‘Much more than a simple compendium on the shape of social differentiation in China today, this ambitious volume takes on the earth-shattering shifts that officially swept away the concept of class (even as class contradictions grow ever sharper) and that replaced that term with “stratum,” in line with regime “dreams” of “harmony.” The authors offer us a kaleidoscope of history, politics, and much else interpreted through the lens of class, providing a sophisticated, elegant set of chapters. The work amounts to a virtual treatise on Chinese society today - most of whose contributions would qualify as high-caliber journal articles. The tome provides a vigorous justification for a resurgence of class analysis.’