Written by a highly observant British missionary after living fifteen years in the country,and first published in 1890 in China, this book presents the social life and personal character traits of the typical Chinese. In spite of the drastic changes in the past 110 years, the patterns of behavior and social mores of the people is probably much the same as when this book was written.

编辑推荐：自从那位喜欢说大话的威尼斯商人在热那亚监狱里口述了一本游记，700年间西方探险家、传教士、商人、水手、政客、学者，形形色色的人写过各种各样的关于中国的报道。有写实，有虚构；有不着边际的赞美，也有不怀好意的污蔑。有这难以计数的“中国著述”中，真正有影响的，不过那么几本。美国作家亚瑟·亨·史密斯所著的本书就是其中之一。作为美国排行榜的畅销书，本书从作者理解中的中国人的性格入手，真实的、全面的