Home > Meet the Authors > Michael Stanat

by Michael Stanat

About the book

"Come on children, finish your supper.  Imagine those children less fortunate in China, who are starving to death.  You should be glad you all you have to do is take out the trash!"

The stereotypes of poor farm workers guiding water buffalos through rice paddies and peasants scavenging crowded city streets remain ingrained in the minds of Americans. "Made in China" is everywhere we look and on everything we purchase, yet Western preconceptions of China show how Americans and Europeans fundamentally misunderstand China and its youth. If the youth in China are so poor, then why are they a major target of Western companies?  If so much seems to be made and invested in China, then wouldn't the resourceful, highly educated Chinese youth eventually become wealthier?  Can these supposedly "poor children" eventually become the leaders of the global economy in the next 10-20 years? 

By the year 2020, China is expected to become the second largest economy in the world, developing into a vast consumer market with a sizeable middle class.  On every newsstand sits a magazine issue on China fever. Yet even after The Reform Era in China, little is known about China's Generation Y, consisting of approximately 200 million young individuals born between 1980 and 1989.

Seventeen year-old Author Michael Stanat went to explore new territory in China, ultimately realizing the significance of the generation.  Adding not only extensive research to the book, Stanat also brings unseen insight to understanding Gen Y.  China's Generation Y follows the youth on their unprecedented journey from a young generation in a communistic country to one entrenched in an emerging global capitalist, consumerist market.  How really different are they?  Will China's youth rebel against their parents and culture's values, quickly adopting western products and lifestyle?  Where will they plan to purchase cars, clothing, food and literature?   Do they share the same political values as their parents?  What problems will they face, and will they be as docile in the future? China's Generation Y: Understanding the Future Leaders of the World's Next Superpower provides us with the insight to learn about a so-far silent generation and grow familiar with it. 

The book is unique in that it is the first book written on China's Generation Y and one of the few well-written non-fiction books written by a teenager.  The book is based on extensive research sponsored by SIS International Research, New York (www.sisinternational.com) and assisted by CBC Market Research, Shanghai (www.cbcnow.com).  Fun, fast, and captivating, China's Generation Y is the ultimate guide that Westerners will need to be able to work with the leaders of the future.

Gen Y in Facts

• There are approximately 367 million people under the age of 18 in China, much greater than the entire population of the U.S.

• China's Gen Y is itself composed of approximately 200 million individuals between the ages of 15 and 25.

• Each year, four times as many students in China become engineers than do U.S. students, placing the U.S.'s technological and scientific superiority in jeopardy. Economists use this statistic as an indicator for possible future breakthroughs.

• China's Gen Y teens are significantly more entrepreneurial and capitalistic than their parent generation, and with market reforms, can more easily become entrepreneurs.

• Annually, approximately twenty million individuals in China become of teenage age.

• China's Gen Y is by far more connected to the Internet and by mobile phones than any older generation in China.

• One study found that Gen Y single children often consume an astonishing 50% or more of family expenditure in some major cities. Other surveys confirm the findings.

• China's youth generally know more about Westerners than Westerners know about them.

Advance Praise for China's Generation Y

Stanat's work is a laudable contribution, as it provides a comprehensive study on China's Generation Y, ranging from its socio-political consequences to the generational gap and the economic factors that ensue. This research builds a more nuanced and objective understanding of this generation.
-- Eva H. Shi, former editor-in-chief, Harvard Asia Pacific Review

As someone who lived and worked in China for several years [as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in Beijing], I was struck by how closely Michael Stanat's accounts resonated with my own observations and experiences.
-- Christopher J. Fry, president, Strategic Management Solutions Group

For American companies who want to capitalize on the purchasing power of China's Gen Y, this book is a must-read. The author clearly dispels the myths of Gen Y in China, so Americans beware: China's youth today will propel its nation to be a global economic giant tomorrow.
-- Lee-En Chung, president, Ivy Ventures, Inc.

Michael Stanat has probably seen more of the world in his short life than most adults ever will. His combination of facts and impressions of China and its youth make for a quick and fascinating read that will help you prepare for the inevitable upheaval that has already begun.
-- Ira Schloss, director of corporate planning, Thomas Publishing Co.

Michael Stanat combines a thorough appreciation of the political and economic background to China's Generation Y with a deep personal understanding of this new generation.
-- Joachim E. Seydel, International Research Consultant, London

"Michael has captured China Gen Y's zest for technology, entrepreneurship and capitalism. Similar to the teenagers, the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Internet in China are working out their true value and identity under strict regulations and heavy censorship. The 21st century will provide us with a truly globalized financial industry, in which China's Generation Y will play an important role. Special kudos to Stanat for bringing to light this generation and its future potential in world markets."
-- June Klein, CEO Technology & Marketing Ventures, Inc.,
and Author, Evolution Of Trading: How Technology and Governance are Changing Finance in the 21st Century.

About the author

Michael Stanat is the author of China’s Generation Y: Understanding the Future Leaders of the World’s Next Superpower (Homa & Sekey Books 2005). In his lifetime, he has traveled to over thirty countries and has worked at market research firms worldwide. He frequently attends trade shows around the world, learning and sharing new insights into global youth trends. He is a featured speaker for the 2006 GAIN conference hosted by the American Institute of Graphic Arts in New York City and for the Trans Asian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Mumbai, India.

Stanat has been previously published in the News Sentinel and WomensBiz.us Magazine, and is the former editor-in-chief of UNISVerse. He has been written about in The Houston Chronicle, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Active Investor Magazine, The World Journal, The Journal Gazette and the Midwest Book Review.

Stanat has also been featured by The Associated Press, Voice of America’s Talk to America, The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC [NPR], 1070 KNX Los Angeles, the Cable Radio Network, WJR-AM Detroit, KPQ-AM Seattle, KYW-AM Philadelphia, 92.3 Free FM New York and dozens of other radio stations. He has previously attended the United Nations International School in New York City.