[2] While he had been incarcerated, Ai decided to chronicle his own biography because he wanted to leave a record of his life for his child,[2] especially as Ai Weiwei feared the Chinese government could try to remove other records related to his own life.
[2] The memoir chronicles periods when Ai came into disputes with the Government of the People's Republic of China.
[4] Joan Gaylord of the Christian Science Monitor described the book as "A fascinating biography" and "a testament to that creative spirit.
"[3] Sean O'Hagan of The Guardian wrote that the book "is above all a story of inherited resilience, strength of character and self-determination.
"[5] Publishers Weekly gave a starred review, and argued that the book "easily sits in the top tier of dissident writing.