This book investigates the lived experiences, motivations, and broader socio-political impacts of Western individuals employed as English teachers in Shanghai, China. Phiona Stanley, an academic specializing in education and sociology, utilizes three years of ethnographic research to examine the phenomenon of 'backpacker teachers' from the UK, USA, and Canada. The work provides a rigorous analysis of how these individuals navigate pre-service training, classroom dynamics, and their own evolving identities within the Chinese educational landscape. By situating these personal accounts within the context of transnational education, the author argues that these teachers serve as significant, albeit often overlooked, conduits for cultural exchange and political perception between China and the West.

Experts in the field of Asian education and sociology recognize this work as a significant contribution to the study of transnational labor and cultural exchange. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a comprehensive and critical look at the complexities of the English teaching industry in China.