Beijing-based dealmaker Jack Leblanc’s book Business Republic of China has just been reviewed by the South China Morning Post:

It has been just under 20 years since Belgian Jack Leblanc heeded a call to go to China and arrived in Chongqing with a suitcase of science books to teach at a university. The freshly minted nuclear physics graduate had abandoned the prospect of a car and a house in the Brussels suburbs for the unknowns of the teeming, riverside metropolis.

Since then, Leblanc has gone from teaching computer science on a pre-internet mainland campus to refining his version of the art of the deal in one of the world’s most dynamic business environments. The ride along the way is mapped out in his boys’ own business adventure …

Business Republic of China is a page-turner. In each case, you want to know just how well or poorly the deal turns out and the motivations driving each party. The read is worth it for the postscripts on the people involved and the quieter moments of insight and humour.

The SCMP site is behind a paywall so we’ve reproduced the full book review. But you can go one better and win a free copy of the book by answering this simple question:

Which city in China was home to Jack when he first arrived?

Send your answer to mail(at)blacksmithbooks.com. The first three correct entries win a copy of Business Republic of China. Asian postal addresses only. For more, visit Jack’s new China business blog.