I read this work as an Early Reviewer on LibraryThing.com. I do not believe this is a work for the casual reader and the writers are assuming prior knowledge of media studies in general, and a familiarity with contemporary Chinese affairs.
That being said, this is a worthwhile work for the initiated. The "New China" is revealed today as an Olympic status country in the limelight as a global media event. I can claim to be an expert in neither field (http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/)--China or media studies--but I would be able to address media studies and am generally knowledgeable in global affairs as an historian. I would therefore characterize a more or less typically educated reader.
My opinion of the book then is that it will be more useful for a rather select audience of readers interested in China, and in particular, for those whose expertise lies in media studies. Most of the selections read like conference papers dedicated to those two fields and there is a cross-pollination of readings and knowledge which may be tedious for those outside the two fields.
As in many conferences as in an edited work such as this there is a range of quality and usefulness in the presenters and topics. I found Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom to be the most helpful since he concentrated on the analysis of the 2008 Chinese Olympic event that relate to history. The casual reader could profit by dipping in the selections and discovering which topics are of interest. The basic import of the text though is for a more specialized audience, and they would profitably benefit from the entire text.
Lastly, a word should be noted on what the book is not. It is not a general book on the "New China," it is not about the Olympics per se, or sports as a category. The reader should realize that this is an academic work for specialists although at points there may be a nugget or two for the more general reader. As the news media has picked up on the conflicts and controversies regarding China as a site for the Olympics, and symbolic protests occurred, I found myself dipping more into the work to provide a context and background for the news coverage. You may too.
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