump.

Perdue said Trump often called him — at any hour — to strategize or brainstorm policy ideas.

"As a business guy, we have a point in commonality," Perdue told Business Insider in 2018. "Number one, all we want is results. He's not an ideologue. He has not been up here in the Washington bubble for all these years, fighting these partisan wars. He just wants to get results. I just want to get results."

Perdue lost the Senate runoff election to Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, in January 2021.

Even though Trump picked Perdue citing his experience with Asia, this same experience had also been under scrutiny in the past as it involved outsourcing.

"Yeah, I spent most of my career doing that," said Perdue, referring to his experience with outsourcing, in a July 2005 deposition during a company lawsuit, per Politico in a 2014 report.

During his tenure as senator, the Justice Department investigated him for insider trading, but no charges were filed.

Extensive business and retail experience

Perdue attended the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering in 1972.

He also has a master's degree in operations research from the same university.

Perdue started his career at Kurt Salmon Associates, a consulting firm.

After that, he held several positions before his foray in Asia.

From 1991 to 1992, Perdue worked for the international apparel company Gitano in Singapore, and then for Sara Lee in Hong Kong.

Following these stints, Perdue held a number of high-level positions, including at Dallas-based Haggar Clothing, where he joined as a senior vice president of operations, and Reebok, where he joined as an SVP for its shoe business. He was Rebook's CEO by 2001.

In 2003, Perdue joined Dollar General, where he became CEO. Perdue was the first person outside the Turner family to run the discount chain.

Perdue grew Dollar General, adding over 2,000 stores to the chain. In 2007, the private equity firm KKR acquired it.

In 2014, Perdue launched his bid for Georgia's open Senate seat.

After losing in the Senate runoff election in 2021, Perdue set his sights on Georgia's governor race.

In 2022, Perdue lost the GOP's gubernatorial primary to Brian Kemp.

Read the original article on Business Insider

How arms trafficking actually works, according to a former arms dealer

David Packouz is a former arms trader. In 2005, he joined the arms dealer Efraim Diveroli at AEY, bidding on contracts for the US military. In 2007, AEY won a $300 million contract to supply munitions to Afghanistan. Packouz was part of a cover-up to disguise the true identity of the ammunition, concealing that it was of Chinese origin.

After an investigation by The New York Times, he was charged with 71 counts of fraud and faced 355 years in prison. He was sentenced to seven months of house arrest and issued with a 15-year arms-dealing ban. His story was the subject of the 2016 movie "War Dogs" and Guy Lawson's book "Arms and the Dudes."

Packouz speaks with Business Insider about corruption in shipping and transport, the influence of middlemen and politicians, and links to organized crime.

After leaving house arrest, Packouz developed Instafloss and founded the music company Singular Sound, which developed the BeatBuddy. He also cofounded War Dogs Academy, a contracting training service.

Arms trafficking involves the illegal trade and smuggling of weapons across borders, bypassing laws and fueling conflicts. Arms dealing is the legal sale of weapons by authorized dealers, conducted under strict regulations like background checks and export licenses and overseen by bodies such as the UN Arms Trade Treaty.

For more, visit:

www.davidpackouz.com/

www.singularsound.com/

wardogsacademy.com

Read the original article on Business Insider

I've been to all 50 states and every major national park. Here are 6 places in the US I think everyone should experience at least once.

2 December 2024 at 04:58
An aerial view of Grand Canyon National Park.
There are a few places in the US you have to see to believe.

romeovip_md/Shutterstock

  • I've traveled to all 50 states and every major US national park.
  • I think everyone should travel to cities like New York and New Orleans at least once.
  • I also recommend checking out natural wonders like the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park.

As a solo traveler who's explored all 50 states and every major US national park, I've had the privilege to witness the country's incredible diversity and beauty firsthand.

Although I love sharing my recommendations with others, I find the most meaningful travel experiences are those that resonate with each individual.

However, there are certain places so awe-inspiring that I think everyone should experience at least once. Here are six of those places.

Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park is unlike anywhere else in the US.
Emily stands with her back to the camera, looking out at the Grand Canyon.
The views from Grand Canyon National Park are incredible.

Emily Hart

There really is nothing quite like the Grand Canyon. Standing at the edge of the 278-mile-long canyon is truly a humbling experience.

The perspective from above on the rim (or from below, if you're hiking) is a reminder of the vast natural world and how small we really are.

The breathtaking views are unlike any you'll find elsewhere — especially at sunrise and sunset — with a diverse ecosystem, abundant wildlife, and lots of recreation opportunities. Grand Canyon National Park is a destination that must be seen to be understood.

The Great Lakes offer breathtaking scenery.
Emily, wearing a backpack, a pink beanie, and a jacket, takes a selfie with trees and a body of water behind her.
The Midwest is full of natural beauty.

Emily Hart

In my opinion, the Midwest doesn't always get the credit it deserves. In fact, many people still refer to it as "flyover country," insinuating that there's not much to do or see in this part of the US.

