The Heart of the Dragon takes the

reader into China, exploring the

private lives of individual fami-

lies lies, the work of the villages, the

problems and successes of fac-

tories and mines.and the closed world of the

country s courts hospitals, asylums, and

prisons-a rare look at areas that will once

again be closed to public view

Perhaps most important, the book exam-

ines the ancient religions and philosophies

that the Chinese,with their unique flexibility,

have interwoven with the doctrines of Marx

and Mao. It also explores China s renowned

cooking, science, and art, which have been

brought to the rest of mankind by travelers

and traders from the time of Marco Polo to

the present day.

The Hear! of the Dragon combines careful

research with clear, elegant prose and stun-

ning illustrations-some of which have

never been seen outside China. No book

about this enigmatic people has been so

in|ormative, so beautiful~ and based on such

a wide range of historical and contemporary

sources.