In my lifetime, there have been only two idols: Terence Tao and Professor Michael Pettis of Peking University.
Terence Tao, a genuine genius. For me I learned much from his Analysis series. His intelligence is astounding.
Michael Pettis, a foreigner residing in China, possesses a deep grasp of China's macroeconomic landscape. With clarity and simplicity, he highlights the pivotal economic contradictions and has accurately foreseen numerous economic shifts, both major and minor. Despite not having the "authentic" data, his economic understanding might rival, if not surpass, the experts from central think tanks, who has the access to "authentic" information.
His Books:
(2020) Trade Wars Are Class Wars
(2013) The Great Rebalancing - Trade, Conflict, and the Perilous Road Ahead for the World Economy
(2013) Avoiding the Fall - China’s Economic Restructuring
(2001) The Volatility Machine