However, the Midwest is full of incredible natural beauty, and places like the Great Lakes are definitely worth visiting.

Although it's a large area, the five interconnected freshwater lakes (Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario) boast some of the most breathtaking surrounding landscapes.

From the idyllic Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior to the majesty of Lake Michigan in downtown Chicago, this region offers something for everyone.

New Orleans has a soul that's unlike anywhere else in the US.
Emily poses with her hands in her pockets in front of colorful buildings with balconies in New Orleans.
There's so much to do in New Orleans.

Emily Hart

From Creole architecture to widespread live music, street art, and delicious food, New Orleans has a soul that I haven't found anywhere else in the US.

The many festivals and celebrations, including Mardi Gras, set the city apart and help make a visit to New Orleans an experience unlike any other.

New York City has an unbeatable energy.
Emily sits in front of a glass window that overlooks a New York City street.
I love how diverse each NYC neighborhood is.

Emily Hart

New York City is truly a cultural center, not just for the US but for the entire world. The city boasts diverse neighborhoods, world-class art and museums, and an energy you won't find anywhere else.

Long the symbol for the American dream, the city's historical significance in the US and beyond can't be overstated.

As a cultural, fashion, financial, and media hub, there is always something new to see in NYC.

Northern New Mexico is a special part of the country.
Emily, wearing a hat and a backpack covered with patches, looks out at rock formations on a sunny day.
Northern New Mexico is full of incredible natural beauty.

Emily Hart

Although I love New Mexico as a whole, I truly believe there's nowhere else in the US quite like the northern part of the state.

From its stunning natural beauty and wide-open spaces to unique art and cultural experiences, there's always something new to explore in this area.

The tourist areas of Santa Fe and Taos offer ample opportunities for shopping, museums, art galleries, and restaurants. But if you're looking for a lesser-known spot, I recommend checking out the Ghost Ranch retreat center, where visitors can spend a day hiking or horseback riding.

Yosemite National Park in California is full of natural beauty.
Emily sits on a wall at sunset, looking out at rock formations at Yosemite National Park. There is a bagel resting on a white paper bag next to her.
There's nowhere quite like Yosemite National Park.

Emily Hart

California is home to some of the country's most beautiful and awe-inspiring landscapes, but even with all it has to offer, Yosemite National Park stands out.

In my opinion, Yosemite's iconic granite cliffs are among the most impressive natural formations in the world. The park is also home to some magnificent waterfalls and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, where visitors can walk among over 500 of these trees.

Read the original article on Business Insider

When I moved from England to Florida 12 years ago, these 5 things seemed uniquely American to me. Now I can't live without them.

26 November 2024 at 08:26
Waves crash on the Miami coast, with buildings and palm trees lining the beach.
I moved from England to Florida 12 years ago.

Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

  • When I moved from England to Florida 12 years ago, I found a few aspects of my new life strange.
  • I was surprised by things like drive-thru banking and elaborate outdoor holiday displays.
  • However, now that I'm acclimated to life in the States, I've grown to love these small luxuries.

Twelve years ago, I married my American husband and moved from York, England, to Florida.

Although I traveled through the US when I was younger and spent some time in Canada, I was initially puzzled by many aspects of American life.

However, now that I've been here for a while, I've grown to love many of the things I once found odd. Here are five aspects of life in Florida that I've grown to love.

I didn't realize how amazing drive-thru banking would be

A man's hand sticks out the window of a black SUV at a bank drive-through.
At first, I thought drive-thru banking was a bit lazy.

Summer_Wind/Shutterstock

Although there are some drive-thru banks in Europe, they're few and far between. And at first, I thought the concept was a bit lazy.

However, I came around to the idea when I was traveling in New England and experienced the freezing winter weather. And during my first Florida summer, it was nice to be able to stay in the air conditioning while I did my banking.

Turning right on red is a luxury

Not all states allow this traffic game changer, but Florida does. Turning right at a red light for the first time felt like getting away with something, as this convenient move generally isn't allowed in many European countries.

Fully accustomed to this upgrade, I probably couldn't drive in Europe now without racking up a stream of tickets.

The elaborate outdoor seasonal decor caught my attention

The exterior of a house completely covered in Christmas lights and decorations, with a light-up sign in front of the garage that says Noel.
I've grown to love elaborate holiday displays.

HannamariaH/Getty Images

When I lived in England, a few twinkling lights and a rare lawn Santa typically signaled Christmastime. However, full-scale haunted-house Halloween decor and flags welcoming the Easter Bunny were new to me.

A little extra? Absolutely. However, they set the tone for the season, and I love it.

When it came time to vote in the US, I couldn't believe how many questions were on the ballot

Years ago, I cast my first vote as a US citizen in a presidential election. Then, I discovered lots of other questions on the ballot.

To vote in the UK, I'd draw my comically large X on a tiny piece of paper to answer the one and only question on it. Now I'm being asked about the best person to look after the local soil.

Having so much say in how your town is run is so fundamentally American — and a blessing I appreciate.

