Childish Things A Memoir

Childish Things: A Memoir by Eric Meade offers a vivid account of the author's experiences in China in the early 2000s, just after the country joined the World Trade Organization (WTO). In 2002, after completing a top-tier MBA, Eric moves to China determined to make his mark as an "international businessman" and to shed the constraints of his small-town Presbyterian upbringing. As the first employee in Asia for US toymaker Melissa & Doug, Eric travels to factories in China and Vietnam to develop new products and to improve the manufacturing quality. Alongside his professional endeavors, Eric navigates relationships with local women that highlight the cultural and emotional differences between him and his partners. The memoir candidly discusses his evolving views on sex, relationships, and his own emotional maturity. A series of self-induced personal and professional crises prompts Eric to look back on his successes and failures in Asia. His reflections on work, love, marriage, fatherhood, and the birth of his daughter in Shanghai add a poignant layer to the story.