Denise Xu of The Harvard Crimson writes a largely flattering review of my book. (It’s my alma mater paper).

Her quibbles again concern  the structure and the overwhelming amount of information. Imagine if it didn’t have the fortune cookie thread to tie it all together (Ihe original proposal did not), how much more confusing it would be. Also, she was not a fan of the Greatest Chinese Restaurant chapter….whose merits can be debated (I ultimately think it was a good thing).

‘Fortune Cookie’ a Wisdom Stuffed Delicacy
Published On 4/3/2008 10:05:31 PM
By DENISE J. XU 

Crimson Staff Writer

Hidden beneath the numerous cards, tickets, and to-do lists stuffed in my wallet, taped onto your refrigerator above that painting from second grade, buried beneath papers in some drawer, are sage pieces of advice with a humble origin: a bite-sized baked cookie. These small cookies, however, have quite a big story. In “The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food,” Jennifer 8. Lee ’98-’99, a New York Times Reporter, embarks on a journey that bridges many centuries, many countries, many people, and many other staple Chinese-American dishes in retelling the often dramatic, always intriguing history of the fortune cookie. Thoroughly researched and surprisingly artistic and imaginative, Lee’s four-year search weaves through the complex history of the Chinese food industry in the United States and discovers much of interest.
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