I now appreciate having ice in my drinks

Three drinks with ice sitting on red coasters on a wooden table.
In England, it was rare to find ice in drinks.

Carol Yepes/Getty Images

In England, I rarely found drinks with ice. Since refills at many restaurants weren't free, watering drinks down with ice seemed almost sinful.

However, it didn't take long for me to appreciate this, living in the Sunshine State. Thanks to restaurants, in-house ice makers, and bags of the stuff at the supermarket, I've seen the light.

Read the original article on Business Insider

The most famous book set in every state

22 November 2024 at 06:50

A girl sitting on a sofa and reading a book
We identified the most famous book set in every state.

Natalia Bostan/Shutterstock

  • Business Insider identified the most famous book set in every state.
  • The list features various genres, from historical fiction and thrillers to romance novels. 
  • This compilation highlights America's diverse literary landscape.

One of the best ways to learn more about a place and its people is by traveling there ... but when you can't do that, books are your next best bet.

In the US, where each state has a storied past and varied cultures and traditions, there's much to explore. If you're curious about life in Louisiana or itching to experience the many neighborhoods of New York City — or just love reading about new places — one way to travel across the country without going through the trouble of rental cars or airports is by picking a book in the comfort of your home.

To ensure you have the most wholesome literary tour around the country, Business Insider scoured published listings and surveyed our reporters for their best picks, rounding up the most famous book set in every state — and, as a bonus — Washington DC, too.

Here are the most famous books set in every state. 

Melissa Stanger, Melia Russell, Melissa Wiley, and Jacob Shamsian contributed reporting on a previous version of this post.

ALABAMA: "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.

Amazon

When a local attorney is asked to defend an African American man accused of rape, he has to decide between doing what's right and doing what society expects of him, launching his children right in the middle of the conflict.

This Pulitzer Prize winner is set in Maycomb, a community divided by racism and inspired by Lee's hometown of Monroeville.

Find out more about this book here.

ALASKA: "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
"Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
"Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer.

Amazon

Christopher McCandless, a young man from a family of money, donates all of his savings to charity and abandons his possessions before hitchhiking into the Alaskan wilderness to reinvent himself.

This true-story survival-drama was made into a movie of the same name in 2007, directed by Sean Penn and starring Emile Hirsch, shedding light on McCandless' idealism of a life unburdened by material possessions and the harsh realities of the Alaskan wild.

Find out more about this book here.

ARIZONA: "The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver
"The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver
"The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver.

Amazon

Taylor is well on her way to escaping small-town life. But shortly into her journey to Tucson, Arizona, where she hopes to start over, a stranger leaves her with a Native American toddler with a traumatic past.

Kingsolver's story of finding salvation in a barren situation is packed with real places and events.

Find out more about this book here.

ARKANSAS: "A Painted House" by John Grisham
"A Painted House" by John Grisham
"A Painted House" by John Grisham.

Amazon

Luke Chandler lives on a cotton farm with his parents and grandparents and suddenly finds himself keeping the deadly secrets of harvest workers. The legal-thriller follows the 7-year-old as he grows up and loses his innocence in the 1950s.

The narrator's upbringing in rural Arkansas inspired this coming-of-age tale.

Find out more about this book here.

CALIFORNIA: "Play It As It Lays" by Joan Didion
"Play It As It Lays" by Joan Didion.
"Play It As It Lays" by Joan Didion.

Amazon

Joan Didion's 1970 novel established her as a master fiction writer in addition to an already acclaimed nonfiction one. Set in Nevada, New York, and Hollywood, it's "an indictment of Hollywood culture" in the 1960s and utterly gripping in its intensity. Didion and her husband, John Gregory Dunne, adapted the book into a movie in 1972.

Find out more about this book here.

COLORADO: "The Shining" by Stephen King
"The Shining" by Stephen King.
"The Shining" by Stephen King.

Amazon

A recovering alcoholic writer accepts a position as winter caretaker of the isolated Overlook Hotel, which sits in the Colorado Rockies. He moves in with his family, including 5-year-old son Danny, who has psychic abilities and begins to witness aspects of the hotel's horrific past.

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, which inspired the fictional Overlook, offers a Ghost Adventure Package for guests.

Find out more about this book here.

CONNECTICUT: "Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates
"Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates.
"Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates.

Amazon

Considered the original anti-suburban novel, "Revolutionary Road" follows a young, bright couple marooned in Connecticut and trying to escape pressure to conform in the 1950s. Their failed attempts to be different lead to self-destructive affairs and a psychotic breakdown.

In 2008, the book was adapted into a movie of the same name starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Find out more about this book here.

DELAWARE: "The Saint of Lost Things" by Christopher Castellani
"The Saint of Lost Things" by Christopher Castellani.
"The Saint of Lost Things" by Christopher Castellani.

Hachette Group

Seven years after settling in Wilmington, an Italian couple is still in pursuit of the American Dream. Maddalena sews at a factory, but desperately wants to be a mother, while her husband's nighttime escapades threaten to unravel all their hard work.

