Xiayuan Liang is currently a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. In her spare time, Xiayuan likes to read and discuss interesting topics with her friends--in Chinese, of course!

"I really liked how the book is packed with cultural details. It's a nice touch that gives you some background knowledge about Chinese culture. Indeed, I was impressed to see Chinese poems from the Tang dynasty appearing at the end of most chapters!" --Perapera Language Tools blog

"...well-written and helps you speak Chinese in no time." --FluentU.com

"This is a good book for non-native speaking parents. Each chapter included vocabulary, dialogues and culture information. This is a book written by an experienced Chinese instructor." --Miss Panda Chinese

"I loved my Chinese classes with Yi Ren. She didn't just teach the language--but also Chinese culture and history. Her new book reflects her warmth and breadth of teaching." --Mike Farer, former student, and City Planner

"Thanks to Yi Ren, I actually learned about the Mandarin language, to speak phrases, to understand snippets of Mandarin conversations when I hear others speak, and to have the confidence to tackle this very complex language." --Beth A. Buonanno, Mandarin learner

"As a teacher myself, I have always been impressed with Yi's knowledge of language acquisition. As her pupil, I found her passion and determination inspiring. Learning with Yi gave me the feeling of being in China all over again." --Karen Enos, Mandarin learner

"One other thing I really enjoyed about this book is the inclusion of traditional Chinese poetry. Before, I never dared approach Chinese poetry, but this book gives me the understanding to read great poems without needing a specialty text." --Silvia Gleizer, Vision Times