This is an exceptional book on ethnic minorities in the People’s Republic of China. Zang is an outstanding authority on the topic, having already written widely on the societies of the Muslim and other minorities. He has an extraordinarily firm grasp both of the primary and secondary literature and has carried out extensive field work on the minorities. We are very fortunate that he has now produced a book with more general coverage of issues concerning the overall picture of China’s ethnic minorities. This is a major contribution to the literature on an important topic. I recommend it strongly both for specialists and the general reader. Colin Mackerras, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia I am a long-time admirer of Dr. Zang’s work. He is a fine theorist and researcher with a knack for spotting important problems and utilizing creative methodologies. His writing is clear and crisp, and students will appreciate his latest treatment of a complex and highly significant topic. William Jankowiak, University of Nevada “Xiaowei Zang’s book breaks down China’s ethnicities’ policy and takes the discussion beyond routine ‘White Papers’ and statistics on the subject. […]The discussions in chapter five on assimilation, acculturation and differential treatment as regards different ethnic groups, depending on their proximity to the Han culture, is interesting and is also an important aspect of the book. The comparative discussion on Tibet and Xinjiang is useful, as well as intelligently and sensitively done.” Asian Affairs