Castellani wove bits of his own family history into the book. His Italian father, who emigrated to Wilmington after World War II, dreamed of opening a restaurant in Wilmington's Little Italy neighborhood just like Maddalena's husband did.

Find out more about this book here.

FLORIDA: "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
"Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston.
"Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston.

Amazon

A classic work of African-American literature, "Their Eyes Were Watching God" is about Janie Crawford, a woman living in the town of Eaton, Florida.

Hurston was one of the most prominent writers of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s, publishing the novel in 1937. But she slipped into obscurity in the later years of her life, and "Eyes" went out of print until Alice Walker championed her in the 1970s. Now, the book is taught in classrooms around the country.

Find out more about this book here.

GEORGIA: "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell
"Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell.
"Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell.

Amazon

Mitchell's 1936 classic love story, set in the South during the Civil War and its aftermath, introduced the world to Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. O'Hara, the young spoiled daughter of a plantation owner, and her rogue star-crossed lover are torn apart and reunited through the tragedies and comedies of the human existence.

Mitchell spent nine years writing her manuscript, and the ensuing, unwanted fame led her to vow she would never write again.

But the book has been criticized for its portrayal of slavery, for romanticizing the Confederacy, and for its inclusion of racist stereotypes. In 2023, a new edition of the book came with a warning from its UK publisher, Pan Macmillan, that "there may be hurtful or indeed harmful phrases and terminology that were prevalent at the time this novel was written," The Telegraph reported.

Find out more about this book here.

HAWAII: "Hawaii" by James Michener
"Hawaii" by James Michener.
"Hawaii" by James Michener.

Amazon

The first of Michener's mammoth sagas, "Hawaii" tells the islands' history, from its creation by volcanic activity to its evolving identity as the most recent of the 50 US states.

Michener sought to show how Hawaii harmonizes different cultures and races, as a template that would benefit the rest of the country. However, he and his wife, the daughter of Japanese immigrants, faced harsh discrimination while living there.

Find out more about this book here.

IDAHO: "Housekeeping" by Marilynne Robinson
"Housekeeping" by Marilynne Robinson.
"Housekeeping" by Marilynne Robinson.

Amazon

Little to do with housekeeping, Robinson's poetic story follows two orphaned girls who are cared for by eccentric female relatives in the fictional town of Fingerbone.

Robinson describes the town as "chastened by an outsized landscape and extravagant weather." This, and many other details in "Housekeeping," conjure images of her own Idaho hometown of Sandpoint.

Find out more about this book here.

ILLINOIS: "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair
"The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair.
"The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair.

Amazon

The story of a Lithuanian immigrant employed in Chicago's stockyards, where Sinclair worked undercover to research for the book, revealed the poverty, hopelessness, and unpleasant living and working conditions experienced by meatpacking laborers in the early 20th century.

The book's graphic depictions of the slaughterhouse work caused a public uproar that contributed to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act six months after "The Jungle" was published.

Find out more about this book here.

INDIANA: "The Magnificent Ambersons" by Booth Tarkington
"The Magnificent Ambersons" by Booth Tarkington.
"The Magnificent Ambersons" by Booth Tarkington.

Amazon

Written by a native Hoosier, the novel centers on characters struggling to preserve their status during the rapid industrialization between the Civil War and 20th century. The aristocratic Amberson family loses its prestige and wealth as "new money" tycoons take over.

Woodruff Place, Indianapolis' earliest suburb, was the setting for Tarkington's "The Magnificent Ambersons," which Orson Welles later adapted as a movie.

Find out more about this book here.

IOWA: "A Thousand Acres" by Jane Smiley
"A Thousand Acres" by Jane Smiley.
"A Thousand Acres" by Jane Smiley.

Amazon

When an Iowa farmer decides to retire, he plans to divide his thousand acres of land among his three daughters. The youngest objects, setting off a chain of events that unleashes long-suppressed emotions and secrets. It's a modern-day "King Lear."

Smiley's narrator describes the farm in Zebulon County as "paid for, no encumbrances, as flat and fertile, black, friable and exposed as any piece of land on the face of the earth," like a lot of land in Iowa.

Find out more about this book here.

KANSAS: "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum
"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum.
"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum.

Amazon

There's no place like the Great Kansas Plains.

Baum's imaginative tale of Dorothy Gale from Kansas and her Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion friends was the best-selling children's story of the 1900 Christmas season and spawned the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz."

Find out more about this book here.

KENTUCKY: "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Amazon

Uncle Tom, a long-suffering enslaved person, is sold by the Shelby family and begins a journey that, for 19th-century readers, depicted the realities of slavery and endorsed the power of Christian love to overcome all obstacles.

Stowe based the abolitionist novel on the first-hand stories of former enslaved people in Kentucky, a slave state, while she lived across the Ohio River in Cincinnati. Its powerful condemnation of slavery fueled the human rights debate in the mid-19th century.

Find out more about this book here.

LOUISIANA: "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
"A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole.
"A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole.

