The Social Life of Opium in China

In A Remarkable And Broad-Ranging Narrative Yangwen Zheng''S Book Explores The History Of Opium Consumption In China From 1483 To The Late Twentieth Century. The Story Begins In The Mid-Ming Dynasty When Opium Was Sent As A Gift By Vassal States And Used As An Aphrodisiac In Court. Over Time The Chinese People From Different Classes And Regions Began To Use It For Recreational Purposes So Beginning A Complex Culture Of Opium Consumption. The Book Traces This Transformation Over A Period Of Five Hundred Years Asking Who Introduced Opium To China How It Spread Across All Sections Of Society Embraced By Rich And Poor Alike As A Culture And An Institution. The Book Which Is Accompanied By A Fascinating Collection Of Illustrations Will Appeal To Students And Scholars Of History Anthropology Sociology Political Science Economics And All Those With An Interest In China.