Hu Anyan's Grim Life in China's Gig Economy

AI Summary

Hu Anyan's memoir, 'I Deliver Parcels in Beijing', reveals the harsh realities of working in China's gig economy, where millions of internal migrants face low wages, long hours, and no career progression.

The Harsh Reality of China's Gig Economy

Hu Anyan's memoir, 'I Deliver Parcels in Beijing', began as a blog and became a bestseller in China, selling nearly 2 million copies. It chronicles his experiences as an internal migrant, working 19 jobs in six cities over 20 years, often in terrible conditions and for very low wages.

A Life of Unskilled Labor

Hu's jobs included security guard, hotel waiter, delivery driver, bicycle salesman, bike courier, gas station attendant, and logistics warehouse worker. He notes that many new recruits fail to make it through the three-day unpaid trial period.

The Dehumanizing Reality

Translated by Jack Hargreaves, Hu's book conveys the dehumanizing reality of working long shifts on little sleep and often going without food for eight hours at a time. The audiobook, narrated by Winson Ting, is a grim indictment of a shocking system and the cost of our culture of convenience.

Further Listening Recommendations

Maybe I'm Amazed by John Harris, a moving account of his bond with his autistic son and their shared love of music.
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner, a novel about an American spy who infiltrates a group of ecowarriors in France.