Amazon

"A Confederacy of Dunces" is one of the funniest American novels ever published. It's hard to describe, but it's basically about a 30-year-old man named Ignatius J. Reilly who lives with his mother in New Orleans. Reilly is educated and philosophically opposed to having a job, but has to confront reality when his mom makes him get one.

The story behind the novel is as famous as the novel itself. It was Toole's first published novel, published 11 years after his death after being championed by his mother and the writer Walker Percy. It was released to instant acclaim, winning a rare posthumous Pulitzer Prize.

Find out more about this book here.

MAINE: "Carrie" by Stephen King
"Carrie" by Stephen King.
"Carrie" by Stephen King.

Amazon

Carrie, a shy high school girl raised by an unstable, Christian fundamentalist mother, discovers she has telekinetic powers. When her classmates falsely crown her prom queen in an elaborate effort to humiliate her, she enacts her supernatural revenge.

Stephen King is Maine's biggest champion in literature, and "Carrie" takes place in the fictional town of Chamberlain.

Find out more about this book here.

MARYLAND: "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" by Anne Tyler
"Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" by Anne Tyler.
"Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" by Anne Tyler.

Amazon

Another Baltimore-based novel by Tyler, "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" tells how three siblings remember growing up with their perfectionist mother as she lies on her deathbed. The Pulitzer Prize-nominated novel examines how the siblings' recollections vary drastically.

Tyler's characters live in Charles Village, near her long-time residence.

Find out more about this book here.

MASSACHUSETTS: "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau
"Walden" by Henry David Thoreau.
"Walden" by Henry David Thoreau.

Amazon

"Walden" is the product of transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau's two-year retreat into the woods, an experiment in isolation, simple living, and self-reliance. By immersing himself in nature, he hoped to understand society more objectively.

Encompassing 61 acres, Walden Pond is the crown jewel of the greater Walden Woods ecosystem in Concord.

Find out more about this book here.

MICHIGAN: "The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides
"The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides.
"The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides.

Amazon

"The Virgin Suicides" is a gripping tale of five beautiful yet eccentric sisters who all die by suicide in the same year in Gross Pointe, Michigan. It is written from the perspective of an anonymous group of boys who are observant, infatuated, and endlessly struggling to explain the tragedy.

Eugenides said he was inspired by the deterioration of the state's auto industry and the "feeling of growing up in Detroit, in a city losing population, and in perpetual crisis."

Find out more about this book here.

MINNESOTA: "Main Street" by Sinclair Lewis
"Main Street" by Sinclair Lewis.
"Main Street" by Sinclair Lewis.

Amazon

"Main Street" reveals two sides of Minnesota: the thriving metropolis of Saint Paul, where the heroine is from, and the dried-up small town she moves to after much convincing from her new husband. The young woman falls victim to the narrow-mindedness and unimaginative nature of the townspeople.

The author used his birthplace of Sauk Centre as a mold for the fictionalized Gopher Prairie setting.

Find out more about this book here.

MISSISSIPPI: "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
"The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner.
"The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner.

Amazon

"The Sound and the Fury" encapsulates the decline of the American South through the dysfunctional Compson family, who face financial ruin during the Roaring '20s and lose the respect of the townspeople in Jefferson, Mississippi.

Many readers complained that the book's stream of consciousness style was hard to follow. Faulkner's advice was to "read it four times," he told the Paris Review.

Find out more about this book here.

MISSOURI: "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain
"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain.
"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain.

Amazon

This classic coming-of-age story set alongside the Mississippi River follows Tom Sawyer, a young boy who preoccupies himself with pulling pranks and impressing a girl — until he witnesses a murder. Tom and his companions run away to an island, but eventually return to take up treasure hunting.

Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which inspired the setting of "Tom Sawyer" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

Find out more about this book here.

 

MONTANA: "A River Runs Through It" by Norman Maclean
"A River Runs Through It" by Norman Maclean.
"A River Runs Through It" by Norman Maclean.

Amazon

"A River Runs Through It" is the semi-autobiographical tale of everyday life in the west for two brothers who are the sons of a local pastor.

Set amidst the beautiful, wondrous landscape of Montana, the two boys — one dutiful and one rebellious — each grow up and discover themselves, turning, at times, to dark places, but always under the footfalls of their father.

Find out more about this book here.

NEBRASKA: "My Ántonia" by Willa Cather
"My Ántonia" by Willa Cather.
"My Ántonia" by Willa Cather.

Amazon

The reader meets Ántonia Shimerda through a written account from the narrator, Jim Burden, a young man who moves to the fictional town of Black Hawk, Nebraska, to live with his grandparents.

Through Jim's lens of love and infatuation, Ántonia is brought to life as a young Bohemian girl with many trials and triumphs. The reader grows to know her and, simultaneously, the author as well, who wrote the novel from details of her own life in Nebraska.

Find out more about this book here.

NEVADA: "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S. Thompson
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S. Thompson.
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S. Thompson.

