Memoirs of one of the most influential artists and activists of our time, Ai Weiwei, against the backdrop of dramatic events in Chinese history over the past hundred years. The son of the outstanding Chinese poet Ai Qing, who was subjected to repression during the years of the "cultural revolution", Ai Weiwei shared the fate of his family in exile and now, resurrecting pictures of a terrible childhood, is trying to comprehend the connection of times. He talks about his own similar experiences of violence and humiliation, about the difficult decision to leave his family to study art in America - where he later became friends with Allen Ginsberg, was inspired by the work of Andy Warhol and the work of Marcel Duchamp. Frankly and witty, he describes the details of his return to his homeland and development - from an unknown artist to a superstar of world art and an international human rights activist, showing how his work was influenced by life under an authoritarian regime.