'Hail the brilliance of Chen Chih-jou. He has smashed this common (mis)understanding of China in a book that is nothing short of revolutionary in how we must come to understand China: in disunity'- Asia Times Online 'This is one of the most insightful books on contemporary China, and arguably the most important.'- Asia Times Online 'Debates over the role of the local state in China's market transition have generated an important substream of scholarship exploring changes in rural property rights. This book is a welcome contribution to the topic.' - The China Journal 'Chih-jou jay Chen's recourse to a sociologial approach opens new perspectives for research into the development of property rights as they affect China's rural enterprises.'- China Perspectives M>China Perspectives.