A testament to the power of determination and the immense value of friendships.

For listeners looking for inspiration in times of uncertainty, Journey to the West provides a blueprint for sticking to a seemingly impossible ambition and getting past the winning post. With a focus on ‘lessons learnt’, Wang draws conclusions from the formative events in his life, which gradually emerge as a useful guide to avoiding life’s pitfalls and maximising the chances of success. His story demonstrates how, with a strong sense of direction and friends by your side, barriers to success can be overcome.

Journey to the West is also a timely reminder, at a time when the emerging power of China is seen as a threat to the West, that we are all one species, with the same needs and desires, as through his storytelling Biao Wang gives China and the Chinese a human face.

All in all, it’s a fascinating listen. Biao Wang tells a terrific story, his informal chatty style will quickly draw the listener in as we get to admire his resilience, integrity, and thoughtfulness in this memoir of a young man’s journey from poverty in China to a comfortable successful life in England.

Journey to the West is a cultural bridge, as well as a thoroughly enjoyable and absorbing read.

As Biao Wang most eloquently says: “If I’ve learned anything, it is that success is possible, whatever your situation and however your life begins. I hope that this story, my story, will prove inspirational and that it will encourage others to dream big, take a plunge, use whatever resources are available. If a small poor boy fishing for prawns on a lake in Ningbo can do it, then so can you.”

So, fasten your seat belts and take note, as you travel from one extraordinary chapter to another - it should be an inspiration to us all.