This is a complex story, but it's presented clearly and vividly, thanks to Hvistendahl’s background as a science journalist here and in China; to her exquisite pacing; and to her narrative skills….Hard to put down and harder to stop thinking about. —Booklist ⭐
[A] fascinating and well-researched study from Hvistendahl…Those looking for insights into the current tensions with China will be rewarded. —Publishers Weekly ⭐
Mara Hvistendahl’s compelling account of the drama reads in parts like a spy thriller, replete with car chases, phone-tapping and aerial surveillance as agents track the shovel-carrying suspects across America. —The Economist
If there is a subplot that makes this book essential reading, especially for those working in the sciences today, it is Hvistendahl’s documentation of the disturbing effects that the too-vigorous pursuit of industrial spies has had on Chinese scientists and engineers in the United States. —Helen Anne Curry, Science
A fascinating, timely book that is global in scope…complete with evocative, cinematic detail. —Claude Peck, Star Tribune
[A] fascinating story which speaks to the larger geopolitical tensions shaping our time. —BookPage
A Saturday Evening Post and Amazon pick
A The Washington Post book of the month
A Men’s Journal must-read
A Scientific American pick
A PopSugar best true-crime book
An Asia Society selection
A compelling whodunit ... Embedded in this tale is a vastly different and strongly cautionary narrative. Ms. Hvistendahl repeatedly inveighs against the racial profiling of Chinese in this country, questioning not only the ethics and morality of such an approach but also its effectiveness. —Howard French, The Wall Street Journal
The Scientist and the Spy is as compulsively readable as any espionage thriller and as darkly troubling as any morality tale. Told with empathy, insight, and remarkable detail, the author shines a clear light on the increasingly relentless federal investigation, its Chinese targets, and the powerful government and business interests that drive the story to its fascinating conclusion. —Deborah Blum, author of The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Quest for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century
You will learn more about China from this thrilling, real-life drama than you will from a whole stack of China-related books by lesser talents. Mara Hvistendahl has given us an utterly original, provocative, and revealing tale of the relationship between China and the United States—and what a tale it is. —Evan Osnos, author of Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China
The Scientist and the Spy vividly illustrates that things happening in China today can be stranger and more spellbinding than in a thriller. —Qiu Xiaolong, author of Death of a Red Heroine
If you enjoyed Bad Blood, you'll find this fascinating. —Rana Mitter, author of Modern China: A Very Short Introduction