Amazon

"Fear and Loathing" follows a journalist, Raoul Duke, and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, on a trip to Las Vegas to cover an event taking place there.

However, the two are preoccupied and saddened by what they perceive as the decline of 1960s American pop culture and begin experimenting with drugs. Much of the book is seen through their hallucinations and twisted realities, which are only fueled by the hyperreal surroundings of Sin City.

Find out more about this book here.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: "The Hotel New Hampshire" by John Irving
"The Hotel New Hampshire" by John Irving.
"The Hotel New Hampshire" by John Irving.

Amazon

Containing all the classic John Irving tropes — a bear, rape, body-building, and social privilege — "The Hotel New Hampshire" follows a peculiar family as they open hotels in New Hampshire, Vienna, and Maine.

The book evokes Irving's upbringing in the back woods of New Hampshire.

Find out more about this book here.

NEW JERSEY: "Drown" by Junot Díaz
"Drown" by Junot Díaz.
"Drown" by Junot Díaz.

Amazon

Based on Díaz's own experiences as a Dominican immigrant who moved to New Jersey, the 10 short stories in "Drown" tell of the struggles the New Jersey immigrant community faces, from poverty to homesickness to the language barrier.

The outlook is often grim, but thanks to Díaz's riveting and intoxicating narrative, we manage to see the characters' unsentimental determination for a better life.

Find out more about this book here.

NEW MEXICO: "Cities of the Plain" by Cormac McCarthy
"Cities of the Plain" by Cormac McCarthy.
"Cities of the Plain" by Cormac McCarthy.

Amazon

The final book in McCarthy's Border Trilogy, "Cities of the Plain" is about a doomed romance in the American frontier between a man and a sex worker who runs afoul of a pimp.

The novel is set in New Mexico on the border of the United States and Mexico.

Find out more about this book here.

NEW YORK: "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Amazon

"The Great Gatsby" tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a young, lovesick millionaire, through the eyes of his friend and next-door neighbor, Nick Carraway. The novel progresses as Gatsby tries to rekindle his love with Daisy Buchanan, Nick's cousin.

Through Gatsby's shady business dealings and his extravagant wealthy lifestyle on Long Island, Fitzgerald reveals a world in New York that is both terribly beautiful and terribly corrupt.

Find out more about this book here.

NORTH CAROLINA: "A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas Sparks
"A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas Sparks.
"A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas Sparks.

Nicholas Sparks Website

This Sparks romance novel, made famous by its film adaptation starring Mandy Moore, shows the unlikely, blossoming love between two high school students from Beaufort: Landon Carter, a popular rebel, and Jamie Sullivan, a quiet bookworm.

While Landon tries to get closer to Jamie, she pushes him away, fearing that a secret will end things between them before it begins.

Find out more about this book here.

NORTH DAKOTA: "The Round House" by Louise Erdrich
"The Round House" by Louise Erdrich.
"The Round House" by Louise Erdrich.

Amazon

A woman living on a North Dakota Indian reservation is attacked, but police have a hard time investigating the case when she is unwilling to discuss what transpired.

Her son takes matters into his own hands, recruiting his friends to find out what happened and bring justice to his family and tribe.

Find out more about this book here.

OHIO: "The Broom of the System" by David Foster Wallace
"The Broom of the System" by David Foster Wallace.
"The Broom of the System" by David Foster Wallace.

Amazon

In Foster Wallace's slightly altered view of Ohio in 1990, we follow our heroine, Lenore Stonecipher Beadsman, a telephone operator and secretary who juggles a job with barely any purpose, a relationship with her much-older boss, and the task of finding her decrepit grandmother.

The grandmother, along with 25 other residents of the Shaker Heights Nursing Home, has managed to disappear without a trace.

Find out more about this book here.

OKLAHOMA: "Paradise" by Toni Morrison
"Paradise" by Toni Morrison.
"Paradise" by Toni Morrison.

Amazon

"Paradise" chronicles tensions between the patriarchal, all-Black town of Ruby, which was founded by the descendants of free slaves intent on isolating themselves from the outside world, and a nearby community of five women, each seeking refuge from the past.

Morrison conceived the idea for "Paradise" after researching the all-Black towns in Oklahoma that formed when newly freed men left plantations under duress.

Find out more about this book here.

OREGON: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey.
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey.

Amazon

Randle McMurphy barges into an Oregon mental institution one day and decides to rally the patients against the tyranny of Nurse Ratched. McMurphy stirs more trouble as he smuggles in women, alcohol, and other contraband, leading to an all-out war between him and the institution.

Told through the eyes of one of the patients, Kesey's novel reveals bits of his own background. He previously worked as an orderly in a mental health ward.

Find out more about this book here.

PENNSYLVANIA: "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold
"The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold.
"The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold.

Amazon

"The Lovely Bones" is a dark, gripping tale about Susie Salmon, a young girl who was brutally raped and murdered in the cornfields of Norristown. It's told from her point of view after her death.

