Xiang Lake: Nine Centuries of Chinese Life

This book, originally published by Yale University Press, is indeed out of print, but is an excellent study in the lives of local Chinese elites and peasants. Professor Schoppa spans the centuries by describing in an anecdotal style, a historical picture of life around Xiang Lake, a reservoir in Zhejiang province. Professor Schoppa researched scores of volumes and consulted many scholars and historians in China to write this book. I personally know the author, and consider him an expert in the field of East Asian Studies.