According to the book, around 60% of these college graduates are from rural areas and smaller towns around China. Back home, many of them are the pride of their families and possibly the best hope for the family in the struggle against poverty. Many of them lost their jobs during the financial crisis in late 2008, but decided not to go home, not wanting to admit defeat in Beijing.
书中说，这些毕业生当中大约六成来自中国各地的农村地区和小城镇。在老家，他们都是家人的骄傲，或许也是生活贫困的家人最大的希望所寄。很多人在2008年下半年的金融危机中失了业，但决定不回家，不想承认在北京遇到了挫折。

Lian described a Lunar New Year dinner he spent with the graduates: 'At first, everyone was in a festive mood; we made dumplings and cooked many dishes...but then when it turned late and the bustle outside quieted down, completely unexpectedly, all of these boys and girls just huddled together, crying. At this very special occasion, there was no reason to hide their homesickness and frustrations any more,' he recalled.
廉思描述了他和这群毕业生一起吃过的一顿年夜饭。开始，人人都像过节一样，大家包了饺子，做了很多菜……但后来，当天色已晚，外面的喧嚣静下来的时候，突然一下子，所有这些男孩女孩都聚在一起哭了。在这个非常特别的场合，再也没有理由掩盖他们对家的思念和挫折感。

Deng Kun, a 24-year-old college graduate, is an 'ant' featured in the book. After graduating from his university in Yunnan province, he came to Beijing and once lived in Tangjialing for about half a year and is now thinking about returning to Tangjialing due to the low cost of living there. Despite many setbacks over the past two years, he is still hopeful. 'I don't really care what hardships I have to go through, as long as I persist with my goal and continue to pursue a better life with an active attitude and a strong mind, I am sure I could succeed in the end. In this regard, we are indeed like ants.'
24岁的大学毕业生邓锟就是书中描述的一位“蚁族”。从云南一所大学毕业后，他来到了北京，曾经在唐家岭住了大约半年，现在正在考虑搬回唐家岭，因为那里生活成本低。虽然过去两年遭遇了不少失败，但他还是踌躇满志。他说，我并不在乎要经历的艰难，只要坚持目标，用积极的态度和坚强的心态去追求更好的生活，最终肯定会取得成功的。在这方面，我们确实像蚂蚁。

The book has struck a chord with readers, especially those in similar circumstances, and has garnered many positive reviews on cultural site . ()
这本书在读者中引起了共鸣，特别是在那些处境相似的人当中。这本书在文艺网站豆瓣网()上得到了不少正面评价。

'The concept of 'ants tribes' has been widely recognized among Chinese college graduates thanks to this book, so we are going to include the life and struggle of more 'ants' in other parts of China in our next book.' Lian said.
廉思说，因为这本书的原因，“蚁族”这个概念已在中国大学毕业生中被广为认可，所以下一本书将涵盖中国其他地区更多“蚁族”的生活与奋斗。