Looking down on her family from heaven, Susie watches as they come to terms with what happened to her and try to solve a case that, to police, seems to lead nowhere.

Find out more about this book here.

RHODE ISLAND: "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult
"My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult.
"My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult.

Simon & Schuster

Anna has always been her older sister Kate's lifesaver. She's undergone countless surgeries, transplants, and donations to help save her sick sister, but when doctors discover that Anna is now a match to be Kate's bone marrow donor, Anna decides to sue for the right to control her own body.

Picoult shows the heartbreaking pull between freedom and family in this Rhode Island-set novel.

Find out more about this book here.

SOUTH CAROLINA: "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
"The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd.
"The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd.

Amazon

Lily Owens is a young girl growing up in 1960s South Carolina with an abusive father and an African American nanny who serves as a surrogate mother. When her nanny ends up in jail for insulting some white men, Lily breaks her out and the two run away, seeking refuge among three eccentric bee-keeping sisters.

Monk Kidd injects some of her own Southern upbringing into this contemporary heartwarming novel.

Find out more about this book here.

SOUTH DAKOTA: "A Long Way From Home" by Tom Brokaw
"A Long Way From Home" by Tom Brokaw.
"A Long Way From Home" by Tom Brokaw.

Amazon

"A Long Way From Home" details Brokaw's own "American pilgrimage," from boyhood on the Missouri River into a career in broadcast journalism in the '60s.

In Brokaw's honest narrative, we see how much his life has been shaped by growing up in South Dakota and the historic events he lived through as a child and young adult.

Find out more about this book here.

TENNESSEE: "A Death in the Family" by James Agee
"A Death in the Family" by James Agee.
"A Death in the Family" by James Agee.

Amazon

"A Death in the Family" is the only novel by the polymath writer James Agee. It's a semiautobiographical book about the emotional reverberations in a family after a father dies in a car accident. Set in Knoxville, it lyrically captures the feelings of every character, from the inner mind of a child to the tragedy of a widow.

The novel was published posthumously, after Agee died of a heart attack at 45, and won the Pulitzer Prize. He was also an acclaimed screenwriter, critic, and journalist.

Find out more about this book here.

TEXAS: "No Country for Old Men" by Cormac McCarthy
"No Country for Old Men" by Cormac McCarthy.
"No Country for Old Men" by Cormac McCarthy.

Amazon

Made famous by the film of the same name starring Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men" is Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece about a drug deal-gone-wrong on the Texas-Mexico border. The event left a group of men dead and $2 million in an abandoned truck.

Llewellyn Moss, who discovered the scene, takes the money and gets swept up in the illicit drug business.

Find out more about this book here.

UTAH: "The 19th Wife" by David Ebershoff
"The 19th Wife" by David Ebershoff.
"The 19th Wife" by David Ebershoff.

Amazon

Ebershoff weaves a novel based on the life of Ann Eliza Young, one of the wives of Mormon leader Brigham Young, who escapes her oppressive husband and embarks on a mission to end polygamy. The tale is juxtaposed against a modern-day story, following a young Mormon man who was cast out of the church and is trying to re-enter to solve his father's murder.

In this work of historical fiction, Ebershoff takes a critical look at polygamy through his side-by-side narratives.

Find out more about this book here.

VERMONT: "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
"The Secret History" by Donna Tartt.
"The Secret History" by Donna Tartt.

Amazon

Tartt's debut novel tells the story of six classics students at a fictional Vermont college and was a sensation when it was released in 1992. It's narrated by Richard Papen, one of the students, who recounts the story of a murder that happened among them.

The story takes a classic whodunnit premise and situates it in an coming-of-age story as well as the intellectual world of classic literature.

"Forceful, cerebral and impeccably controlled, 'The Secret History' achieves just what Ms. Tartt seems to have set out to do: It marches with cool, classical inevitability toward its terrible conclusion," Michiko Kakutani wrote in The New York Times in her review of the novel.

Find out more about this book here.

VIRGINIA: "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Patterson
"Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Patterson.
"Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Patterson.

Amazon

Jesse Aarons wants to be the fastest runner in his rural Virginia elementary school and almost realizes his dream until a new girl shows up and outruns everyone. This leads to an unlikely friendship between Jesse and the girl, Leslie, who together invent a magic wooded kingdom they call Terabithia.

The book is loosely based on events from Patterson's own childhood, which she spent in the greater DC area.

Find out more about this book here.

WASHINGTON: "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
"Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer.
"Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer.

Amazon

The small town of Forks, Washington, became famous as the setting for Meyer's best-selling vampire book series.

Bella Swan moves from her mom's house to live with her dad in Forks where she meets Edward Cullen, a quiet, handsome young man at her new high school. Edward usually keeps to himself, but he is drawn to Bella and can't seem to stay away from her — for a shocking reason.

Find out more about this book here.

WASHINGTON, DC: "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown
"The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown.
"The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown.

Amazon

In this story of espionage, conspiracies, and buried American secrets, "The Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown has done it again.

