"Portions of this work were originally published in different form in Foreign affairs and The New York times magazine"--T.p. verso. Originally published: New York : Times Books, c1994.

Flying pigeon -- What kind of Chinese are you, anyway? -- Ghosts -- Red emperors -- The dynastic cycle -- The good earth -- The rotting state -- Where have all the babies gone? -- Castrating the thinkers -- A room of one's own -- Marching toward money -- The God of wealth -- Blood and iron -- Taming the dragon -- The Taiwan option -- The next dynasty.