Good morning, I am Jack from 6A. The NBA is one of the most popular sports leagues in the world, among the hundreds of players in the league is Yao Ming, the subject of my book today, Yao: A Life in Two Worlds, his autobiography, written by him and Ric Bucher.

The book tells the story of the phenomenal rise of this superstar, the difficulties he faced, the poor conditions that he grew up in, the hardships he had suffered along the way and how he, as one of the most famous Chinese persons ever, has influenced the values of a generation of youngsters. He was the man who introduced China to the world. Through him, Americans saw the polite, modest and public-spirited side of the Chinese. Yao also introduced the NBA to 1.3 billion fellow citizens, and in doing so, aroused his people’s interest in Western culture. It’s amazing that the actions of a single individual can have such far-reaching effects.

Once he had adapted to the style of the NBA, Yao improved quickly to become one of the most awesome centers in the league, rivaling other big names like Shaquille Oneal, and soon he was firmly established as the cornerstone of his team, the Rockets. With such high speeds of development, everyone started to expect great things from the Great Wall of China.

However, even the best player can get injured. Injuries have troubled Yao ever since his fourth season, and for three consecutive seasons he had been struggling with different injuries. Last season it seemed that he would not be injured again. But he suffered a hairline fracture and he needed to rest for a whole season for it to fully heal. Right now, Yao is resting and preparing for the coming next season, but he has also been active in charity and social programs. After the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, Yao donated 2 million US dollars and later founded the Yao Ming Foundation, aiming to improve the welfare of the children all over the world.

The book, though in principle a narrative of a Chinese athlete’s life in the US, is very similar to the story of China’s rise to the international stage. Yao symbolized a generation of Chinese people’s hopes to prove that we can also play good basketball. The story of Yao Ming has not yet come to an end and, hopefully it will not do so for some years. But Yao’s impact on the world has been made, because he linked the two worlds together, and even if Yao Ming stops playing basketball right now, he will still be one of the most well-known athletes in the world. And that’s the end of my book sharing today. Yao: A Life of Two Worlds. Thank you!