Young women, wearing fashionable qipao, pose in Beihai Park in Beijing in the 1930s. Photos provided to China Daily

Wang believes Chinese modernization in the past century started passively and without many choices.

"It naturally brought huge suffering for its people. And in further transformation and progress, the pain and confusion remain," he says.

But, many photos tell exactly how people, with great courage and optimism, reflected on their lives and moved forward.

That spirit, Wang says, is like seeds of hope growing in the land of desperation.

Through the book, Wang hopes to present the full picture of Chinese transformation day by day, with flesh and blood, and also "how Chinese think and strive after the economic development".

"Chinese are becoming more interested in social causes and charity work for self-fulfillment and to share their blessings with others," Wang notes.

The constant factor is optimism, especially apparent during adversity. Editor Li says one change she notices from editing the book is that she sees more smiles and openness.

"The main idea is to illustrate the optimism of the Chinese people, and how they follow their own path to modernization," editor White says.

"The book delivers the message about China's progress much better than statistics alone," White says. "I think it's a good introduction to modern China, mixing history with personal glimpses in an easy-to-understand way."