A journey through the heart of China in search of the real issues facing the Chinese people. Beyond the economic miracle much praised abroad, there is a widening gap between rich and poor. Urban squalor persists alongside a new generation of Get Rich First entrepreneurs. The popular press revels in crime and sex but cannot discuss politics, and no-one knows where China is heading after the death of Deng Xiaoping. In this book, the author combines original research with on-the-spot enquiry to explore the realities of life in the villages and towns of Middle China.