"An elegantly written, conceptually deft, and careful piece of work. I know of no other systematic contemporary attempt to theorize guanxi in a rural context. Kipnis’s theoretically sophisticated involvement with current debates in anthropology will also ensure that this book is of interest to a scholarly audience both within and beyond the China field."— Gail Hershatter, University of California, Santa ... Read moreCruz "This is a rich and well-reflected ethnographic text that captures a core feature of both traditional and contemporary Chinese culture. The richness and variety of ethnographic descriptions reveal the author’s meticulous fieldwork and his insightful and thought–provoking observations. This book will help correct the current imbalance towards depicting urban guanxi by examining the roots of guanxi in rural and peasant kinship, ethics, and rituals."—Mayfair Yang, University of California, Santa Barbara Show Less