Brown's beloved character Robert Langdon returns, this time chasing down his mentor's kidnapper in DC while trying to decode five puzzling symbols linked to the Free Masons.

Find out more about this book here.

WEST VIRGINIA: "Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
"Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
"Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

Amazon

In Friendly, a young boy finds a puppy he names Shiloh in the hills behind his home. But Shiloh belongs to Judd, a scary town-drunk who beats the dog.

Now the boy, who's made a friend in Shiloh, will do anything to save him.

Find out more about this book here.

WISCONSIN: "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder
"Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
"Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Amazon

The classic characters Laura, Mary, and their family struggle to make a home for themselves in Ingalls Wilder's beloved "Little House" children's book series.

Based in part on Ingalls Wilder's own journey around the Midwest, young Laura and Mary, along with their parents and baby sister Carrie, learn to survive the long winter, fend for themselves, and take care of each other in this true-to-life work.

Find out more about this book here.

WYOMING: "The Laramie Project" by Moises Kaufman
"The Laramie Project" by Moises Kaufman.
"The Laramie Project" by Moises Kaufman.

Amazon

Kaufman wrote "The Laramie Project" as a play to recount the murder of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man who became the victim of an extreme hate crime in a quiet Wyoming town.

Shepard is remembered and honored from the perspective of family and friends as Kaufman takes a lens to the stubborn intolerance in society.

Find out more about this book here.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Xi was unusually frank in spelling out China's 4 'red lines' for the US, a clear warning for Trump's China hawks

21 November 2024 at 18:18
Donald Trump Xi Jinping
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has his eye on Trump 2.0.

REUTERS/Carlos Barria

  • Chinese Xi Jinping was unusually candid with US President Biden in their last meeting as their countries' leaders.
  • Xi outlined China's "red lines" for the US, including the country's rights to development.
  • Beijing was setting ground rules for the incoming Trump administration and its China hawks.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is gearing up for Trump 2.0 with some ground rules for the administration's China hawks.

Last weekend, Xi met US President Joe Biden at the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima, Peru. He told Washington not to cross "four red lines" — which analysts say is a clear message for the incoming Trump administration.

The four hot-button issues are Taiwan, democracy and human rights, China's path and system, and the country's rights to development.

"These are the most important guardrails and safety nets for China-US relations," Xi said, according to a readout from the Chinese foreign ministry.

Xi's explicit message is notable because it appears to be the first time these "red lines" were issued at the presidential level, said Igor Khrestin, a managing director of global policy at the George W. Bush Institute, a think tank.

"This is an attempt to 'set the floor' for US-China relations, in light of the uncertainly surrounding the second Trump Administration," Khrestin told Business Insider.

To be sure, it's not the first time Beijing has mentioned "red lines" in diplomatic settings and the four no-go zones are consistent with China's position on the issues. Foreign Minister Wang Yi has warned about not crossing Beijing's "red lines" in the past.

The remarks show Beijing is paying close attention to the nomination of China hawks in Trump's administration, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio — who has been sanctioned by Beijing — to the position of Secretary of State.

Xi's language raised some eyebrows, with analysts calling it "harsh" and deeming China's foreign ministry readout "strikingly negative" in some sections.

As Jersey Lee, an international affairs analyst, wrote on the think tank Lowy Institute's website on Tuesday, Xi's sentence that the US "always says one thing but does another, it will be detrimental to its own image, and undermine trust between China and the United States," is "surprisingly frank."

Xi named Taiwan President William Lai

Of the four "red lines," Taiwan is the most sensitive issue between the two countries, as Xi has repeatedly said over the years.

Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and has said recently that it will never commit to renouncing the use of force over the island. The area is strategically important to the US as a leader in semiconductor production and as a key security hub.

The sensitivity over Taiwan is even more apparent because last weekend was also the first time that Xi reportedly called Taiwanese president William Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party — whom Beijing branded as a separatist — by name. Chinese leaders rarely mention Taiwanese leaders by name in public.

"If the US side cares about maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait, it is crucial that it sees clearly the true nature of Lai Ching-te and the DPP authorities in seeking 'Taiwan independence,' handles the Taiwan question with extra prudence, unequivocally opposes 'Taiwan independence,' and supports China's peaceful reunification," according to Chinese ministry readout.

However, the White House's readout of the same meeting did not mention Lai. That prompted Tsai Ming-yen, the director of Taiwan's National Security Bureau, to question if China's state media and its foreign ministry were using cognitive warfare tactics.

Rockier times ahead of US and China

In 2018, Trump said he had an "incredible relationship" with Xi. But things could change dramatically with the President-elect calling for 60% tariffs.

Beijing seems to prefer a more conciliatory approach with Trump's new team in the short term to avoid dramatic developments, Khrestin said.

"Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Xi Jinping has consolidated in his view that the United States and its allies have become intractable impediments to China's rightful rise as the dominant global power," Khrestin said.

Trump 2.0 doesn't change that long-term calculus, and the US-China relationship is likely to worsen in the long run because Beijing is inflexible in its "red lines," he added.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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