Training the Body for China is a complex book. The book did not confuse me, but I had mixed feelings. Because I thought Susan Brownwell, being an anthropologist, would tell her story about her experience playing and competing in sports in China. I understand the structure of her book, her explaining the rigors and rules of sports under the People’s Republic of China. However, I just wish she wrote more about her experience. I love the beginning when she was describing her competitive experience in the heptathlon, but afterwards it felt like she just took the humanism out of sports. I know, I am breaking the heart of my major when I write that this book has too much history. However, amongst the ghastly amounts of history, she explains numerous crucial conflicts in the sports world, of not only in China but also universally. Chapter 7 is an interesting reflection of how athletes are both loathed and dignified. In addition, how sports and athletes in China have this complex identity, they are both renowned and respected, especially during the time of Olympics’. Unlike the United States, education and intellect is respected more. However, the body in China, at least under the rule of the PRC, needed to be strong and healthy. I felt, China view of sports in some ways is complicated, the same in the US. In addition, athletes in China suffer the same problems in the United States, the “exiting problem”, money, and social life away from sports. To change from another point in her book, I found her chapters on sex and gender in sports fascinating. I enjoyed her description of the differences and similarities of what men and women are or to be in both China and the United States. I was not surprised by what she wrote and the views of men and women, however, I read them and I did not see a difference between either country when it comes to gender ideas. I thoughts was rather sad, depressing actually. The idea that sports continues the social construction that is gender is ridiculous. Additionally, it proves that neither country is intelligent, or civilized.