Better understand Chinese culture with this entertaining journey to the heart of the Mandarin language. A must-read for those who seek to improve their language skills or advance relationships with Chinese worldwide. Language Empowerment co-authors Stewart Lee Beck and Katie Lu first connected as Mandarin student and language professional over ten years ago. In this humorous story collection, Stew and Katie share the secrets of efficient language learning while having huge fun along the way. The China Simplified book series explores and demystifies the country and its people for the rest of the world. By shifting our collective attention beyond the 1% (hot-button issues in the mass media) to the other 99% (relevant conversations about language, history, business, and more), the China Simplified team hopes to raise cultural awareness and increase mutual understanding. PRAISE FOR LANGUAGE EMPOWERMENT "I wish a book like this existed when I moved to China." --Dan Washburn, Chief Content Officer, Asia Society "It's not a textbook; it's just stuff you should know." --John Pasden, Founder and CEO, AllSet Learning "Totally authentic." --Christine Ng, Managing Director, BBH China "Reveals insights that many teachers and textbooks overlook." --Olle Linge, Mandarin Language Educator, Founder Hacking Chinese "A lively and original approach to navigating the bottomless mysteries of Chinese language and culture." --David Brooks, Chairman, Coca-Cola Greater China & Korea "Ridiculously funny, uncomfortably accurate and totally memorable!" --Grant Horsfield, Founder, naked Group "I suddenly feel as if the scales have been lifted from my eyes." --Carol Potter, Executive Vice Chairman at Edelman "For someone with a thirst for learning about things Chinese, the China Simplified series is a great entry point." --Joe Tatelbaum, former Vice President Li & Fung; China resident since 1982 "They've cracked the code--China Simplified demystified Mandarin for me, and now many of my clients." --Mary Rezek, Founder & Principal Consultant, Saatori, Ltd. "Weaves together rich cultural and linguistic background information of the Chinese language with practical implications for daily communication." --Michael Volz, Chinese Program Coordinator, University of Missouri "Having lived in China for nearly 20 years, I found myself nodding in agreement throughout the book." --Mark Secchia, Founder, Sherpa's Food Delivery Company "This book should be required reading for every foreigner before getting on the plane to China." ―Miao Jun, former HR Director, Asia-Pacific, Milliken Inc.